The New York Yankees are giving Marcus Stroman the ball on Sunday. And if that sentence doesn’t set off alarms in the Bronx, maybe it should.
With Gerrit Cole out for the season, Luis Gil not expected back until August, and Ryan Yarbrough landing on the injured list, the Yankees are out of options—and apparently out of answers. Stroman, who signed a two-year, $37 million deal in the 2023 offseason, is set to return to the rotation against the Athletics, despite rehab starts looking more like red flags than readiness.
In three outings at Double-A, Stroman has a 6.97 ERA. His most recent appearance? Ten hits and five earned runs in 3.2 innings. This comes after a disastrous start to his Yankees tenure earlier this season, when he posted an 11.57 ERA in three big-league starts before being shut down with a knee injury.
Now, the Yankees are hoping he can soak up innings on Sunday—not dominate, not bounce back, just survive.
This Is Not the Plan
Stroman was brought in to deepen a rotation already fronted by Cole and supported by a cast of high-upside arms. But instead of being a luxury, he’s become a necessity. The Yankees are leaning on a pitcher who hasn’t looked right in over a year—and they know it.
Manager Aaron Boone has tried to keep the tone optimistic, even after Stroman’s latest poor rehab outing.
“Obviously got roughed up a little bit in the outing and the line wasn’t great,” Boone told the New York Post. “But we’ll dig into it some more and see what the best next move is.”
That next move appears to be a Major League start in a playoff race, against a team the Yankees should beat—emphasis on should.
A Gamble That’s Already Backfired
When Stroman signed with the Yankees, he was just one season removed from an All-Star nod. However, the cracks began to show late in 2024. He was inconsistent, finished with a 4.31 ERA, and didn’t appear in the postseason. So far in 2025, those cracks have turned into canyons.
The Yankees didn’t commit long-term—his contract includes a player option in 2026 that’s only triggered if he reaches 140 innings. At this rate, he won’t even get close, which might be for the best. Stroman’s future in pinstripes could be down to his subsequent few appearances—if the Yankees can even justify keeping him around that long.
A Trade? Don’t Count On It
There’s been speculation about Stroman as a potential trade chip, but his value is barely above water. He’s expensive, ineffective, and not at full strength. Even if the Yankees tried to move him, they’d need to eat a chunk of salary, and likely wouldn’t get much in return.
So, they’re left with one hope: that he figures it out. That something clicks. This version of Stroman, whose command and confidence have evaporated, can somehow resemble the one who once dominated hitters with swagger and movement.
It’s a long shot. But for a team chasing the AL East crown, it’s the hand they’ve dealt themselves.
The Bigger Problem
Stroman’s Sunday start isn’t just about one pitcher—it reflects where the Yankees are right now. They’re clinging to the division’s top with an offense that has carried more than its share of weight. The rotation, once a strength, is patchwork. Cole is coming, yes, but so is the trade deadline.
And the Yankees may need to shop for a starter. Again.
Because when you’re counting on Marcus Stroman—at this point in his career, after this many red flags—it’s no longer about upside. It’s about survival.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Yankees Set to Gamble on $37 Million Pitcher Against A’s appeared first on Heavy Sports.