The New York Yankees will open up the American League Championship Series on Monday night when they host the Cleveland Guardians at Yankee Stadium.
And when they do, there's a chance they could have former Toronto Blue Jays ace Marcus Stroman on the roster.
In the best-of-five game division series, Stroman was left off the roster, but he could serve a purpose in this round. For instance, he could start Game 4 after Gerrit Cole, Clarke Schmidt and Carlos Rodon take their turns. That is possible, but unlikely, as Luis Gil and Nestor Cortes could also be candidates for that game. Stroman could also serve as a multi-inning relief option.
MLBTradeRumors discussed this possibility on Sunday as well:
Veteran righty Marcus Stroman is also theoretically available to start if needed but seems likely to be used as a starter only in an emergency after being moved to the bullpen late in the regular season and being left off the ALDS roster entirely. Stroman could make the ALCS roster as a multi-inning reliever or emergency starter, though it’s also possible the club could want to add another short relief arm such as Mark Leiter Jr. to their bullpen mix headed into the series.
Stroman went 10-9 this season for the Yankees, pitching to a 4.31 ERA. The 33-year-old Long Island native made 30 appearances with 29 starts.
The 10-year veteran is 87-85 lifetime with a 3.72 ERA. Stroman is the former ace of the Blue Jays but has also pitched for the New York Mets and Chicago Cubs. He made the All-Star Game with Toronto in 2019 and Chicago in 2023.
Stroman made his debut with Toronto in 2014 and won double-digit games in two separate seasons with the Jays. He helped Toronto the ALCS in both the 2015 and 2016 seasons.
The Blue Jays traded him to the Mets in the 2019 season and then promptly made the playoffs in the COVID shortened 2020 season. They also made the playoffs in the 2022 and 2023 seasons.
