The idea that the Yankees could use Marcus Stroman as a bargaining chip in a trade is wishful thinking at best. In reality, he’s a complete financial liability, and New York is desperately trying to offload his $18.5 million salary for the 2025 season.
Teams aren’t lining up to take on a pitcher who struggled in the second half of last season and comes with an expensive short-term commitment. Instead, the Yankees will likely have to attach a prospect to sweeten the deal—just to get rid of him.
Paying to Make Him Go Away
The Yankees’ goal is clear: get below the $301 million fourth luxury tax threshold. Moving Stroman would help them accomplish that, but it won’t come without a cost. The most likely scenario is that they send him on his way while eating a significant portion of his salary. If they’re lucky, they might be able to negotiate taking on less money by including a mid-tier prospect in the deal.
It’s a tough pill to swallow, but this is the price of a bad contract. Stroman has one guaranteed year left on his deal, and if he tosses over 140 innings in 2025, he will have a player option triggered for the 2026 season. The Yankees can’t let that happen.
The situation is challenging; there are still viable starters on the market who may settle for lower AAV deals, which makes the probability of dumping Stroman even lower. Until the market thins, I wouldn’t expect any trades to go through.
A Trade Won’t Bring Back Value
For anyone expecting the Yankees to package Stroman in a trade for a meaningful player, it’s time to recalibrate those expectations. This isn’t about getting better—it’s about shedding salary. The return package will be minimal, if anything, and the biggest decision for general manager Brian Cashman will be balancing how much money they retain versus how valuable the prospect they include actually is.
The Yankees would love to offload Stroman and open up financial flexibility to land an infielder, but they’re going to have to pay a price. The only question now is how much.
