Veteran right-hander Marcus Stroman, once a mainstay in Major League Baseball rotations, finds himself on the outside looking in as the 2025 postseason approaches. Just over a month ago, the New York Yankees made the surprising decision to release Stroman, a move that many believed would trigger a late-season scramble among contenders seeking experienced arms for the stretch run. Yet, as the calendar rolls into September, a deafening silence surrounds Stroman’s future, with no team stepping forward to offer him a contract. The implications are stark: Stroman is now ineligible to pitch in the 2025 MLB postseason, and the uncertainty around his next destination only deepens.
For a player who has logged over 1,400 innings with a career 3.79 ERA across 11 seasons with Toronto, New York, and Chicago, Stroman’s abrupt fall from grace is as puzzling as it is telling. His 2024 campaign was hardly disastrous—he made 29 starts and finished with a 4.31 ERA. However, the 2025 season proved far less forgiving. After missing nearly two months with a knee injury, Stroman returned to the Yankees’ rotation but struggled to regain his old form. In just 39 innings pitched, he posted a 4.69 ERA, and, perhaps most concerning for front offices, his strikeout rate plummeted to 14.9%. The velocity on his fastball dipped, and his signature sinker lost its bite, no longer inducing ground balls at the elite rate that once defined his game.
These numbers, while not catastrophic, painted a picture of a pitcher in decline. In a league where September depth can be the difference between heartbreak and a parade, the fact that Stroman’s name never rose to the top of any contender’s wish list is more than a minor footnote—it’s a flashing red warning sign. The Dodgers, plagued by injuries to their rotation, scoured the waiver wire for help. The Mariners, dealing with inconsistencies from Bryan Woo and George Kirby, were rumored to be exploring depth options. The Braves lost A.J. Smith-Shawver to Tommy John surgery and have cycled through fifth starters all season. Even the Orioles and Phillies, both leading their divisions, quietly weighed potential additions. Yet, none of these clubs reached out to Stroman.
"The lack of interest from contending teams has been deafening," one analyst noted. Despite his track record and experience, no franchise has stepped up to claim the veteran pitcher. This absence of offers raises questions about both his current performance and the perceived risk involved in bringing him on board at this stage of the season.
Historically, big names with fading résumés have found lifelines in late August. Justin Verlander’s move to Houston under the old waiver rules is still fresh in memory, and Yuli Gurriel suited up for Kansas City in the postseason just last year. Yet Stroman didn’t even land a minor league showcase deal. For front offices, the calculus seems clear: declining strikeouts, reduced velocity, and mounting injuries have shifted the perception from temporary setback to possible permanent decline.
Stroman’s predicament is not just about missing October—it’s about what comes next. At 34 years old, he stands at a crossroads. While his résumé suggests he should still have a place in Major League Baseball, modern front offices are less sentimental and more data-driven than ever. They see the warning signs: a dip in velocity, a sharp drop in strikeouts, and an inability to consistently get outs with the sinker that once made him a household name.
"As the calendar flips to September, Stroman finds himself in a precarious position. Without a contract, he is ineligible to contribute on the mound for any team vying for a postseason berth. This scenario not only stifles his ambitions of competing in October but also casts a shadow on his future in the league," wrote one observer.
The silence from contenders could also signal a broader shift in how organizations approach veteran players. Teams are increasingly wary of taking on arms with recent injury histories or clear signs of decline, even if those pitchers bring postseason experience and a reputation for poise under pressure. Stroman’s case underscores this trend. While he has proven himself capable of stepping up in high-leverage situations, the current climate suggests that intangibles alone aren’t enough to sway decision-makers.
For Stroman, the immediate future is murky. He can still sign with a team in September, but any deal would be strictly for the remainder of the regular season—an audition for 2026 rather than a ticket to October glory. The postseason clock has stopped, and for teams in the hunt, Stroman is not the answer to their pitching puzzles.
The broader impact of this situation reverberates through the league. For fans and analysts alike, it’s a sobering reminder that baseball is a business first and foremost. Reputation and past heroics are no longer enough to guarantee a roster spot, especially when advanced metrics paint a less flattering picture. The decision to pass on Stroman could signal not only concerns over his recent form but also a strategic shift in how teams value veteran depth down the stretch.
Stroman’s journey has always been marked by resilience and determination. He’s faced adversity before—whether it was coming back from injury or proving doubters wrong with clutch performances in big games. But this moment feels different. The market’s silence speaks volumes about the challenges he faces in finding a new home, and with each passing day, the uncertainty grows.
As contenders finalize their rosters and the postseason looms, Stroman remains in limbo. The lack of a contract not only excludes him from October baseball but also forces a reckoning about his place in the game moving forward. Will a team take a chance on him for 2026, banking on a rebound? Or has the league, in its relentless pursuit of youth and upside, moved on for good?
Whatever the answer, one thing is clear: in a month when every extra arm is usually hoarded like gold, Marcus Stroman was left on the shelf. For now, the silence around his name is the loudest statement of all.
