The Yankees have agreed to terms with free agent right fielder Marcus Stroman on a two-year, $37 million contract that includes a vesting option for a third year, a source told MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand. Stroman posted a picture of himself in a Yankees uniform on Instagram Stories.
The club has not confirmed the contract, which is pending a physical. If Stroman reaches 140 innings posted in 2025, he will get a player option for 2026 for $18 million, the source told Feinsand.
This isn’t the first time Stroman has been involved with the Yankees. In the year In 2019, New York was interested in his services before the trade deadline. Stroman was with the Blue Jays at the time and dreamed of playing for the Bronx Bombers. Stroman is from Medford, New York, which is less than two hours from the Bronx.
“I’m from New York and I’m a New Yorker. That kind of thing speaks for itself,” Strowman said at the time. “I like to suck. [at Yankee Stadium]. New York is like the Mecca of the world. I love the excitement, the bright lights, the competition, the pressure. I have always loved jumping here. I didn’t necessarily wake up well. I always enjoyed it. The Yankee lineup is brutal. They are very hard to navigate. I love attention. In the big moment, that’s what I want it to be. “
Stroman has been a consistently above-average starter in his bullpen since starting with the Blue Jays in 2014. His ERA+ has been no worse than 113 over the last four seasons. He logged that 113 last season, starting what looked like a potential career year for the 32-year-old. He posted a 2.28 ERA and .536 OPS against opponents in his first 16 starts with the Cubs to make his second All-Star team.
However, Stroman’s 2023 campaign derailed in July as he allowed 27 earned runs in 26 2/3 innings before going on the injured list on Aug. 2 with right hip swelling. Stroman’s return to the mound was delayed by a right rib cartilage fracture, and once he rejoined the Cubs on Sept. 15, he threw eight innings in four relief appearances to close out the year. He finished with a 3.95 ERA, the second-highest mark of his career.
Those injuries kept Stroman’s innings total below 140 for the second straight season. In the year In 2022, he missed a month with right shoulder inflammation and was also sidelined for two and a half weeks with a bout with Covid-19.
Before that, Stroman was one of baseball’s more durable pitchers. He surpassed 180 innings three times in four seasons between 2016-19. He surpassed 200 innings with the Blue Jays in ’16 and ’17. His postseason saw him win a Gold Glove Award and finish in the top 10 for the AL Cy Young.
In the year After being selected to his first All-Star Game in 2019, Stroman was traded from the Blue Jays to the Mets, where he played through 2021. He missed all of 2020 with a torn left calf muscle. They opted out in August due to season and Covid-19 concerns.
Strowman, who usually carries a below-average strikeout, always relies on his low-90s sinker to induce more grounders and limit contact. His field goal percentage was north of 60% in each of his first four years and never dipped below 50%. He finished 2023 with 57%, his best since 2018.
But while Stroman’s strikeout rate (26.8%) and zone rate (45.8%) dropped significantly last season, his walk rate rose to a career-worst 9.0 percent. He finished the year with a K-BB walk rate of 11.7%, which ranked 67th out of 87 pitchers he threw at least 130 innings.