Mariners could take advantage with trade amid Yankees-Marcus Stroman drama

All offseason long, the Seattle Mariners have found themselves squarely in the middle of virtually every single rumor on the mill. This is exactly why it'd make sense for them to approach the Yankees about Marcus Stroman's availability, as he's also been a hot name as of late.

After signing Max Fried, the Yankees basically guaranteed Stroman would be squeezed out of a spot in their 2025 starting rotation. For the career-long starter who's now 10 years in MLB as a starting pitcher, it's easy to see why a move to the bullpen may not be one he embraces with open arms. In a media session on Friday, the right-hander confirmed that he's a starting pitcher and that a move to the bullpen is not on his radar.

The tension between the player and organization is palpable. It seems that, rather than give him a spot in their rotation, the Yankees may look to move him via trade. The Mariners have been a popular pick to trade from their starting pitching surplus to upgrade their offense, so could Stroman fill a void left after such a trade?

Mariners could target Marcus Stroman in trade talks if they get crafty

To be clear, there's no trade for Stroman unless it's made as a follow-up to another deal made by the Mariners. As the club is currently constructed, there's no room for him in their rotation. However, Luis Castillo has seen his name floated in trade rumors this winter, so seeing him swapped for a bat could open a spot for Stroman in the back end of the rotation. And even better? The Yankees will likely be eating money in any hypothetical deal.

In what is likely going to be his only year on the Yankees, Stroman went 10-9 with a 4.31 ERA, 4.62 FIP and 95 ERA+ through 29 starts. His production dipped quite a bit from where it had been in the recent past (he was an All-Star the year before), and that alone had Yankees fans ready to move on from him.

Not a whole lot about Stroman's 2024 performance instills confidence on the surface, but a look under the hood shows that he was actually so much better on the road than he was at Yankee Stadium. In 13 road starts, the right-hander posted a 3.09 ERA through 70 innings of work. His home ERA sat at 5.31 through 16 appearances.

Over the course of his career, Stroman's been about as groundball-heavy as anyone in the league. Since he debuted all the way back in 2014, only six starting pitchers have induced more groundball outs than Stroman has. What he needs more than anything is a strong defensive infield behind him to take advantage of his style.

Now that he's on the cusp of getting away from a suspect infield defense in the Bronx, Stroman's numbers could very well improve. The Mariners have Gold Glover Dylan Moore penciled in as their second baseman, with J.P. Crawford and his 69th percentile Range at shortstop. He might just be a risk worth taking as a follow-up move to another Mariners trade if the front office can get creative.