The New York Yankees must trade for Marcus Stroman

The New York Yankees need to make a move for Marcus Stroman.

Marcus Stroman to the New York Yankees? Brian Cashman would be crazy not to call the Toronto Blue Jays and ask about their young ace. Acquiring a young pitcher of Stroman’s caliber would be a huge steal for the Yankees this offseason and it would definitely help tilt the scale of American League East supremacy in their favor for years to come.

With the acquisition of Stroman, the Yankees would have three top-tier pitchers under 28 years old, with Luis Severino (24), Sonny Gray (28) and Stroman being 26 heading into the 2018 season. Since the Yankees haven’t provided a precise timetable for when Justus Sheffield and Chance Adams would be given a chance to fill the last two spots in the rotation, assuming Masahiro Tanaka picks up his option for the 2018 season gives the team options. They can either allow Jordan Montgomery to fill the void at the 5th rotation spot or look at a viable option via free agency.

With the Blue Jays looking to start a youth movement of their own with recent call ups of top prospects Teoscar Hernandez and Richard Urena, they could look to the Yankees for help in getting a major league ready position player and a young arm or two while boosting a farm system that currently ranks 17th in the majors.

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The plethora of talent in the Yankees farm system allows them to explore many trade options, but in the case of a pitcher of Stroman’s caliber and upside, it would be hard to ignore. Marcus Stroman brings a fiery attitude and chip on his shoulder that would thrive on the big stage of New York City. The New York native, originally from Medford, Long Island has proven in the last three seasons that he can excel when called upon.

Proving doubters wrong seems to come naturally for the 5’8′ pitcher. It makes sense he trademarked his slogan “Height Doesn’t Measure Heart” abbreviated HDMH, after being told throughout his life he’d never make it to the big leagues because he wasn’t big enough. Well if the doubters aren’t eating their words yet, after solid postseason performances in 2015 and 2016, Stroman took his game to a new level at the beginning of 2017 by leading Team USA to a World Baseball Classic Championship and finishing with MVP honors against an all-star laden Puerto Rican team.

After dominating two star-studded lineups in the Dominican Republic in the opening round and Puerto Rico in the Championship, Stroman finished the tournament with a 2.35 ERA through three starts (15 1/3 innings). He struck out nine batters against just two walks. It’s evident that the WBC experience paid major dividends as Stroman has put himself in the conversation as one of the top pitchers in the game. Currently sitting at 184.1 innings pitched with a 3.08 ERA (4th in the American League, 10th in the majors) Stroman is approaching his second straight season with 200 innings pitched while leading the league in ground ball outs, which makes him an ideal pitcher in the hitter-friendly Yankee Stadium. The last Yankees pitchers to eclipse 200 innings pitched or more were CC Sabathia and Hiroki Kuroda in 2013.

With seven no decisions and two losses in games by two runs or less after the All-Star break it definitely goes to show how a pitcher’s record can misinterpret just how effective he truly is. In Stroman’s case, the lack of run support from Toronto bats has hurt him evidently as he’d probably be in the conversation for the American League CY Young award with close to 18 or 20 wins.

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If Toronto wants to avoid an inevitable big payday for Stroman during his arbitration hearing, Brian Cashman and the Yankees should definitely inquire about him. A New York City kid, in the bright lights of Yankees playoff baseball, potentially on the mound for World Series-clinching game? Doesn’t get any better than that.

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