The New York Yankees may be on the verge of making one of their boldest moves of the season — cutting ties with a $37 million investment that’s quickly turning into dead weight.
What started as a promising offseason signing has unraveled into a major question mark. Marcus Stroman, brought in with hopes of bringing stability and swagger to the Yankees’ rotation, has delivered anything but. After just three starts — and a brutal 11.57 ERA — the veteran right-hander landed on the injured list with a knee issue. Now, with a slew of unexpected pitching developments, his future in the Bronx looks increasingly bleak.
And the timing couldn’t be more critical.
The Yankees have already lost Gerrit Cole for the year and reigning Rookie of the Year Luis Gil remains sidelined. Then came the latest setback — Ryan Yarbrough hitting the 15-day IL with a strained oblique. But instead of crumbling under the weight of bad luck, the Yankees’ rotation is being held together by unlikely heroes.
In response to Yarbrough’s injury, the Yankees called up rookie Allan Winans, who is set to make his big-league debut. And he’s not alone. Triple-A arms like top prospect Cam Schlittler, veteran Carlos Carrasco, and even lefty Brent Headrick are waiting in the wings. JT Brubaker, currently a long reliever, is another in-house option who could be stretched into a starter if needed.
This new wave of depth is creating a quiet but powerful shift inside the Yankees’ clubhouse. The message? There’s confidence in the kids — and less patience for expensive underperformers.
As NJ.com’s Max Goodman noted: “Being comfortable with that crew means getting rid of Stroman entirely becomes more of a possibility. At this stage, it’s easier to swallow his salary for the rest of the year — a sunk cost.”
Indeed, swallowing Stroman’s remaining salary would be a tough pill, but not an impossible one. The Yankees have the payroll power to absorb it, and in a season where grit, performance, and flexibility are proving more valuable than big names, making that move could signal the team’s true priorities.
The numbers back it up. Stroman’s command looked shaky from the start, his velocity down, and his ability to miss bats practically vanished. Meanwhile, younger, hungrier arms are showing flashes of promise — and more importantly, they’re available and healthy.
If the Yankees do decide to pull the plug on Stroman, it won’t just be about poor performance. It’ll be a statement: no one — no matter their salary or résumé — is guaranteed a second chance in a season where every inning counts.
What once seemed like a headline signing is now quietly fading into the background, as the Yankees turn to fresher faces to carry them through the storm. And for Stroman, the writing may already be on the wall.
