The New York Yankees have been busy pivoting ever since Juan Soto kicked off the winter moves with his shocking decision.
Needing to find a way to salvage the offseason after finishing second in the sweepstakes for the $765 million phenom, the Yankees have focused on run prevention.
This led to an aggressive pursuit of left-hander Max Fried, who signed a historic $218 million contract as the team’s first move. The Yankees then followed that up Friday with a blockbuster trade, adding All-Star closer Devin Williams to the bullpen.
Now, the Yankees are hoping to move one more piece of the pitching staff off the roster, per Joel Sherman of The New York Post.
“The Yankees also would also still like to move Marcus Stroman and the $18 million he is owed in 2025 (and potentially another $18 million for 2026 if he throws 140 innings next season),” Sherman wrote.
In one of their biggest moves last offseason, the Yankees signed Stroman to a two-year, $37 million deal with a vesting option for another $18.5 million in 2026.
It started out as a solid arrangement for the Yankees during the early months of the 2024 season. Through his first 14 starts, Stroman logged an impressive 2.82 ERA. It turned out to be fool’s gold, though.
Over his final 16 starts of the regular season, Stroman pitched to a 5.88 ERA while allowing a .328 batting average against and a league-low 16.1% strikeout rate.
It may not be easy to find a suitor for Stroman considering the contract and his declining consistency, but he seemingly has become an excessive piece on the roster with the Yankees sporting a stout starting five ahead of him.
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