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With the winter meetings mostly behind us, free agents have started to get a better idea of where they will be playing in 2024. Marcus Stroman was the latest to sign, agreeing to a deal on January 11.
The former Blue Jay, Met, and most recently Cub agreed to a two-year, $37 million contract with the Yankees that includes a vesting player option. The two-time All-Star will look to help the Bronx Bombers get back to a title run in 2024 by solidifying their rotation.
How does Stroman fit with the Yankees? Will he be a valuable asset in fantasy baseball?
Marcus Stroman's Fit With The Yankees
The 32-year-old concluded 2023 with a 3.93 ERA in 136.2 innings pitched and 25 games started. After posting a 2.96 ERA in the first half of 2023, Stroman pitched just 24 innings in the second half and ended with an 8.63 ERA in the second half. Most of his advanced metrics don't look great, as he ranked in the bottom 20 percentile in average exit velocity and the bottom half in expected ERA. Stroman was elite at avoiding barrels, however, which was his best attribute in getting hitters out.
He will likely slot in the middle of the Yankees' rotation with Carlos Rodon and Nestor Cortes after Gerrit Cole. While Stroman isn't the ace of old and his fastball velocity is steadily decreasing, he showed in the first half of 2023 how valuable he can be in eating up innings throughout the season by getting outs via the double play ball. Cole has continued to be the workhorse for the Yankees, but they have failed to find a reliable number two after Cortes and Rodon both had their struggles in 2023.
The addition of Stroman doesn't give the Yankees a one-two punch similar to the Phillies or insane rotation depth like the Dodgers or Braves, but it does give them a veteran who is more reliable and can keep them in more games than pitchers did for them in 2023. Clarke Schmidt had the second-best ERA for starters on the team last year at 4.42, and everyone else was in the 4.50 to six range.
Stroman doesn't make the Yankees' rotation one that is going to single-handedly win games for the team throughout the year, but he gives them a reliable veteran who can provide some very high-quality innings after Cole. If Stroman can come in and post an ERA in the threes and stay mostly healthy, that will be a huge boost for New York.
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