The Yankees swung several big moves in December when the Bronx Bombers added Alex Verdugo and Juan Soto. New York continued to add on January 11, as veteran righty Marcus Stroman is now reportedly joining the Yankees. Here’s a closer look at the new Yankee.
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A Look at Stroman
For about half of the 2023 season, Marcus Stroman looked like a legitimate contender for the NL Cy Young. Up until the All-Star break, Stroman went 9-6 with a 2.96 ERA and 98 strikeouts over 112.2 IP. Not to mention, opposing hitters batted only .205 off Stroman.
Granted, it did help that Stroman — a ground ball pitcher by trade — had arguably the best defensive middle infield in Dansby Swanson and Nico Hoerner playing behind him. But, Stroman was that good.
The righty can throw off opposing hitters thanks to his eclectic arsenal and stuff. Stroman’s thrown a sinker, four-seamer, cutter, two breaking balls, and a splitter.
When Stroman is clicking, the righty throws one of the best, true sinkers in the game. It sits in the low 90s, much like his four-seamer. But, it’s a pitch that has a lot of downward movement and can get both topped contact and whiffs.
Aside from the sinker and four-seamer, he’ll also break out a good cutter that he uses to jam lefties and two different sliders, one of which is categorized by Statcast as a slurve but looks more like what’s become known as a sweeper.
Stroman did deal with injuries in the second half, which saw the veteran righty get tagged (8.63 ERA, 1.96 WHIP, 21 K over 24 IP). However, the 32-year-old’s been quite consistent throughout his career.
Per MLB.com, the Yankees will sign Marcus Stroman to a two-year, $37MM deal with a vesting option for the third season.
Analysis
Stroman heads back to his native New York to join a rotation that currently includes Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodon, Nestor Cortes, and possibly Clarke Schmidt. New York also signed Luke Weaver on January 11.
The Yankees needed reliable starting pitching this offseason, especially after the Juan Soto trade. While the Yankees did net the slugger, it did cost New York depth.
Michael King, Randy Vasquez, and Jhony Brito were all sent the other to San Diego. All three logged time in the Yankees rotation last season and likely would have factored into the equation had it not been for the Soto trade.
Now, the Yankees may not be done, as reports indicated that Blake Snell is a name of interest. New York reportedly made an offer to Snell but the two are not said to be close.
Stroman’s plus command and stuff should give the Yankees a big boost. He’s been able to make a living by keeping the ball down and it does help that he came through in big moments during the Blue Jays’ postseason runs in 2015-16.