Getty The Yankees are adding Marcus Stroman to their 2024 rotation. It seems like they preferred other options before him, though.
The New York Yankees have been trying to make a significant addition to their starting rotation all winter. It finally happened on January 11, when the Bombers and pitcher Marcus Stroman agreed to a contract, according to Metsmerized’s Mike Mayer.
USA Today’s Bob Nightengale added that it’s a two-year agreement with a 2026 option. The total compensation comes to $37 million, according to the New York Post’s Joel Sherman. However, multiple reports suggest the right-hander was far from New York’s first choice to supplement this area of the roster — even right before coming to an agreement.
Top Yankee targets such as Jordan Montgomery and Dylan Cease haven’t looked likely. They also pivoted to the Miami Marlins to discuss the possibility of trading for either Jesus Luzardo or Edward Cabrera. Miami has also been open to dealing hurlers Braxton Garrett and Trevor Rogers.
There was no evidence of traction toward any kind of deal happening between the Marlins and Yankees, per the New York Post’s Jon Heyman. That seems obvious now, given how things have transpired since his January 6 report.
The Yankees also tried landing free agent hurler Blake Snell. Hours before news of New York agreeing to a deal with Stroman broke, Heyman reported that general manager Brian Cashman had extended an offer to the two-time Cy Young Award winner on January 11.
While the list goes deeper than simply Luzardo, Cabrera and Snell, it looks as though the Yankees tried to acquire at least these three pitchers in recent days before settling for the Medford, New York, native.
This Isn’t the First Time the Yankees and Marlins Talked Trade
Trade talk between the Yankees and Marlins isn’t a new phenomenon. Yankees infielder Gleyber Torres was the subject of rumors between these clubs each of the last two seasons.
According to a New York Post report from August 2022, New York and Miami nearly completed a swap of Torres and starting pitcher Pablo Lopez at the trade deadline. One year later, the Marlins were once again pursuing the second baseman as they made a push toward the postseason.
At the 2023 deadline, the Yankees put too high of a price on Torres for a deal to come to fruition. According to NJ.com’s Randy Miller, New York was asking for Cabrera and Garrett, plus two other prospects.
It’s unknown if the most recent trade talks included Torres. One would imagine his name came up, but there have been changes in Miami’s front office since those previous instances. Kim Ng is no longer in charge of baseball operations, as Peter Bendix took her place in November 2023.
Report on Yankees’ Contract Offer to Blake Snell
On November 6, MLB Trade Rumors predicted Snell would land a seven-year deal worth $200 million. The Yankees’ rumored offer to the left-hander shows they tried coming to an agreement below both of those numbers.
MLB insider Mike Rodriguez reported details of the Yankees’ contract offer to Snell on January 11. “Source familiar with the situation just told me the Yankees offer was $30M a year, 5 years deal $150M Total money,” he posted on X (formerly Twitter). “But Snell rejected because he want more money or one more year.”
Source familiar with the situation just told me the Yankees offer was $30M a year, 5 years deal $150M Total money. But Snell rejected because he want more money or one more year. #Yankees #BlakeSnell
Instead of getting into a staring match with MLB agent Scott Boras over agreeable contract terms, the Yankees pivoted to Stroman, their fourth choice in this scenario. Doing so helps fill a hole in their rotation with a dependable veteran starter who induces ground balls at a high rate, per FanGraphs.
There are potential red flags based on his past social media activity. However, the Yankees clearly felt that the potential benefits outweighed the risks.