TORONTO, ON – MAY 23: Toronto Blue Jays Starting pitcher Marcus Stroman (6) reacts during the MLB regular season game between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Boston Red Sox on May 23, 2019, at Rogers Centre in Toronto, ON, Canada. (Photo by Julian Avram/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
The Yankees continue to scour the trade market for starting pitching and Marcus Stroman is getting plenty of attention from the organization.
Marcus Stroman doesn’t make any secret of his willingness to pitch in New York. If Yankees scouts like what they see of the Blue Jays pitcher on Friday night, he could be headed to the Bronx.
Various reports claim that several high ranking Yankees officials will take in Toronto’s game against the Tigers. Their clear intention is to get another look at Stroman’s stuff. Ironically, the team got a very close look at Stroman during his last start since it came against the Yankees in a 4-2 Blue Jays’ loss.
The 28-year-old New York native didn’t damage his stock with his effort against the Bronx Bombers. He took the loss, but he pitched an effective six innings with seven strikeouts in the matchup at Yankee Stadium. It wasn’t one of Stroman’s best starts of the season, but he did show the competitive fire that helps differentiate him from other starter’s currently available on the trade market.
There’s little question that Stroman can improve manager Aaron Boone’s rotation. His 3.25 ERA in over 110 innings pitched on the current season would slot nicely next to the likes of Masahiro Tanaka and James Paxton in the Yankees’ postseason rotation. Stroman isn’t the dominant ace that General Manager Brian Cashman would covet in an ideal world, but he is one of the best arms available this month.
Understandably, the Yankees aren’t the only team interested in bringing Stroman on board. That means that Cashman and his front office will need to think long and hard about what they’re willing to give Toronto in any potential trade. The talented right-hander still has one more year left of arbitration, but he’s headed to free agency after the 2020 season. The Yankees will certainly price in the potential cost of extending him into any potential transaction.
Yankees fans should keep a close eye on how Stroman throws the ball over his next two starts. They could determine just how hard New York elects to chase him over the coming weeks. If Stroman wants to don pinstripes this season, he’d be well served to dominate the Tigers on Friday night.