The New York Yankees are looking to trade Marcus Stroman and one trade pitch has them dealing him in a one-for-one swap for another starter.
MLB analyst Eric Treuden of JustBaseball shared a trade idea that would see the Yankees deal Stroman to the Detroit Tigers for Kenta Maeda.
Yankees acquire:
Tigers acquire:
The proposed deal would be a one-for-one swap as New York and Detroit would swap struggling pitchers. The deal does make sense for both teams as Stroman and Maeda both need a change of scenery.
Maeda is in the final year of his two-year $24 million deal with the Tigers. The right-hander is owed $10 million in 2025 and will be a free agent in 2026. Maeda is 36 and struggled with the Tigers in 2024. The right-hander went 3-7 with a 6.09 ERA in 17 starts while appearing in 29 games. He could compete for a starting spot or could be a long-man in the Yankees bullpen.
In return, the Yankees would deal Stroman who could replace Maeda and bolster the Tigers rotation. Stroman signed a two-year $37 million deal with the Yankees but he struggled in his first year in the Bronx. Stroman went 10-9 with a 4.31 ERA in 29 starts and 30 games with the Yankees in 2024.
Analyst Explains Stroman-Maeda Swap
The proposed one-for-one swap involving the Yankees and Tigers would be interesting.
Treuden believes it’s a swap that makes sense for both sides as New York saves money while Detroit gets an upgrade in its rotation.
“To be clear, adding Stroman via trade would not be the equivalent of signing a big-name free agent, but it’d still be worth exploring,” Treuden wrote. “Tarik Skubal is as steady as they come atop their rotation, but there’s a fair bit of uncertainty in the rest of the rotation. Stroman will make all of his scheduled starts and brings some playoff experience to the table, too.
“For a Tigers team that’s in their latest contention window, they need all the help they can get. Stroman’s ace days are in the rearview mirror, but he’s just the type of lottery ticket move the Tigers should be making in an otherwise underwhelming offseason,” Treuden added. “Perhaps a swap involving Stroman and fellow expensive veteran Kenta Maeda could work out for both sides.”
New York and Detroit have shown interest in trading Stroman and Maeda, respectively so it would make sense for them to do a one-for-one swap.
Yankees Willing to Pay Down Stroman’s Salary
New York has been trying to trade Stroman throughout the offseason and they are ready to pay down his salary to move him.
MLB insider Jon Heyman of the New York Post wrote on January 9 that New York is looking to eat some of Stroman’s salary.
“The Yankees are still trying to trade Marcus Stroman and are willing to pay down his $18M salary,” Heyman wrote. Should they save money there, the Yankees would have more to spend on an infielder — though don’t expect Alex Bregman or Nolan Arenado.”
Stroman is a two-time MLB All-Star and was named World Baseball Classic MVP in 2017.
