Watch: Marcus Stroman laughs off previous snub by Yankees GM Brian Cashman
When the New York Yankees officially signed starting pitcher Marcus Stroman to a two-year, $37 million contract, some heads turned as they remembered the verbal jousting between he and Yankees brass at the 2019 trade deadline.
After general manager Brian Cashman said Stroman would likely have been a bullpen piece before declining to make a move for the veteran, the fiery Medford, New York, native took to social media to rub it in when he out-performed the Yankees staff.
At his introductory news conference on Thursday, Stroman was asked about how he and Cashman dealt with that potentially awkward past.
"It was quick man, we literally laughed about it," Stroman said. "He let me know his piece about how it didn't come out how he wanted it to. He let me know that I was always someone he thought was going to be a good competitor. Someone who could handle the lights. Someone who thrived under pressure."
Stroman could easily become a savvy acquisition for the New York starting rotation.
He is a nine-year veteran who has spent time in both the American League East – during his six years with the Blue Jays – as well as in New York during a stint with the Mets. Pitching for the Chicago Cubs last season, he is also coming off of his first All-Star season since 2019, finishing the year striking out 119 in 136 2/3 innings across 27 starts. Outside of his on-field history, he has shown himself to have the gritty attitude necessary to succeed in the Big Apple.
But Cashman shouldn't be satisfied with this signing alone.
Outside of Stroman and 2023 Cy Young winner Gerrit Cole, there are still potential holes in the club's starting rotation. Both Carlos Rodon and Nestor Cortes Jr. are expected fill out two of the three remaining spots in the team's top rotation, but alternated between injury and struggling when healthy enough to pitch last year.
Clarke Schmidt would most likely be the team's fifth starter if the season started tomorrow, but New York's farm system is fairly barren.
After the package sent to San Diego for outfielder Juan Soto, 22-year-old righty Chase Hampton – who finished last season in Double-A – is New York's highest-rated pitching prospect and one of just two pitchers rated in the Yankees top-10 prospects according to MLB.com.
While New York has made an offer to Padres starter Blake Snell, reports indicate Snell is looking for more money than the Yankees want to spend.
The Yankees have also been linked to a reunion with Jordan Montgomery (who New York sent to the St. Louis Cardinals at the 2022 trade deadline for outfielder Harrison Bader), but according to USA Today's Bob Nightengale, Montgomery might prefer to stay in Texas where he just won the World Series with the Rangers
Should they whiff on both Snell and Montgomery, New York would need to pivot their efforts quickly. Otherwise they could easily miss the playoffs in consecutive years for the first time since 2013-14.
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