The New York Yankees have a few boxes to check off the objectives list ahead of the 2025 season.
With spring training set to arrive in less than a month, one of those objectives is finding a trade suitor for right-handed pitcher Marcus Stroman and the remainder of his $37 million contract.
While it remains to be seen which team would be willing to take on that contract in a trade, Greg Joyce of The New York Post predicted a deal will get done before the end of spring training in his Opening Day lineup roster projection.
“We’re assuming that by the end of camp, the Yankees will have found a taker for Marcus Stroman, whose $18 million salary is too expensive for a sixth starter (or long man in the bullpen), assuming the rest of the rotation stays healthy,” Joyce wrote.
Former MLB player and Yankees outfielder Cameron Maybin posted to social media, teasing that a potential trade could be coming.
With the current starting rotation including Gerrit Cole, Max Fried, Carlos Rodon, Luis Gil and Clarke Schmidt, the five spots are already locked up. On top of that, Stroman has no bullpen experience, and it doesn’t seem that will be a path for the 33-year-old.
Though Stroman got off to a strong start during the 2024 season, he struggled immensely during the second half and became a non-factor toward the end of the campaign.
Among pitchers with at least 150 innings during the 2024 season, Stroman’s 16.7% strikeout rate was tied for the worst mark in MLB. Meanwhile, his 8.9% walk rate was tied for the 11th-highest mark.
The biggest issue with a potential Stroman trade is his contract. Not only is $18 million a lot to pay for a middle-of-the-rotation arm, but there’s another factor. There’s the matter of the vesting option he has for the 2026 season. If he throws 140 innings in 2025, he’ll have a player option to make $18.3 million next year, per Spotrac.
Deadlines typically spur action so this will be something to monitor as the 2025 season quickly approaches.