By Jordan Long
The New York Yankees finished last season at 82-80, missing the postseason by 7 games. New York knew they wanted to upgrade their starting rotation this offseason. They agreed to a 2-year, $37 million contract with Marcus Stroman.
The New York Yankees total team ERA ended at 3.97, 10th in MLB. When it came to starting pitching, the Yankees struggled with a 4.44 ERA, 19th in baseball. The starters weren’t able to do their job which was to keep games close in the early to mid-innings. Too many times Manager Aaron Boone was forced to take pitchers out of games early. The starting pitching was the big reason why they weren’t able to earn a playoff spot.
New York decided their best chance to improve the starting rotation was to sign Marcus Stroman. Stroman spent the past two years with the Chicago Cubs. Last year, his record was 10-9 with an ERA of 3.95. The 3.95 ERA was the highest in his career since 2018 when he posted a 5.54 ERA.
Despite the high ERA, Stroman was able to strike batters out with a total of 119. He didn’t allow batters to smack home runs with a total of only 9. In total, Stroman’s record with the Cubs was 16-16 with an ERA of 3.73. Stroman could have stayed with the Cubs. He decided it was best to test free agency and opted out of his contract. Stroman believes the Yankees give him the best chance to win a championship. Stroman hasn’t pitched in the playoffs since 2016 when the Blue Jays were beaten in the American League Championship series. Overall his record in the playoffs is 1-1 with a 4.40 ERA.
With this move, the Yankees might have one of the best rotations in all of baseball assuming they are healthy. This includes Gerrit Cole, Clarke Schmidt, Carlos Rodón, and Nestor Cortes. Stroman is just going to add to this.
The only downside to this deal is Stroman’s health. Stroman missed 6 weeks last season with injuries. He dealt with right hip inflammation and a rib cartilage fracture. Hopefully, those issues are in the past and he can help this team win.
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