Cooking Up 6 Yankees' Marcus Stroman Trade Packages amid MLB Rumors

If the team gets its wish, Marcus Stroman will soon be an ex-New York Yankee.

This is according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, anyway. He reported on Tuesday that the Yankees are "actively trying to deal" the 33-year-old, which is notably different from being willing to listen to offers for him.

It's not hard to see where the Yankees are coming from. Even if they go with a six-man rotation in 2025, Stroman would probably be in the No. 6 slot. If it's a five-man rotation they favor, he'll become a long reliever with an $18 million salary.

Ah, but how much trade value does he have?

It's a good question, so let's get into that before subsequently cooking up a few trade proposals for the veteran right-hander.

Stroman is one year into a two-year, $37 million deal that seemed reasonable enough when he signed it last January.

But now? Less so.

Though Stroman made 30 appearances and logged 154.2 innings in 2024, he did so with a 4.31 ERA that worked out to a subpar 95 ERA+. He didn't make a single playoff appearance during the Yankees' run to the World Series.

For prospective suitors, there is promise in how he had a 3.09 ERA away from Yankee Stadium in 2024. However, it's dulled by how his metrics were broadly below average.

None of this totally papers over how Stroman is a two-time All-Star who can still get ground balls with the best of 'em. But when it comes to his trade value, it's hard to take the over.

Per Baseball Trade Values, his surplus value is $7.4 million less than what he'll earn in 2025. He also has an $18 million player option for 2026 that will vest if he pitches 140 innings.

The Yankees will have to get creative in dealing Stroman. They may have to do a bad contract swap. Or a deal in which they package him with a more valuable player. Or one in which they eat money. Or a combination of all three.

Either way, it's a safe guess the Yankees will only move Stroman if they get salary relief and some kind of upgrade for their major league roster. They are a win-now team, after all, and one that is already projected to go beyond the highest luxury-tax threshold for 2025.

Without further ado, let's check off some honorable mentions before touching on six purely speculative suitors for Stroman.

Note: All prospect rankings are courtesy of B/R's Joel Reuter.

Athletics

Why have the A's spent so freely this winter? It's because they have to get their payroll somewhere in the $105 million range. Stroman is an interesting target just in this respect, though adding him would actually push their payroll over that target.

Atlanta Braves

The Braves have holes where Max Fried and Charlie Morton used to be, plus apparent room to add payroll. The trouble is, though, they and the Yankees just don't line up well as trading partners.

Cleveland Guardians

The Guardians need depth in their rotation, and Stroman's ground ball style would work well with their infield defense. It isn't like Cleveland to add payroll, though, especially not while it's already testing its limits.

Los Angeles Angels

The Angels are worth bringing up because they've already taken on a bad contract by way of their deal for Jorge Soler. Stroman is a sensible option if they fancy another such move, but their rotation looks decent enough as it is.

St. Louis Cardinals

The Yankees have already tried to trade Stroman to the Cardinals, specifically for Nolan Arenado. That would have been fun but, alas, St. Louis said no. Perhaps the concept could be revisited, but it's doubtful.

Trade Proposal: New York Yankees get RHP Kenta Maeda, RHP Matt Manning; Detroit Tigers get RHP Marcus Stroman

Why It Works for the Yankees

If nothing else, the Yankees would save money in this deal.

Maeda is owed $10 million in 2025, or $8 million less than Stroman will earn as part of his deal. It isn't much, but it would at least get the Yankees' luxury-tax bill under $301 million, which is where really steep penalties kick in.

Otherwise, who doesn't like usable pitchers?

Maeda could be one of those in long relief, while Manning would be more of an upside play. Injuries have held him back throughout his career, but he's a former top-100 prospect who is still only 26 years old.

Why It Works for the Tigers

The Tigers have had an underwhelming offseason after returning to the playoffs in 2024, but they seem intent on changing that.

To wit, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com has them in the mix for a reunion with Jack Flaherty. 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.

Trade Proposal: New York Yankees get LHP Gregory Soto; Baltimore Orioles get RHP Marcus Stroman, LHP Henry Lalane (Yankees No. 10), cash

Why It Works for the Yankees

The best thing about the Yankees' current bullpen is that it contains ample upside. The worst thing about it is that it lacks a left-hander.

This is where Soto would come in, and he wouldn't necessarily have to work as a specialist.

He is capable of handling that role, as he's held lefties to a .615 OPS compared to a .750 OPS for righties. But he's also a two-time All-Star who throws really hard, and he's coming off a season in which he fanned 11.0 batters per nine innings.

Even if cash did go to Baltimore, this would potentially be another money-saver for the Yankees. Soto is projected to earn $5.6 million in 2025.

Why It Works for the Orioles

The O's can spare Soto. Félix Bautista will be back to close games this year, and they otherwise have two other lefty relievers in Keegan Akin and Cionel Pérez.

While Stroman certainly isn't Corbin Burnes, he'd join Charlie Morton and Tomoyuki Sugano in their quest to replace the departed ace in the aggregate. To this end, Oriole Park at Camden Yards is another venue that is more forgiving than Yankee Stadium.

As for whether two division rivals would really hook up on this kind of trade, let's call it a never-say-never situation. And in this case, it would be a dice-roll for both teams.

Trade Proposal: New York Yankees get 2B Davis Schneider; Toronto Blue Jays get RHP Marcus Stroman, 1B/C Ben Rice, cash

Why It Works for the Yankees

Whereas Schneider is looking up at Andrés Giménez in Toronto, there would be a starting role for him at second base in New York.

If this sounds underwhelming, well, that is fair. The league didn't see Schneider coming when he debuted with a 1.008 OPS in 35 games in 2023, but he fell back to earth with a meager .625 OPS in 2024. He's also fanned in 31.4 percent of his MLB plate appearances.

There is still potential here, though. Schneider has a strong eye and a swing that produces tons of balls in the air. Only two hitters had a lower ground-ball rate last season.

For his part, Rice is redundant as long as he's looking up at Paul Goldschmidt and Austin Wells.

Why It Works for the Blue Jays

It would be a reach to say the Blue Jays feel the Orioles' pain, but they know what it's like to take a big swing at signing Burnes only to miss.

Reuniting with Stroman, who was with Toronto between 2014 and 2019, wouldn't quite make up for that whiff. But this would be another case of improvement in the aggregate, as a rotation with Kevin Gausman, José Berríos, Chris Bassitt and Bowden Francis could do damage.

Rice, meanwhile, would join Will Wagner as candidates to DH in 2025 and potentially take over for Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in 2026.

Trade Proposal: New York Yankees get INF Marco Luciano; San Francisco Giants get RHP Marcus Stroman, SS George Lombard Jr. (Yankees No. 4)

Why It Works for the Yankees

Luciano placed among MLB's top 100 prospects annually between 2020 and 2024, but he now finds himself in limbo with the Giants.

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 hope for the Yankees would be that the 23-year-old Luciano could be what Gleyber Torres was supposed to be: a power-hitting regular at second base.

Why It Works for the Giants

The Giants haven't buried Luciano, per se, but there isn't room for him on an infield with Matt Chapman at third, Willy Adames at short and Tyler Fitzgerald at second.

Whether San Francisco still needs another starter after signing Justin Verlander on Tuesday is debatable, but it would be able to move Jordan Hicks back to the bullpen if it did. It's where he profiles best, as attempts to make him work as a starter have fizzled.

A trade for Stroman would therefore result in the Giants having both an iron-clad starting five and one of the deeper bullpens in the National League. They'll need both to contend in the NL West this year.

Trade Proposal: New York Yankees get 2B Nico Hoerner; Chicago Cubs get RHP Marcus Stroman, INF Oswaldo Cabrera, SS Roderick Arias (Yankees No. 3), cash

Why It Works for the Yankees

The Yankees have already made one impact trade with the Cubs, acquiring Cody Bellinger in a deal that was effectively a salary dump for the North Siders.

Perhaps it's telling that the Yankees couldn't also get Hoerner, but he's certainly a player they should want.

He's one of the best there is defensively at second base, ranking fourth with 23 Outs Above Average since the start of 2023. He would also bring an elite bat-to-ball skill and the speed to steal 30-plus bases to New York.

All these are qualities the Yankees should want, lest anyone (rightfully) call them out for lacking fundamentals again.

Why It Works for the Cubs

This is, admittedly, a reach from the Cubs' perspective. They're not hurting for prospects, and going from Hoerner to Cabrera on the infield would be a downgrade.

On the plus side, adding Stroman next to Shota Imanaga, Justin Steele, Jameson Taillon and Matthew Boyd would give them a heck of a starting five. A group like that could win the NL Central title that has eluded the Cubs since the shortened 2020 season.

As long-term upside plays go, Arias is not too shabby. By MLB.com's reckoning, the 20-year-old has 30-30 potential.

Trade Proposal: New York Yankees get 2B/1B Luis Arraez; San Diego Padres get RHP Marcus Stroman, RHP Will Warren, cash

Why It Works for the Yankees

This only works for the Yankees if they see Arraez as a good fit, which Jon Heyman of The New York Post indicates is not the case.

According to ESPN's Jeff Passan, though, the Yankees have discussed the 27-year-old with the Padres. And if they were to trade for him, they could slot him at second base and keep Jazz Chisholm Jr. at third, where he excelled in 2024.

Though Arraez is a subpar defender, he'd be a lone weak link on a strong infield that would also have Anthony Volpe at short and Goldschmidt at first.

And, come on, you just know you want to see Arraez hitting in front of Judge.

Judge has a 1.021 OPS for his career with runners on base, and Arraez is very good at getting to at least first base. A lifetime .323 average and three straight batting titles can attest to that.

Why It Works for the Padres

The Padres are about $3 million over the $241 million luxury-tax threshold for 2025, so they would need enough cash to at least make this a cash-neutral swap.

To this end, Arraez is projected to earn $14.6 million in 2025. That is $3.4 million less than Stroman's $18 million salary.

Otherwise, this deal would have the blatant advantage of deepening San Diego's rotation depth. With Joe Musgrove set to miss the year recovering from Tommy John surgery, the Padres certainly need to worry about such things.

Stats courtesy of Baseball Reference, FanGraphs and Baseball Savant.