Blockbuster Yankees Trade Idea Would Send Marcus Stroman Back To Rival Blue Jays

The New York Yankees are reportedly trying to trade starting pitcher Marcus Stroman this offseason and it makes quite a bit of sense.

Stroman is owed nearly $20 million in 2025 and he wasn’t even good enough to crack the Yankees’ World Series roster. New York added Max Fried this winter and Stroman simply doesn’t have a spot on the roster.

Bleacher Report’s Zachary Rymer recently put together a list of trades for the Yankees to finally shed Stroman’s salary. One of these trades would send Stroman back to the Toronto Blue Jays.

Here’s the deal pitched by Rymer:

• New York Yankees receive: 2B Davis Schneider
• Toronto Blue Jays receive: RHP Marcus Stroman, 1B/C Ben Rice, cash

“Whereas Schneider is looking up at Andrés Giménez in Toronto, there would be a starting role for him at second base in New York,” Rymer wrote. “If this sounds underwhelming, well, that is fair. The league didn’t see Schneider coming when he debuted with a 1.008 OPS in 35 games in 2023, but he fell back to earth with a meager .625 OPS in 2024.

“He’s also fanned in 31.4 percent of his MLB plate appearances. There is still potential here, though. Schneider has a strong eye and a swing that produces tons of balls in the air. Only two hitters had a lower ground-ball rate last season.”

For the Yankees, this deal feels more like a salary dump than anything. I don’t view Schneider as a meaningful upgrade over players like Oswaldo Cabrera or Jorbit Vivas. But it would cut quite a bit of wasted money by dumping Stroman.

For the Blue Jays, adding Stroman and a hitter like Ben Rice would be a solid upgrade as well. Rice becomes even more important if Vladimir Guerrero Jr. bolts in free agency next offseason.

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