The New York Yankees had been looking for a starting pitcher throughout the offseason. Initially, they had plans to sign the best international free agent coming from Japan. They really were so close to sealing the deal with Yoshinobu Yamamoto. He would have been a perfect choice alongside Gerrit Cole. Like Cole is, the AL Cy Young winner of last year, Yamamoto won the Sawamura Award multiple times in Nippon Professional Baseball. The Sawamura Award and the Cy Young are pretty much the same from different leagues in Japan and the USA.
Moreover, the Yankees offered him a pretty good deal of $300 million over ten years. But the Japanese sensation decided that he would not like the East Coast. Hence, he signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers for a 12-year deal worth $325 million. Since then, the NY side has been looking for their next best option for a starting pitcher. The best free agent for a starter still available is Blake Snell. But his asking price is too high for the Yankees. That’s why the Bronx Bombers signed Marcus Stroman for a two-year deal worth $37 million. Moreover, Aaron Boone believes Stroman will be very successful with the Yankees.
Why The Yankees Manager Is So Optimistic About Marcus Stroman?
Recently, in an interview with YES Network, the Yankees skipper mentioned Marcus Stroman has been very consistent throughout his career. Moreover, Aaron Boone believes Stroman has been a performer and a reliable starter in MLB for a long time. On top of that, the NY side’s manager loves Stroman’s confidence about where he is in the league right now. He is 32 years old now. Moreover, Boone seems to appreciate the fact that Stroman is serious about his commitment to his craft and body. He takes care of himself a lot. That’s the reason why Boone thinks he will be at the top level of his game for a number of years still to come.
Adding to that, Aaron Boone said that he feels “Marcus wants to be here with the Yankees.” And that is important as it matters to Boone. That’s the reason why the Yankees manager feels that Stroman is cut out for that job. Moreover, Aaron Boone said it is like the end game that Stroman wanted. Hence, Boone hopes that the starter can go out there and post 30-plus times for them. Moreover, with the offense the Yankees have got, if Marcus posts 30 times eventually, he should be very successful, believes the Yankees skipper.
Stroman Has Been An Above Average Starter Throughout His Career
It was really surprising to see the former Blue Jays starter to say, “Yes” to his former AL East rivals. But he has been a pretty consistent hurler indeed, with a great pitching arsenal. In his big league career, Stroman got two All-Star selections. If Marcus Stroman is able to pitch 140 innings next year, he can use the third-year option with the Yankees contract.
Then, his $37 million deal will extend to $55 million over three years. He made his MLB debut in 2014 with the Toronto Blue Jays. Since then, Stroman has been an above-average starting pitcher. He has been very reliable. Moreover, in the previous four seasons, he did not have a worse ERA+ than 113.
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