MLB trade rumors: 5 teams who should trade for Marcus Stroman

4. New York Yankees

The New York Yankees have been linked to Stroman since his name first began popping up on the trade block, and it’s easy to see why. The New York native has a swagger and confidence that would play extremely well in the Big Apple, he relishes pressure situations and has a track record of success pitching his entire career in the American League East. Stroman was back months ahead of schedule in 2015 after suffering a severe knee injury, went 4-0 with a 1.67 ERA down the stretch and delivered three quality outings in the postseason.

Stroman has spent his entire career pitching in the meat grinder that is the AL East and has a career 3.82 ERA. He has dominated in four of the five stadiums in the division, with Yankee Stadium the lone exception. Stroman has also gotten stronger in the second half every year, pitching to a 3.37 ERA after the break versus a 4.14 mark in the first half.

There’s a lot to like for the Yankees when it comes to Stroman, and he would represent a huge stabilizing force in their rotation. The Yanks still don’t know when or if they are getting Luis Severino back, while James Paxton, CC Sabathia and Masahiro Tanaka are all risky propositions to make it through an entire second half in one piece.

The Yankees want Stroman, but they are likely to be outbid if other teams are also after him. Although their farm system has rebounded sharply from its lowest points, it lacks top-50 talent required to get a controllable starting pitcher. A rental arm or a starter one tier below Stroman might be more realistic for the Yankees.