A pitcher who was recently linked to the Red Sox has helped the Yankees address their need in the starting rotation.
Numerous sources state that New York and seasoned right-hander Marcus Stroman have reached an agreement on a two-year, $37 million deal with a 2026 vesting option. The agreement was disclosed by Jon Heyman of the New York Post.
The 32-year-old Stroman was ranked behind elite lefties Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery as the third-best starting pitcher still available on the free agent market. The Yankees, aiming to augment a group that is believed to feature Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodón, Nestor Cortes and Clarke Schmidt, were first rumored as a strong suitor over the weekend and concluded the deal Thursday.
The Red Sox, who are still in need of rotation support following the trade of Chris Sale to the Braves and the acquisition of Lucas Giolito, were said to be interested in Stroman, who finished 2023 with a 10-9 record and 3.95 ERA in an injury-shortened All-Star season for the Cubs. The fact that Craig Breslow, the new chief baseball officer, has worked with Stroman as the head of the Cubs’ pitching staff for the past two seasons suggests that there may be a connection between the righty and the Red Sox. Whether the Red Sox ever made an offer for Stroman is unknown.
In order to include Stroman, the Yankees are putting their prior animosity with him behind them. The Duke product has previously attacked the team and general manager Brian Cashman on Twitter. Cashman once declared that he didn’t think Stroman was a “difference-maker” after deciding not to pursue the player in a trade. The vocal righty has a history with the Red Sox as well. After Stroman made a start against the Blue Jays at Fenway Park in 2019, he and manager Alex Cora got into a verbal spat. David Price’s close pal Stroman criticized then-NESN analyst Dennis Eckersley for remarks he made on-air regarding Price’s “antics” on the mound during that same season.