The 2023–24 Los Angeles Angels offseason has not lived up to the expectations of many supporters. Not only did they lose Shohei Ohtani, widely considered the best player of all time, but they have also failed to sign numerous players who were supposedly on their wish list.

Marcus Stroman, a right-handed pitcher who was named to the All-Star team twice, was one of those athletes. Stroman was a top-tier free agency pitcher this year. Stroman turned down attention from the Angels and ultimately signed with the New York Yankees—reportedly for less money—than the Los Angeles Halos.

Bob Klapisch of NJ Advance Media reports that Stroman turned down higher offers from the Los Angeles Dodgers in order to go with the New York Yankees.

Stroman received his second All-Star nod during his two-year stint with the Chicago Cubs.

Ultimately, Stroman’s dream was to play for his hometown team, the New York Yankees. Somebody in the group said he aspired to play alongside Aaron Judge and Gerrit Cole.

“That told us Marcus was serious about playing with guys like (Aaron) Judge and (Gerrit) Cole,” one member of the organization said. “It was quite revealing.”The Angels might not have had a chance against Stroman, but they still have time to have a memorable winter.

Rapid action taken by Yankees over former Red Sox infielder, who was a postseason nemesis

Jeter Downs (infield) and Oscar Gonzalez (outfield) were outright sent to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre by the New York Yankees, the team said.

Additionally, the Minnesota Twins snatched outfielder Bubba Thompson from the waiver wire. Not long ago, Bubba Thompson, Oscar Gonzalez, and Jeter Downs were all designated for assignment by the Yankees. Thompson was clearly claimed by the Twins, while Downs and Gonzalez were placed on waivers.

Gonzalez was placed on the 40-man roster via designation for assignment so that starting pitcher Marcus Stroman, who officially signed with the Yankees last week, could join the team. Prior to the trades involving Juan Soto, Trent Grisham, and Alex Verdugo, Gonzalez was acquired to bolster the outfield depth chart this offseason. Currently, he is slated for the minor leagues. In Game 3 of the 2022 American League Division Series against the Yankees, he Һit a walk-off single while playing for the Cleveland Guardians. It took the Yankees a while, but they rallied to win the series.

Along with claiming infielder Diego Castillo from the New York Mets, Downs was also designated for assignment to provide way for him. The Boston Red Sox acquired Downs and other significant components from the Los Angeles Dodgers in exchange for Mookie Betts and David Price. In exchange for relief pitcher Clay Holmes, the Pittsburgh Pirates sent Diego Castillo, who was once a prоspect for the Yankees, to the MLB.Lastly, pitcher Luke Weaver, who is projected to be the Yankees’ long-reliever in 2024, was signed by clearing the way for Thompson’s assignment.

With Downs and Gonzalez retained as depth, the Yankees’ roster is starting to take form.