The rule of thumb for Yankees fans has always been that interest in a player only becomes legit if Jack Curry connects them to that player, and that’s exactly what he did on YES Hot Stove. According to the insider, the Yankees have a ‘sincere’ interest in Marcus Stroman, and there’s ‘definite interest’ between the two parties with the two sides already having conversations. An unexpected development this winter, it seems as if the two sides are willing to put aside their differences to potentially match in a contract in the coming weeks.
Back in 2019, these two had strong interest in each other as well, with Marcus Stroman raving about Yankee Stadium before that year’s trade deadline and the Yankees holding conversations with the Blue Jays about the right-hander. With the team in need of starting pitching, they could pivot to the controversial starter.
Yankees and Marcus Stroman Could Align On a Deal
While the New York Yankees have made an offer for Blake Snell, it seems that a shorter-term deal would be of preference for the Bronx Bombers, who may not swim in the waters necessary to land the NL Cy Young winner. Marcus Stroman on the other hand comes at a lower cost with a shorter-term commitment, and the Yankees seem to like his stuff and makeup despite the off-field controversies that have involved the Yankees and Brian Cashman.
Following the 2019 trade deadline, Brian Cashman publicly spoke about the team’s interest in Marcus Stroman, mentioning that they ultimately didn’t feel that he would be a difference maker for them. Furthermore, the GM would reveal that they would have had him in a bullpen role come October, and Stroman didn’t take too kindly to the bluntness from Cashman, firing back on multiple occasions over the years.
The public beef between him and Yankees fans has been well-documented, with him even calling the fanbase ‘fickle’ in defense of Alek Manoah in the fall of 2022. Marcus Stroman has developed a reputation of being a villain to some Yankee fans, and a nuisance to others, as the chirps and brutal honesty on his end have created friction between he and many people throughout his MLB career.
It seems as if the Yankees are throwing any hard feelings to the side however, as after Bob Nightengale reported that the Yankees declined to offer him a contract, they’ve been linked to Stroman various times by various reporters including the aforementioned Nightengale. It makes sense on the surface, the 32-year-old was in the 94th Percentile in Groundball Rate and finished with a solid 3.95 ERA this past season, although injuries limited him down the stretch and saw him post an ERA above 8.00 over his final 10 outings.
His groundball profile and array of pitches coupled with his fiery personality could have piqued the Yankees’ interest, but the off-field controversies will have to happen less frequently if Marcus Stroman wants to avoid becoming a well-disliked figure in the Bronx. There will be a lot of pressure to perform, but the veteran hasn’t been shy about his desire to pitch under pressure and with high stakes, which would certainly exist for a 2024 Yankee team that desperately wants to win it all.
An unusual fit, the Yankees could end up making one of the most unexpected signings of the winter and bring in Marcus Stroman for their rotation.