This weekend Marcus Stroman returned from the injured list and started a game for the New York Yankees. Stroman has had a pretty rough time in pinstripes but optimistic Yankees fans know he is a seasoned veteran arm that can add length to this team. The opposing side sees an aging arm taking up space on a roster that doesn't quite need him with the way the staff has been performing.
That brought up the question of was this a showcase game to add value to Stroman as the trade deadline approaches. Only Brian Cashman knows that answer but Stroman performing well will not only help the Yankees, but could also lead to him being moved to help other needs.
The Stroman question will remain until the deadline passes or he is dealt, but perhaps a more pressing question will be answered in two weeks. Will Stroman stay in New York? This means Marcus's younger brother Jayden.
Jayden Stroman is a standout player from Long Island, his family is from here, and now his brother has played for both New York teams, so the connection is obvious. Stroman is set to be drafted in two weeks and more and more speculation is that Cashman and company will be the ones taking the younger Stroman.
Stroman's stock has been up and down according to scouts, not because of his talent, but rather because of outside influences. Many teams don't think they can lure him away from college. He was Duke commit before the head coach left for Virginia and now he will follow the coach and become a Cavalier. The commitment to his coach makes teams shy away form spending a pick on him, only to watch him walk into college. The other concern is that Stroman has been reluctant to say he will become strictly a pitcher. He is almost as prolific with the bat as he is on the mound, but teams want him on the bump every fifth day, not in the lineup.
While those concerns are valid for other teams it is believed that the Yankees can bypass those. New York has his brothers' connection and while the coach of Virginia is a draw for Stroman, playing for the same organization as Marcus also has to hold some weight. So, there seems to be as good of a chance that the Yankees will have two Stroman's on their team in two weeks as it does they won't have any.