Inside The Pinstripes

Could Yankees Package Marcus Stroman in a Trade For Luis Arráez?

The New York Yankees could use Marcus Stroman in a potential trade for Padres superstar Luis Arráez.

Grant Young

Jun 22, 2024; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees starting pitcher Marcus Stroman (0) reacts after giving up a home run against the Atlanta Braves in the seventh inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
Jun 22, 2024; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees starting pitcher Marcus Stroman (0) reacts after giving up a home run against the Atlanta Braves in the seventh inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images / Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
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A January 7 article from USA Today's Bon Nightengale conveyed that the New York Yankees' front office is making an effort to trade one of their starting pitchers.

"[The Yankees] are actively trying to deal starter Marcus Stroman and clear his $18 million salary," Nightengale wrote.

This doesn't necessarily come as a surprise, considering how Stroman produced a sub-par 2024 season and the Yankees have a plethora of MLB-caliber starters.

It has also been reported (albeit not universally agreed upon) that the Yankees are pursuing a trade for San Diego Padres infielder Luis Arráez.

"The Yankees are unquestionably a deeper team -- and they're not done, either. They've continued to discuss Luis Arráez with San Diego," ESPN MLB insider Jeff Passan wrote in a January 6 article.

With these two pieces of information in mind, Bleacher Report's Zachary D. Rymer cooked up a potential trade proposal that involved both Stroman and Arráez on January 8.

"Trade Proposal: New York Yankees get 2B/1B Luis Arraez; San Diego Padres get RHP Marcus Stroman, RHP Will Warren, cash," Rymer wrote.

When citing why this trade would work for the Yankees, Rymer said, "Though Arraez is a subpar defender, he'd be a lone weak link on a strong infield that would also have Anthony Volpe at short and Goldschmidt at first.

"And, come on, you just know you want to see Arraez hitting in front of Judge," he added.

Rymer then wrote why this trade would made sense for the Padres.

"The Padres are about $3 million over the $241 million luxury-tax threshold for 2025, so they would need enough cash to at least make this a cash-neutral swap.

"To this end, Arraez is projected to earn $14.6 million in 2025. That is $3.4 million less than Stroman's $18 million salary," he continued.

"Otherwise, this deal would have the blatant advantage of deepening San Diego's rotation depth. With Joe Musgrove set to miss the year recovering from Tommy John surgery, the Padres certainly need to worry about such things."

This potential blockbuster deal could be a win-win for both sides if they agree to terms.

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Grant Young
GRANT YOUNG

Grant Young covers the New York Yankees, the New York Mets, and Women’s Basketball for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco, where he also played Division 1 baseball for five years. He believes Mark Teixeira should have been a first ballot MLB Hall of Fame inductee.

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