Yankees' Marcus Stroman Was Reportedly Pursued by Hated AL East Rivals in Offseason

Yankees' Marcus Stroman chose the pinstripes over a hated AL East rival in the offseason.

Jun 11, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; New York Yankees starting pitcher Marcus Stroman (0) delivers a pitch in the first inning against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter Aiken-USA TODAY Sports / Peter Aiken-USA TODAY Sports

A high-profile starting pitcher had offers from the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox this past offseason and chose to go to the with the pinstripes.

MLB.com's Bryan Hoch revealed that the Red Sox pursued right-hander Marcus Stroman in the offseason before the 33-year-old ultimately went with the Yankees. In addition to the Red Sox, Stroman nearly signed with the Kansas City Royals, as Pat Ragazzo of Sports Illustrated reported back in April.

Sunday night marked Stroman's first start at Fenway Park as a member of the Yankees.

The Yankees are thankful that Stroman opted out of his deal with the Chicago Cubs. He has been a dependable starter in the team's rotation with Gerrit Cole sidelined due to an elbow injury. His contract with the Yankees is for two-years, $37 million with an option for a third year if he throws 140 innings or more in 2025.

Entering the night, Stroman had a 2.82 ERA in 14 starts as a Yankee this season.

Stroman's contract looks like a steal based on how he has performed this season, and considering the high financial value for starting pitchers in 2024. The Yankees are the best team in baseball and Stroman has been a major contributor in the rotation through the first 70+ games.

In the earlier portion of his career, Stroman pitched against the Red Sox frequently with the Toronto Blue Jays.

If Stroman can continue to pitch to the back of his baseball card, the Yankees should be in a good spot moving forward.

Stroman has been one of the most dependable starters in the league since making his major league debut in 2014. It was his dream to pitch for the Yankees and the team is glad he chose them over the Red Sox and Royals.