Yankees Rumors: Marcus Stroman latest pitching name floated

An already thin Yankees pitching staff lost Domingo German to the IL on Sunday with a hip flexor strain. With free agent Dallas Keuchel now off the board, the Yanks have reportedly spoken to the Blue Jays about Marcus Stroman.

Did Domingo German inadvertently sabotage the Yankees chances of signing Dallas Keuchel?

According to Ken Davidoff of the New York Post, German first experienced pain in his hip back on May 26, when he surrendered seven runs in five innings. However, he didn’t inform the team of his developing situation until this past Saturday.

Though it was pretty obvious to see that something was awry with German — having lasted only 3.2 innings on June 1 to the Red Sox and then allowing four runs on six hits across six innings in Friday’s loss to the Indians — German reportedly kept the injury from the Yanks because it felt better between starts (imagine that) and inevitably believed he could battle through the pain.

While it’s admirable that German wanted to be out there to help his team win, a hip flexor strain doesn’t heal overnight, and perhaps, had the Yankees known the actual extent of the injury, they would have offered Dallas Keuchel the same $13 million that the Braves did to sign him.

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But no, the Yanks supposedly only went to $11.5M — and Keuchel and his beard went to Atlanta, leaving general manager Brian Cashman to consider alternatives.

In another NY Post article, Davidoff writes that the Yankees have recently held conversations with the Blue Jays regarding Long Island native Marcus Stroman, in addition to scouting Giants ace Madison Bumgarner.

"They have spoken with the Blue Jays about starting pitcher Marcus Stroman, an industry source said, and they have scouted Giants veteran lefty Madison Bumgarner, whose contract gives him the right to block a trade to the Yankees."

As we know, the Yankees are currently on Bumgarner’s no-trade list; however, that could merely be a tool to leverage a massive contract extension.

In regards to Stroman, the Yanks and Jays came together on the J.A. Happ trade last July, and that has worked out quite well (especially since he was re-signed for two years, $34M).

New York sent a young major leaguer in Brandon Drury, along with one of their top prospect’s in Billy McKinney to Toronto. Therefore, what do you think the Jays would want for the 28-year-old Stroman who is signed through 2020?

One would think Clint Frazier and/or Gio Ursella (yes, he used to be a Jay) would be required.

Taking Stroman’s 3-8 record out of the equation because the Jays are 23-42 (17.5 games back), his 3.31 ERA is sound, 1.322 WHIP — OK and 63:30 K:BB is nice considering he isn’t a strikeout machine.

By nature, Stroman is a groundball pitcher (58 percent this season), which plays well in Yankee Stadium — as is his 71.3 percent LOB. One concerning stat is the 80 hits allowed in 81.2 innings.

Groundball pitcher or not, if he were to begin elevating his fastball, much like Sonny Gray did, things could quickly turn disastrous in the Bronx for the diminutive righty.

Fans on Twitter were screaming that Dallas Keuchel didn’t move the needle any closer to a potential World Series championship than what the Bombers already have in-house (when healthy). Does Stroman?

Naturally, he could finally fulfill much of the potential he exuded during his 2014 major league debut season. Or he could be another back-end of the rotation piece, slated to make more than the $7.4M he received in arbitration this past offseason, and cost you a handful of prospects or major league pieces via trade.

Yes, it would be a move that the Yankees could be enticed to make right now, but is it one that launches them deep into the playoffs? Probably not, which should be all the reason to avoid another lateral move.