The New York Yankees have put together a solid offseason highlighted by the additions of Max Fried, Devin Williams, Cody Bellinger and Paul Goldschmidt. They could make one more much-needed move before Opening Day.
The Yankees need an infielder, either a second baseman or someone to man the hot corner. With limited options in free agency, the Yankees could turn to the trade block. Bleacher Report’s Zachary D. Rymer proposed this trade that dumps Marcus Stroman’s contract to the San Francisco Giants while adding an infielder:
- Yankees receive: infielder Marco Luciano
- Giants receive: right-handed pitcher Marcus Stroman and shortstop Geroge Lombard Jr.
“Luciano placed among MLB’s top 100 prospects annually between 2020 and 2024, but he now finds himself in limbo with the Giants,” wrote Rymer. “He’d thus be an upside play for the Yankees, albeit one worth taking. Listed at 6’1″, 178 pounds, Luciano is known for his capacity for putting a charge into the ball. It even shows despite his .590 OPS at the MLB level, as his 48.6 hard-hit rate for the last two seasons is well above the MLB norm of 36.5.”
The Giants signed Willy Adames this offseason, essentially blocking Luciano’s path to the big leagues. The Yankees could take a chance on the young infielder. Luciano has played in just 41 big league games. He played 83 games in Triple-A last season with a .760 OPS and 10 home runs. The Yankees would have to include their No. 3 prospect to convince the Giants to take on Stroman.
Stroman signed a two-year, $38 million deal last offseason. He has a vesting option for 2026 as well. Although he was an All-Star in 2023, he failed to deliver on high expectations in the Bronx. He pitched to a 4.31 ERA in 30 games last year.
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