ESPN: The New York Yankees close in to deal the two-time All-Star pitcher.
The New York Yankees continue to search for additions to their starting lineup.
After moving Nestor Cortes to the Milwaukee Brewers and signing All-Star Max Fried to an eight-year, $218 million contract, the Yankees now have six pitchers for five spots.
Fried and Gerrit Cole are one of baseball’s most effective 1-2 pitching tandems. In addition, the Yankees have Marcus Stroman, Clarke Schmidt, Carlos Rodon, and Luis Gil, the current American League Rookie of the Year.
But the Yankees want to trade for one of those pitchers.
The New York Yankees want to trade this starter in order to pay their payroll.
The Yankees are attempting to sell Stroman, a two-time All-Star, according to MLB source Bob Nightengale of USA Today.
According to Nightengale, “they are actively trying to deal starter Marcus Stroman and clear his $18 million salary.”
Stroman signed a two-year contract for $37 million with the Yankees, and he is about to begin the second year of that pact. With a 4.31 ERA, 95 ERA+ (meaning he was 5% poorer than the league-average pitcher), and 113 strikeouts in 154 2/3 innings, Stroman had a 10-9 record in 30 games (29 starts) in 2024. In 2024, he had 6.6 strikeouts per nine, down from 7.8 in 2023.
In addition, Stroman did not pitch in the World Series or the ALCS and was not included on the ALDS roster.
The St. Louis Cardinals allegedly rejected the Yankees’ attempt to trade Stroman for third baseman Nolan Arenado earlier in the winter.
Whether any teams are interested in trade for Stroman at this time is unknown. However, it would probably be for a low-level prospect if the Yankees were able to sell him.
