Yankees Exploring Marcus Stroman Trade Possibilities, Open to Retaining Salary
Chances are right-hander Marcus Stroman will be playing elsewhere by Opening Day next season.
The New York Yankees have been looking to trade the 33-year-old starting pitcher this off-season, as many have previously reported. He entered this winter as a likely trade candidate and has since been pushed out of the club’s starting rotation following the addition of left-hander Max Fried.
Stroman has been tricky to move thus far, though, given his remaining contract. He’s owed $18.5 million in 2025 as part of his two-year, $37-million deal signed last off-season. It also includes a vesting player option for ‘26 at $18 million that triggers if he completes at least 140 innings pitched next season.
While the veteran righty came short of that mark due to injury in 2022 and ‘23, he exceeded 150 innings a season ago and eclipsed that total in ‘19 and ‘21. So, his odds of achieving that feat and earning his ‘26 conditional option appear high.
According to the New York Post’s Jon Heyman, the Yankees have expressed to other teams they’re willing to retain a portion of Stroman’s $18.5 million salary for next season to facilitate a deal. He also adds those savings could be reallocated elsewhere throughout the roster, perhaps to help acquire an infielder.
New York has been linked to third basemen Nolan Arenado and Alex Bregman this off-season, although Heyman doesn’t view either as realistic targets for the Bronx Bombers. The same goes for San Diego’s Luis Arraez, who’ll earn $14 million in 2025 and can enter free agency after next season.
The Yankees plan to move Jazz Chisholm Jr. – who played third base following his arrival from the Miami Marlins last season – to second after Gleyber Torres departed via free agency, signing a one-year deal worth $15 million with the Detroit Tigers. But they could add to their depth at the position.
Among those on the front office’s radar are free agents Jorge Polanco, Brendan Rodgers and Paul DeJong, as Heyman noted.
At the hot corner, Oswaldo Cabrera and DJ LeMahieu – limited to just 67 games last season due to nagging injuries – are expected to compete for the starting gig in spring training, with the often-injured 36-year-old considered the front-runner for that job.
General manager Brian Cashman has already traded one starter this winter, Nestor Cortes, who was part of the package sent to the Milwaukee Brewers in last month’s Devin Williams blockbuster deal. And there’s a good chance he’ll move a second in as many months.
Stroman wasn’t overly impressive during his first – and what’ll probably be his only – season with New York, pitching to a 4.31 ERA and 4.62 FIP in 30 games (29 starts). He induced 113 strikeouts in 154.2 innings, causing his strikeout rate to plummet to a career-worst 16.7 percent.
Additionally, opponents hit .275 against him, the second-highest OPP AVG of his 10 major league seasons. Minimizing home runs was also an issue, as he posted a career-high 1.11 HR/9, nearly doubling his 2023 figure of 0.59.
Trading Stroman would push New York’s projected Competitive Balance Tax (CBT) payroll for next season – which sits at roughly $303 million per FanGraphs’ RosterResource – beneath the fourth and highest luxury tax threshold of $301 million.
-Thomas Hall
Twitter: @Hall_Thomas_
Photo: Arturo Pardavila III. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.