The Detroit Tigers have Tarik Skubal, and that’s amazing. Just don’t look too hard at the rest of the starting rotation.
Behind the reigning American League Cy Young winner, the Tigers’ rotation is one big question mark. Detroit signed veteran Alex Cobb to a one-year deal, while youngsters Keider Montero and Jackson Jobe look to have inside tracks to spots, but there’s little certainty involved.
But while Detroit is trying to find enough starters to fill out a rotation, there’s another team trying to get rid of a former two-time All-Star. Could the Tigers capitalize on the New York Yankees’ dilemma?
The Yankees signed Marcus Stroman to join their rotation last winter, giving him a two-year, $37 million deal with a vesting option for 2026. Now, he doesn’t seem to have a spot in their 2025 rotation, so New York is actively looking to deal him.
On Wednesday, Zachary D. Rymer of Bleacher Report proposed a deal that would send Stroman to Detroit in exchange for right-handed pitchers Kenta Maeda and Matt Manning, both of whom have been starters for the Tigers in years past.
“Mark Feinsand of MLB.com has (Detroit) in the mix for a reunion with Jack Flaherty,” Rymer wrote. “That implies they aren’t satisfied with their rotation, for which Stroman would be an upgrade even if he isn’t on Flaherty’s level.”
“One reason to believe as much is that Comerica Park is decidedly not Yankee Stadium. Whereas the latter is a home run haven, the former is one of the worst venues for home run hitters that MLB has to offer.”
Stroman, 33, had a 10-9 record, 4.31 ERA, and just 113 strikeouts in 154 2/3 innings last season. But the Yankees’ infield defense was putrid behind him, and his slightly elevated home run rate (1.1 per nine innings) could come back down in a pitcher’s park.
Is Stroman worth giving up on a former first-round pick in Manning and a wily veteran in Maeda? That’s up to the Detroit front office to determine.
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