When the New York Yankees’ now-former second baseman Gleyber Torres left the American League champions behind to sign a one-year, $15 million pact with the Detroit Tigers, the Bronx Bombers were left scrambling to fill their new gap in the middle infield. As the calendar prepares to turn to 2025, they have not yet pulled off that needed roster fix.
But a new trade proposal posted on the Fireside Yankees podcast’s X (formerly Twitter) feed calls on the Yankees to address that issue while also freeing themselves from a burdensome contract. That contract belongs to Marcus Stroman, who faded badly in the second half of 2024 and was a non-factor in the Yankees’ postseason run, failing to face even one batter.
In this offseason Stroman is, not surprisingly, reported to be on the trade block. According to an MLB.com report, the Yankees attempted to deal Stroman to the St. Louis Cardinals as part of a package to obtain third-baseman Nolan Arenado, but the Cardinals did not want him.
Would the Washington Nationals take on the remaining year of Stroman’s $37 million contract at a cost of $18.5 million? Per the online trade proposal, the Yankees would also send two of their top-10 ranked prospects, pitcher Chase Hampton (No. 6) and 20-year-old middle infielder Rodrick Arias (No. 4), to make the trade worthwhile for the Nats.
In exchange, the Yankees get a potential replacement for Torres in 24-year-old second baseman Luis Garcia Jr., a New York City native who moved with his family to the Dominican Republic at age three. He is the son of former big leaguer Luis Garcia, who appeared in eight games for the Detroit Tigers in 1999.
More MLB: Phillies Could Land $52 Million Infielder If They Opt To Trade Alec Bohm The younger Garcia, signed by the Nationals as an amateur free agent in 2016, is set to earn $5.4 million in 2025, and has two years of arbitration eligibility remaining after that. Garcia’s offensive production in 2024 was nothing spectacular, though it was the fifth-year player’s breakout season. He belted a personal best 18 home runs and recorded a .762 OPS. His defense is also generally better than average, but not elite. According to Baseball Savant, his range factor places him in the 88th percentile among Major Leaguers. His arm strength, on the other hand, leaves a lot to be desired, registering in the 11th percentile. For the Yankees, it appears that the newly proposed trade would serve more as a salary dump to get rid of Stroman than as a long-term replacement for Torres.
