Marcus Stroman, who tried to burn down Queens on his way out, is returning to New York. Now the question is: Will he eventually try to set the Bronx on fire, too?
The Yankees — desperate to add another arm to their starting rotation — swallowed hard and agreed to a two-year contract with Stroman on Thursday, with an option for a third year, according to reports — putting him into a starting rotation with AL Cy Young Award winner Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodon, Nestor Cortes and Clarke Schmidt.
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According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, Stroman is guaranteed $37 million over two years, which can turn into $55 million over three years if he pitches 140 innings in 2025.
On Instagram on Thursday night, Stroman posted a photo of him as a kid in a Yankees sweatshirt and a Photo-shopped image of him as a major-leaguer in a Yankees jersey and proclaimed, “I’m a New York Yankee!”
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Stroman might have been the second choice: The Yankees made an offer to free-agent left-hander Blake Snell on Thursday, according to reports. Stroman’s agreement is likely an indication of how that went.
Also Thursday, the Yankees re-signed free agent right-hander Luke Weaver, who had a solid three start-run with the Yankees last September after struggling badly for most of the 2023 season pitching for the Reds and Mariners. Weaver, 30, is back on a one-year, $2 million contract that includes a club option for 2024 that could increase the total value to $8.25 million.
How the controversial Stroman — who exchanged pot shots with the Yankees five years ago — will fit in the buttoned-down and buttoned-lip clubhouse will be a pressing issue. A team trying to rebound from its worst season in decades — with its manager and general manager trying to keep their jobs — can ill afford distractions that Stroman often creates.
Stroman, a Long Island native, opted…
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