Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Yankees Must Pursue Marcus Stroman Trade After Injury Update

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Jake Elman | Last updated Jun 6, 2025 12:49 PM ET

As New York Yankees veteran pitcher Marcus Stroman nears a return to the majors, he might also be nearing the end of his Bronx tenure.

That's nothing personal against Stroman, a two-time All-Star who has missed nearly two months with a right knee injury. However, his two seasons with the Yankees have featured inconsistency and public feuds with management over his role.

With Stroman approaching the end of his IL stint, it's time for the Yankees to admit defeat and trade the 34-year-old righty.

NJ Advance Media's Max Goodman suggested a potential trade on Friday morning, less than a day after Stroman threw 40 pitches during a live session at Yankee Stadium. A trade certainly makes sense, especially because the Yankees can't option Stroman to Triple-A.

Stroman made it clear during spring training that he views himself as a starter and wouldn't pitch out of the bullpen. Injuries to Gerrit Cole (elbow surgery), Luis Gil (lat), and Clarke Schmidt (shoulder) allowed Stroman to open the year in the rotation and give up 12 runs over 9 1/3 innings.

Schmidt returned in mid-April, and Gil is also on the mend. The Yankees don't have space for Stroman—and even if they did, there's no guarantee he'd automatically rejoin the rotation.

A trade feels inevitable, and the Yankees would be wise to move Stroman as soon as he's healthy. Plenty of teams—contenders and teams headed for a top-10 draft pick—would immediately slot him into their rotation, just as he wants.

Stroman can hit free agency this winter, though his contract contains a vesting option worth an additional $18 million if he pitches 140 innings. That alone should convince Stroman to request a trade, even if it means joining the lowly Colorado Rockies.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: