The New York Yankees and New York Mets are stirring the pot in the Big Apple’s baseball scene as trade rumors swirl around Marcus Stroman and Brett Baty. On Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025, Yankees manager Aaron Boone dropped a bombshell: Stroman, originally slated to start against the Minnesota Twins in Fort Myers, will instead remain in Tampa for a live batting practice session. This last-minute shift has only intensified speculation that the veteran pitcher’s days in pinstripes could be numbered, with the Mets emerging as a prime trade partner.
Across town, the Mets are grappling with a mounting crisis in their pitching rotation as the 2025 Major League Baseball season looms. Left-hander Sean Manaea is sidelined with a right oblique strain, expected to miss the Opening Day bell, according to team reports. This injury piles onto an already precarious situation: Frankie Montas is out with a severe lat strain, Kodai Senga thrives with extra rest but isn’t a daily workhorse, and Clay Holmes remains unproven as a starter. The Mets’ sudden need for a reliable arm has thrust them into the trade market—and straight into talks with their crosstown rivals.
A Yankees-Mets trade in the making?
Whispers of a blockbuster swap have grown louder in recent days, with sources indicating the Mets and Yankees are exploring a deal that would send Stroman back to Queens in exchange for infielder Brett Baty. Even though no official confirmation has been made, the 33-year-old right-hander has been at the center of swirling rumors connecting him to a Mets team that suddenly appears in dire need of a proven arm.
While no agreement is imminent, the constant chatter between the two front offices suggests serious momentum. Posts on X reflect the buzz, with one user noting, “Source: The #Mets are reportedly in communication with the #Yankees surrounding a Marcus Stroman for Brett Baty swap. A deal is not close to being finalized, but the teams have been in constant discussion in recent days.”
For the Mets, Stroman’s return would be a homecoming with a twist. The fiery right-hander, who boasts a career 3.71 ERA across 10 MLB seasons, previously dazzled in Queens. Traded to the Mets from the Toronto Blue Jays in 2019, he returned in 2021 and posted a stellar 3.21 ERA over 44 starts, proving he can handle New York’s spotlight. Now, at 33, Stroman could step in as a stabilizing force for a rotation teetering on the edge, bringing veteran poise to a clubhouse in need of leadership.
The Yankees, meanwhile, are eager to shed Stroman’s hefty $18.5 million salary for 2025—a figure that feels out of place for a pitcher relegated to their sixth rotation spot. With All-Stars Gerrit Cole, Max Fried, Carlos Rodon, Luis Gil, and Clarke Schmidt locked in, Stroman’s role has dwindled to a potential spot starter. His vocal resistance to a bullpen assignment further muddies his fit in the Bronx, pushing general manager Brian Cashman to explore trade avenues.
Mets’ infield logjam opens opportunity for Yankees
On the position-player side, the possible bargaining chip in this rumored exchange is Brett Baty, a 25-year-old who entered professional baseball with considerable hype. Drafted in the first round in 2019, Baty was once heralded as a core part of the Mets’ future. Yet despite his advanced batting profile, he struggled to maintain consistent playing time.
The 25-year-old infielder, a former first-round pick in 2019, has struggled to cement a spot in the Mets’ lineup. In 2024, he kicked off the season as the team’s starting third baseman, only to be demoted in May when Mark Vientos seized the role. Baty’s big-league stats reflect a player still finding his footing: a .229 batting average, .306 on-base percentage, and .327 slugging percentage, with just four home runs in 50 games last year.
Yet, his Triple-A numbers paint a rosier picture. In 62 games with Syracuse, Baty slashed .252/.349/.504, smashing 16 homers and posting a .853 OPS—hints of the offensive ceiling that once made him a top prospect. With Pete Alonso anchoring first base and Vientos entrenched at third, Baty’s path to everyday action in Queens looks blocked. A move to the Bronx could offer a fresh start, addressing the Yankees’ nagging quest for infield depth, particularly at third base, where production has lagged in recent seasons.
Why the Yankees might be interested
For the Yankees, Baty represents a compelling target. The front office has made it no secret that it seeks youthful, controllable infield depth, particularly in an offseason defined by its search for solutions at third base. Although the club addressed some needs in the middle infield and outfield during the winter, third base remains unsettled for the long term. Baty’s raw offensive potential could serve as a catalyst for an infield that has lacked consistent productivity behind mainstays like Aaron Judge and Cody Bellinger.
Stroman, meanwhile, finds himself in an awkward position in the Yankees’ rotation picture. Gerrit Cole leads the staff, followed by Carlos Rodon, Max Fried, and Luis Gil. Clarke Schmidt has also shown enough promise to hold down a rotation spot, and younger arms are nipping at the edges of the depth chart. Add to that Stroman’s $18.5 million salary for 2025, and you have a pitcher whose cost may no longer align with the team’s perceived role for him. He has also been vocal in the past about his desire to remain a starter, effectively ruling out a bullpen assignment.
The bigger picture: A rare crosstown deal
The prospect of a Yankees-Mets trade is a tantalizing rarity, given the fierce rivalry that defines their relationship. Yet, necessity might trump tradition in 2025. Spring training has exposed vulnerabilities for both clubs, and this deal could prove a win-win. The Yankees would gain financial flexibility and a young talent with upside, while the Mets would secure a proven starter to steady their shaky rotation.
Stroman’s potential return to the Mets carries a poetic symmetry. After stints with the Blue Jays, Mets, and Chicago Cubs, his 2024 campaign with the Yankees—10 wins, a 4.31 ERA over 154 2/3 innings—ended with a postseason snub, leaving him off the ALDS roster. A trade back to Queens could reignite his spark, especially in a ballpark where he thrived, posting a 3.09 ERA on the road last season compared to a 5.31 mark at Yankee Stadium’s hitter-friendly confines.
For the Yankees, unloading Stroman’s contract could free up resources to pursue other roster tweaks. Industry insiders have floated a framework where the Mets absorb most of Stroman’s salary, with the Yankees possibly sweetening the pot with cash or a minor prospect. Baty’s arrival would slot him into a third-base competition, potentially solving a positional puzzle that has vexed the team since Gleyber Torres’ departure to Detroit in free agency.
The road to a deal isn’t without hurdles. Stroman’s contract includes a player option for 2026—if he pitches 140 innings in 2025, he’d vest another $18 million, a gamble for the Mets given his recent performance dip. His sinker velocity fell to 90 mph last year, down from 92 mph in 2022, and his groundball rate dropped to 49.9% from a career norm of 57%, per Baseball Savant. Still, his durability (29 starts in 2024) and road prowess make him a calculated risk worth taking for a rotation in disarray.
A shifting baseball landscape
The Yankees, after a World Series loss to the Dodgers, are hell-bent on reclaiming glory in 2025. A Stroman-Baty swap could be the creative spark that propels both clubs forward.
As talks progress, the clock ticks toward Opening Day. Whether this deal materializes or fizzles, it’s a reminder of baseball’s unpredictability—and the endless possibilities that keep fans glued to the diamond. Ultimately, whether Stroman is throwing in Tampa or Port St. Lucie this season, the Yankees and Mets are the central figures in one of baseball’s most intriguing spring storylines. Given the stakes—a potential impact arm for the Mets, a promising young infielder for the Yankees—there’s little doubt that New York baseball fans on both sides of the river will be refreshing their news feeds by the hour.
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