Report: Marcus Stroman Turned Down In Bid To Join High-Profile Team

 

One of the top remaining starting pitchers on the free agent market, Marcus Stroman is out there peddling his wares. But according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, his bid to get a contract offer from the New York Yankees has so far been rebuffed.

Free-agent starter Marcus Stroman has informed the Yankees he’s seriously interested in signing with them, but the Yankees have declined to make an offer. 

 The Yankees are still certainly in the market to add a solid starter to their rotation, which currently features Gerritt Cole, Carlos Rodon, Nestor Cortes and then... ... Clayton Beeter? They've traded away Michael King, and let Luis Severino head crosstown to sign with the NY Mets. 

The Bronx Bombers are solidly in the mix for top free agent starter Blake Snell, which, if they're successful in landing him, would give them both 2023 Cy Young Winners at the top of their rotation (Cole in the AL, Snell in the NL). 

But Stroman is no slouch, having posted an ERA in the low 3.00s in four of the last six full seasons he’s pitched. Last year with the Chicago Cubs, he got off to a robust start to the season, posting a 2.28 ERA in his first 16 starts. But injuries took their toll in the second half of the year, in which he made just six starts, with an 8.96 ERA. Overall, he finished 2023 with a 3.95 ERA and a 1.26 WHIP.

Stroman took a chance, betting on himself, by opting out of his $21 million option for the 2024 season, and now he’s out there on the market still looking for a new home, while the Cubs seem to have moved on in another direction.

In nine major league seasons, with the Toronto Blue Jays, the New York Mets and the Chicago Cubs, Stroman has a career 3.65 ERA and a 1.25 WHIP. He’s also a two-time All-Star.

A couple of teams out there still looking for a starter that would make sense for Stroman include the Baltimore Orioles and the San Francisco Giants.

Photo: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports