Baltimore Orioles Potential Trade Pursuit of Former All-Star Pitcher a Gamble

Here are some of the pros and the cons if the Baltimore Orioles were to try and pursue a trade for this former All-Star starting pitcher.

Sep 25, 2024; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees starting pitcher Marcus Stroman (0) pitches against the Baltimore Orioles during the first inning at Yankee Stadium. | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

With the start of Spring Training nearly here for the Baltimore Orioles, there is still a big question mark regarding their starting rotation.

Coming into the winter, the Orioles knew that there was going to be a chance that their ace Corbin Burnes left in free agency. Unfortunately, that became a reality when he signed a deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

The former Cy Young award winner was good for Baltimore in 2024, totaling a 15-9 record and a 2.92 ERA.

The Orioles brought in Burnes to be their ace last winter, and he certainly delivered. Now, it is back to the drawing board for Baltimore in terms of finding an ace. With most of the elite free-agent pitchers off the board, the only way to try and accomplish this will be via a trade.

However, at this point in the offseason, making a blockbuster deal to acquire an ace is unlikely. However, one potential pitcher who could provide a high upside for the Orioles is New York Yankees starter Marcus Stroman.

The former two-time All-Star is sitting as the sixth starter for the Yankees and is set to make $18 million this coming season. New York would certainly like to move him and get a team to take on some of that salary.

As a pitcher with some upside that seems like a realistic fit, here are some pros and cons for Baltimore potentially pursuing him.

Pros

Even though he isn’t an ace, the right-hander was an All-Star pitcher as recently as 2023 with the Chicago Cubs. The overall numbers last year for Stroman were good, totaling a 10-9 record and a 4.31 ERA.

From a financial point of view, the Orioles certainly wouldn’t have to pick up the entire contract with the Yankees’ desire to move him. If the price was right, he would likely fit into the budget of something that Baltimore would feel comfortable spending.

Cons

Even though the numbers were good overall for Stroman, he did not pitch well in the second half of the year. As New York was in the playoff stretch last season, they ended up removing him from the rotation due to his ERA being over 5.00 after the All-Star break.

Consistency has always been an issue for Stroman both on a year-to-year basis and sometimes within a campaign as well.

Even though the Yankees are going to be willing to pay a good chunk of his salary for 2025, Stroman does have a vesting option for 2026 if he pitches over 140 innings. This could be a red flag for the Orioles, who would then have to pay him $18 million in 2026 if he exercised the player option.

Overall, there are certainly some pros and cons for the Orioles if they pursue Stroman. However, with a need for more help in the rotation, he is a viable option.