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Sure seems like Brian Cashman put Yankees in impossible spot with Marcus Stroman contract

This will be a tough one for Brian Cashman to pull off.

By Zachary Rotman

Aug 23, 2023; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman talks with the media before the game between the Yankees and the Washington Nationals at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
Aug 23, 2023; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman talks with the media before the game between the Yankees and the Washington Nationals at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
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The New York Yankees thought they were bolstering their rotation ahead of the 2024 season when they signed Marcus Stroman to a two-year deal worth $37 million. New York needed another arm and Stroman was coming off an All-Star season with the Chicago Cubs.

Stroman had a bit of a down year in 2024 but was still serviceable, posting a 4.31 ERA in 30 appearances (29 starts) and 154.2 innings of work. In a season that saw Gerrit Cole and Clarke Schmidt both miss time due to injury, Stroman's ability to eat innings came in handy even if his production wasn't quite what New York expected.

With the Yankees adding Max Fried to an already deep rotation this offseason, Stroman has been shopped fairly heavily by the team. With how valuable starting pitching is nowadays, there was reason to believe finding a suitor wouldn't be all that difficult, especially if the Yankees were willing to eat some of his 2025 salary. An extra detail in Stroman's contract might make him a lot harder to trade than initially thought, though.

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Marcus Stroman trade will be harder for Yankees to pull off thanks to 2026 contract detail

If Stroman's contract was expiring after the 2025 season, moving him wouldn't be nearly as big of an issue, especially if the Yankees are willing to pay some of it down. The fact that Stroman has a vesting option for the 2026 season is making him very difficult to trade, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic ($).

"The problem with the New York Yankees trading right-hander Marcus Stroman is the $18 million player option they included in his contract if he pitches 140 innings in 2025," Rosenthal wrote.

Stroman has an option that vests if he throws at least 140 innings in 2025. An acquiring team could look to limit his innings to ensure that option doesn't vest, but wouldn't that just defeat the purpose of acquiring him? Stroman isn't an ace, but he has a knack for eating innings. Stroman has made at least 25 starts and thrown at least 136 innings in each of the last five seasons in which he has pitched (he opted out of the shortened 2020 season). He has hit those benchmarks in seven of his last eight seasons.

An acquiring team would want Stroman to pitch well enough to earn that option, but wouldn't necessarily want to pay $18 million for him to pitch in 2026. That simple fact can make it difficult for the Yankees to offload Stroman while also saving money, which is clearly their goal when it comes to trading him in the first place.

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