This offseason, the New York Yankees signed left-handed pitcher Max Fried, placing him alongside Gerrit Cole at the top of their rotation. With pitchers like Luis Gil, Carlos Rodon, Clark Schmidt, and Marcus Stroman also in the mix, the Yankees are stacked, plus they have several promising prospects.
Given the depth, the Yankees are likely to trade one of their big-league pitchers, and Stroman seems the most likely to be dealt. He was excluded from the 2024 postseason roster and is earning close to $20 million annually. The Yankees probably won’t demand a significant return but instead look to offload his contract, possibly receiving a few top-30 prospects.
The Atlanta Braves could be the ideal trade partner. In 2024, Atlanta struggled with pitching depth after ace Spencer Strider suffered an elbow injury. Despite having some strong arms, the Braves lacked depth, and with the recent departures of Charlie Morton to the Orioles and Fried to the Yankees, they now have a gap in their rotation.
Atlanta has some top pitching prospects, but they need a proven major-league arm. They could trade a few fringe top-30 prospects to the Yankees for Stroman, freeing up his salary from New York’s books while providing the Braves with a much-needed pitcher.
