3 teams that should take a flier on an offseason Marcus Stroman trade

The New York Yankees announced their 26-man American League Divisional Series (ALDS) roster ahead of Game 1 against the Kansas City Royals.

As you can see, New York elected to roll with 15 position players and 11 pitchers. The Yankees made some intriguing personnel choices, most notably the decision to exclude right-hander Marcus Stroman.

Stroman signed a two-year, $37 million contract with the Yankees this past January. Moreover, the deal includes an $18.33 million vesting option for 2026 if he pitches 140 innings next season. Yet suddenly, he finds himself outside, looking into the team's immediate postseason plans and presumably their long-term outlook.

If the Yankees aren't going to feature Stroman in the ALDS, should we expect them to at any point in October? The stakes will only get higher from this point forward, making it hard to believe New York will shift gears moving forward (should they advance).

Only one year removed from an All-Star nod with the Chicago Cubs, Stroman's stat line this season wasn't much different in Year 1 with the Yankees. The veteran hurler went 10-9 with a 4.31 ERA, 1.468 WHIP and 113 strikeouts across 154.2 innings of work.

New York's actions signal that Stroman could become expendable after the 2024 MLB campaign. If so, these three clubs should consider taking a chance on the 33-year-old this offseason.

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3. Arizona Diamondbacks

The Arizona Diamondbacks finished 89-73 and narrowly missed out on securing a Wild Card spot despite their pitching woes, particularly their starters.

Arizona's rotation ranked 27th in ERA (4.79) and 21st in strikeouts per nine innings (8.16). Aside from Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly, the D-Backs failed to get consistent production out of their starters. Last offseason's prized acquisition, Jordan Montgomery, didn't live up to the lofty billing of his one-year, $25 million contract.

Montgomery has a $22.5 million player option for 2025 that he'll likely exercise after a down season. Nonetheless, it'll be hard to know which version of the southpaw the Diamondbacks will be getting after what they just experienced. His struggles highlight how glaring of an issue the lack of arms beyond Gallen and Kelly was this season, which is where Stroman can help.

2. Baltimore Orioles

Corbin Burnes looked like the four-time All-Star and former Cy Young winner we've become accustomed to seeing in his debut campaign with the Baltimore Orioles. However, the right-hander will be a free agent this offseason and should command many suitors as arguably the best top-of-the-rotation ace on the open market. With that in mind, he may have priced himself out of executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias' price range.

Meanwhile, one-time All-Star John Means underwent a second Tommy John surgery last June. When he returns and what form he's in upon doing so after another elbow procedure are both questions worth asking. Ultimately, Baltimore may want to err cautiously and consider any production they get from him in 2025 (and beyond) icing on the cake.

Enter Stroman, someone who can come and be an innings eater for the O's. He's made at least 25 starts in seven of his past eight seasons. Burnes was the only pitcher to accomplish that feat for Baltimore in 2024.

1. Atlanta Braves

Impending free agent Max Fried has been a staple in the Atlanta Braves rotation for a hot minute. But after another postseason blunder, the two sides could be headed for a breakup this offseason.

Fried regressing mightily in the playoffs has become a recurring theme for Atlanta. In Game 2 of the Wild Card series versus the San Diego Padres, he allowed eight hits and five earned runs across two innings. Frankly, it was a performance that surely will linger in the minds of Braves Country and lead executive Alex Anthopoulos — in a bad way.

Seventeen-year pro Charlie Morton will be joining Fried in free agency this offseason. He played out the 2024 season on an expiring contract after exercising his $20 million option. The two-time World Series champion reportedly wasn't ready to discuss his future after the Padres eliminated Atlanta, though retirement seems like an option.

Given the uncertain state of Atlanta's rotation, Stroman is an intriguing alternative for the Braves.