The New York Yankees could take a creative approach this offseason, whether or not they re-sign Juan Soto, as they currently have six starting pitchers on their 26-man roster. Marcus Stroman, whose first season in New York was underwhelming due to a drop in fastball velocity that made him more hittable, could be the odd man out. If the Yankees want to free up some cash and possibly improve their roster, a contract swap could be an option.
Joel Sherman of the NY Post suggested that a trade could involve Stroman going to the San Francisco Giants, who showed interest in him last year. In exchange, the Giants might deal Taylor Rogers to the Cubs, where Rogers could potentially save them money for 2025 and even 2026, by sending Cody Bellinger to the Yankees.
Sherman also proposed that the Yankees, with their surplus of starting pitching, could use Stroman to acquire the left-handed reliever Rogers, whom the Giants have not been particularly high on. With a new front office led by Buster Posey, the Giants might be open to a deal that swaps veteran arms to address their rotation needs.
Why a Yankees and Giants Mock Trade Could Make Sense For Both Teams
The San Francisco Giants recently lost one of their top starters, Blake Snell, to their rivals, the Los Angeles Dodgers, making their need for pitching help even more apparent. While Marcus Stroman’s 4.31 ERA might not drastically improve their rotation, pitching at Oracle Park could suit his style better than Yankee Stadium.
Had Stroman made all his starts at Oracle Park, he would have allowed only 14 home runs instead of 19, according to Baseball Savant’s Expected HR metric. Though it’s not feasible to pitch exclusively at one ballpark, San Francisco could help lower his home run rate, especially considering the challenges the Yankees presented him.
Despite some poor underlying metrics, Stroman faced terrible defensive support, with no pitcher having worse OAA (-16) than him this season. If the Giants add a player like Ha-Seong Kim alongside elite infielder Matt Chapman, they could clean up groundballs and help Stroman prevent runs more effectively.
As the cost of starting pitchers rises, the Giants might be willing to pay Stroman’s $18.3 million for 2025, especially if they can clear some payroll space.
Meanwhile, Taylor Rogers, owed $11 million for the 2025 season, could be a strong addition to the Yankees’ bullpen. The left-hander posted a 2.40 ERA in 64 appearances, with a 25.7% strikeout rate and 46.3% groundball rate. Although his HR/9 rate was higher than usual and his strikeouts were down, Rogers remained a solid option for the bullpen, offering value to a Yankees team in need of depth.
With his 93 MPH sinker and sweeping slider, the issue with Rogers lies more in his price tag than his talent. The Yankees could potentially improve his sweeper, which allowed a .477 SLG% and a .338 wOBA this season, by capitalizing on their ability to work with breaking balls.
To make a trade work, the Yankees would likely need to send cash to balance the contract or offer a prospect. One intriguing prospect for the Giants could be RHP Yoendrys Gomez. Although he’s out of MiLB options, Gomez could help resolve some of the Giants’ pitching issues as a long-relief arm. He posted a 3.97 ERA in 11.1 MLB innings with the Yankees and a 3.67 ERA with a 27% strikeout rate at Triple-A in 2024. With a solid fastball and a swing-and-miss sweeper, he could be an appealing option for the Giants.
Be the first to comment