Yankees Rumors: Marcus Stroman Agrees to 2-Year, $37M Contract in MLB Free Agency

Veteran starting pitcher Marcus Stroman agreed to a two-year, $37 million contract with the New York Yankees, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post.

The right-hander declined his $21 million player option for the 2024 MLB season, which made him a free agent. The decision didn't come as a huge surprise given his performance on the mound, though in retrospect he might want a mulligan on that one.

Stroman went 10-9 with a 3.95 ERA and a 3.58 FIP in 27 appearances. His best performance came in a 1-0 win over the Tampa Bay Rays as he pitched a complete game shutout, allowing eight strikeouts, one walk and one hit.

The 32-year-old did see his stock dip as the season unfolded, though. In 24 innings after the All-Star break, he surrendered 23 earned runs and sported a 1.96 WHIP. A rib cartilage fracture sidelined him in August, and he missed more than a month of action, adding to his second-half woes.

Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer accurately described Stroman's year as "a tale of two seasons."

"He was exceptionally good and a candidate to start the [All-Star] Game," he told reporters. "And then, really, kind of post-London I think he kind of really never got it back on track. He struggled in July and then obviously was hurt for August. And I gave him a lot of credit for working hard and trying to come back, but he never quite got back to where it was."

On the whole, Stroman put up solid numbers that were in line with the rest of his career. Across nine seasons, he owns a 3.65 ERA and a 3.63 FIP while averaging 8.7 strikeouts and 2.6 walks per nine innings.

The two-time All-Star is a dependable starter whose vast repertoire continues to keep opposing hitters on their toes. Per Baseball Savant, he had six different pitches in his arsenal in 2023: sinker, slurve, cutter, four-seam fastball, splitter and slider.

Stroman's dip after the midway point probably impacted his market value a bit but shouldn't concern the Yankees too much. While he isn't the ace he looked like to start 2023, he's not the millstone he was for the Cubs from late June on, either.

Stroman joins a Yankees pitching staff that is led by 2023 AL Cy Young Award winner Gerrit Cole.