The New York Yankees made a quick pivot after losing Juan Soto to the New York Mets, but they are not done, as they are looking to offload starting pitcher Marcus Stroman in a trade to clear his $18 million salary for 2025, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today.
The Yankees brought in Max Fried shortly after losing Soto, then made trades for closer Devin Williams, Cody Bellinger, as well as Fernando Cruz. After that, New York also brought in veteran first baseman Paul Goldschmidt to replace Anthony Rizzo.
Brian Cashman is still seeking a left-handed reliever and infielder to add to the roster, and offloading Stroman's $18 million salary would go a long way toward giving the Yankees more financial flexibility and helping them potentially stay under the top luxury tax threshold of $301 million.
Last offseason, the Yankees brought in Stroman on a two-year, $37 million contract that includes a vesting option for 2026 as well. That vesting option could make it tougher for New York to offload Stroman's salary, as it is triggered if he pitches 140 innings in 2025.
A team that takes on Stroman's salary likely would not want him on the books for 2026, and part of his value as a player is that he is capable of throwing a good amount of innings. For those reasons, it will be interesting to see if the Yankees can get a trade done for Stroman, even if it requires them to retain some of his salary. Offloading even part of that money would be beneficial.
When it comes to acquiring a left-handed reliever and infielder, Nightengale reported that the Yankees have had talks with reliever Andrew Chafin and Brendan Rodgers. Chafin has been linked to the Yankees recently, with Tim Hill and Tommy Kahnle being names the team has been mentioned with when it comes to bullpen options.
Rodgers is a free agent after six years with the Colorado Rockies. New York was also mentioned as interested in Gavin Lux before he was traded and to have talked with the San Diego Padres about a trade for Luis Arraez. It will be interesting to see what Cashman does to fill these remaining holes.