The Yankees are in a tricky spot with Marcus Stroman. They signed him last offseason to bolster their rotation, but one year later, his name started surfacing in trade rumors.
General manager Brian Cashman has been noncommittal about Stroman’s future in New York, and it’s clear the team is at least exploring ways to move some of his $18.5 million salary. Despite that, Stroman is in camp and preparing as if he’ll be a key part of the rotation, even though it feels like everyone is just waiting for the inevitable.
“Awkward” is how Aaron Boone described it.
“Bottom Line: We’re Getting Him Ready to Pitch”
Cashman hasn’t outright said that Stroman is on the move, but the writing is on the wall. If he reaches 140 innings this season, his contract triggers a 2026 player option—something the Yankees clearly want to avoid. That makes trading him before the season, or at least managing his workload carefully, a priority. But for now, he’s in pinstripes, and as Boone put it, “bottom line: we’re getting him ready to pitch.”
The Yankees aren’t going to just dump Stroman for the sake of it. If they can offload part of his salary in a deal that makes sense, they’ll pull the trigger. If not, he could stick around for a while, at least until the trade deadline when teams are desperate for starting pitching.
How Long Will Stroman Stick Around?
This situation has all the makings of an awkward partnership. Stroman is a competitor, and he’s likely preparing to prove he still has plenty left in the tank. But the Yankees’ actions suggest they don’t see him as a long-term piece. His innings count will be something to monitor all season, assuming he even makes it that far in a Yankees uniform.
- Yankees’ Gerrit Cole receives small dose of good fortune after elbow surgery
- Yankees: Good news and bad news after 8-6 win against Tigers
- Yankees stashed a solid designated hitter option in Triple-A
For now, Stroman remains part of the rotation, but it’s hard to shake the feeling that the Yankees are just waiting for the right offer to come along.