New York Yankees Trading Starting Pitcher to Atlanta Braves Would be 'Win-Win'

Do the Atlanta Braves make sense as a trade partner for the New York Yankees?

Sep 10, 2024; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees starting pitcher Marcus Stroman (0) delivers a pitch during the first inning against the Kansas City Royals at Yankee Stadium. | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

It has been a busy offseason for the New York Yankees, but with Spring Training right around the corner, there is still some work to be done.

So far, it has been a solid winter for the Yankees. The franchise did an excellent job pivoting after Juan Soto left for the New York Mets by adding multiple impact players both for the pitching staff and the lineup.

One of the most notable additions was starting pitcher Max Fried from the Atlanta Braves. The two-time All-Star has a career ERA of 3.07, making him an excellent complement at the top of the rotation with Gerrit Cole.

With two aces on the staff and the reigning American League Rookie of the Year, Luis Gil, the rotation for New York is going to be one of the best in baseball.

In addition to those three, the Yankees also have Carlos Rodon, Clarke Schmidt and Marcus Stroman.

With Rodon having a big contract and Schmidt being a young up-and-comer, it seems like Stroman is potentially going to be the odd man out in the rotation.

The right-hander is a two-time All-Star, but didn’t really click with New York in 2024. Last year, he totaled a 10-9 record and 4.31 ERA. While the numbers weren’t terrible overall, he really struggled in the second half of the season.

Since the Yankees are comfortable with what they have in the starting rotation, Stroman’s name has been floated around as a potential trade piece.

Tim Kelly of Bleacher Report recently highlighted a potential win-win scenario for New York and the Braves that would send the right-hander to Atlanta to help save the Yankees some money.

“If the Yankees get a fringe Major Leaguer or lower-level minor league piece with some upside back for Stroman, great. But shedding $10-plus million is the most important objective here.”

Stroman has one-year and $18 million remaining on his contract, which New York would like to move to upgrade in other areas. In any potential deal for the right-hander, the Yankees are going to have to eat a significant amount of it.

However, Stroman does have a clause in the contract that he can get another year added on the deal if he reaches the 140 innings pitched plateau. That is certainly something that New York doesn’t want to be on the hook for going into next year.

Since the Braves have lost both Fried and Charlie Morton this offseason, starting pitching is a need for them. If the Yankees would be willing to eat a good amount of the contract, Stroman is the type of pitcher who would have some upside for them.

Overall, this does seem like a win-win for both teams and is a move that makes a lot of sense considering where both teams currently stand.