Nestor Cortes (pictured left) Marcus Stroman (pictured right)

This offseason has been one of ups and downs for the Yankees. Some hits and misses, question marks, and underrated moves. But to speak on the Yankees, you first have to appreciate some of the moves made around the league. Ohtani and Yamamoto team up on the Dodgers, leaving the rest of the MLB scrambling to compete. The wizardry that they are able to pull off with the deferment of contract money needs to be studied. The Orioles picking up a top 5 Ace in the league in Corbin Burnes, while continuing to have the best farm system in the MLB. The Orioles deserve their own story and that will come soon. On to another team with a great system in place to keep their team relevant. The Atlanta Braves kept their core stable and added some complimentary pieces to strengthen their bullpen. They are now the dominant force atop the NL East (again). There are a few other teams who are still in contention but have not made much of a change to their rosters; The Astros, The Rangers, the Diamondbacks, and the Phillies.

The Yankees have made some moves of their own. Not to be outdone, they went and acquired 25-year-old superstar Juan Soto from the Padres. While this move is a giant leap in the right direction, it did not fill all of the gaping holes on the roster. One of the biggest was pitching depth. With question marks surrounding Carlos Rodon, Nestor Cortes, and Clarke Schmidt, the Yankees desperately needed some starting pitching and long relief options to support the rotation through a gruesome 162 game season. Support came in the way of Marcus Stroman, who the Yankees signed to a 2-year $37 Million Dollar deal (third-year option included) back in January. A 9-year veteran of the league, Stroman has historically been a very good pitcher, amounting to a 3.65 ERA over that time. While it may not be the prettiest number, I would like to draw your attention to a number that is very important to the Yankees and impacted their decision.

Yankee Stadium is a home run friendly ballpark with a historic short porch in right field. Keeping the ball in the park is a priority. Marcus Stroman over the course of his career makes opposing batters hit the ball on the ground a whopping 56.6% of the time, last year alone it was at 57.4%. The signing of Stroman may seem mediocre and lackluster for the Yankees, but the deeper you look, the more it makes sense. Stroman is from New York, Medford to be exact. He grew up watching and attending Yankees games throughout his life. He also has a big connection to the Bronx natives.  Marcus Stroman is (Half) Puerto Rican, and the Bronx has a population that is 16.1% (2020 Census) Puerto Rican. As a proud Puerto Rican myself, I can already feel the love and respect he is gaining from not just our Puerto Rican fans but from the entire Hispanic and Latino population that loyally follow the Yankees year in and year out.

A player like Stroman who is charismatic, vocal, a joy to play with, and a nightmare to play against, brings even more character to this young Yankees team. He has a reputation of being a great teammate, and that seems to have followed him all the way home to New York. This may not have been the most attractive move the Yankees could have made but is one that will pay dividends both on the field and off.