-
Jorge Castillo
TAMPA — New York Yankees right-hander Marcus Stroman reported to camp Friday after missing the team’s first two days of workouts, insisting he is ready to make 30-plus starts and will not change his role. The problem: Stroman isn’t projected to make the Yankees’ starting rotation.
“I won’t pitch in the bullpen,” Stroman said. “I’m a starter.”
It was a turbulent offseason for Stroman. Personally, he said he lost his home in Malibu in last month’s wildfires in Southern California. Professionally, he has been included in constant trade rumors with the Yankees looking to move their sixth starter’s $18.5 million salary a year after signing him.
Stroman reported to camp Tuesday for his physical but chose not to show up the next two days for workouts. Though every other Yankees pitcher and catcher reported as expected Wednesday and Thursday, players are not obligated to report for spring training until Feb. 22, per Major League Baseball’s collective bargaining agreement. A year ago, entering his first season with the Yankees, Stroman was in attendance from the beginning of workouts.
“At this stage in my career, I put a priority on getting my body ready,” said Stroman, who turns 34 in May. “I don’t think there was a need for me to be here the last few days, given the climate.”
So, why did Stroman show up Friday?
“Just felt like today was a good day to come,” Stroman said. “Valentine’s Day, I felt like the vibes were going to be proper.”
Stroman said he is “very detached” in the offseason, and learned of the trade speculation through his mother and other people around him. He maintained the rumors did not upset him.
“I’m so grounded at this point,” Stroman said. “Nothing can really faze me. I know who I am as a pitcher. I can compete at any level, with any team. If I’m here, if I’m not here, my body’s ready to roll. I’m ready to go out there and give 30-plus starts.”
Manager Aaron Boone on Thursday said the rumors swirling around Stroman entering the season and his decision not to show up for workouts made for “a little bit of an awkward situation.” He said he had spoken with Stroman since seeing him Tuesday, noting that he was “nudging” him to report to camp. He said he and a few coaches had a “fun, good talk” with Stroman in his office Friday morning.
“He really is in a good frame of mind,” Boone said.
Yankees general manager Brian Cashman described Stroman’s comments about his role as “vintage ‘Stro,” citing the pitcher’s competitiveness. He asserted he has no concerns about the pitcher’s readiness for the season or mindset.
“I agree with him: He is a starter,” Cashman said. “So let’s just see how everything plays out. Six weeks of spring training, thereabout, there’s typically a lot of twists and turns and winding roads before you get to Opening Day, so we’ll deal with Opening Day when we get there.”
A year ago, the Yankees’ starting pitch depth was tested when Gerrit Cole sustained an elbow injury that left him on injured list until June. That allowed Luis Gil the opportunity to begin the season on with the club. He wound up sticking on the roster and excelling, winning the American League Rookie of the Year Award.
The difference between Gil and Stroman, however, is that Gil pitched for the league minimum while Stroman is effectively an $18.5 million insurance policy, making him an obvious trade candidate to allocate money elsewhere. Cashman said Stroman has not requested a trade should he not start the season in the rotation. He did not comment when asked if he is seeking to trade Stroman.
“There’s a lot of decisions around things,” Cashman said. “We’re always open-minded to all aspects of the roster, and anybody’s welcome to knock on our door. Clearly, we have no problem floating weather balloons elsewhere and seeing where it takes us. That’s just the nature of the beast.”
Cashman signed Stroman, who is entering his 11th major league season, to a two-year contract with a conditional third-year player option worth $37 million guaranteed before last season. Stroman can opt into an $18 million salary next season if he pitches at least 140 innings this year.
Reaching that mark would require starting for the majority of the season. Barring a setback, the Yankees’ five-man rotation will consist of Cole, Max Fried, Carlos Rodón, Clarke Schmidt, and Gil. Boone said the club is unlikely to deploy a six-man rotation.
“Never say never,” Boone said. “I mean, I don’t necessarily see us doing that, but we’ll see where we’re at. Again, that’s a long way away.”
Stroman surpassed the 140-inning threshold in 2024, logging 154⅔ innings on his fourth major-league team with a 4.31 ERA across 30 games (29 starts) during the regular season.
As in 2023, when he was an All-Star for the Chicago Cubs, it was a tale of two halves for Stroman: He posted a 3.51 ERA in 19 starts before the All-Star break and a 5.98 ERA in 10 starts and a relief appearance in the second half. Stroman also struggled at Yankee Stadium, tallying a 5.31 ERA in 16 home starts compared to a 3.09 ERA on the road.
Stroman didn’t pitch in the playoffs during the Yankees’ run to the World Series. He said not pitching in October did not bother him. The question now is whether he’ll throw another pitch for the Yankees again.
“Everyone in that clubhouse, I have nothing but love for and they all know that,” Stroman said. “We all have a great relationship in there, from the staff and the employees all the way down. You can freely go ask anybody. I love everybody in that clubhouse. This is part of the business. It has nothing to do with my love for anybody in there.”
In other news, Cashman said the plan is for the Yankees to come to terms with Boone on a contract extension. The club picked up Boone’s option for the 2025 season in November. He is not under contract beyond this season.
“Our intent is to find an extension,” Cashman said. “And so, certainly, I’ve been working through that and Hal Steinbrenner has been working through that with Aaron Boone. We’re hopeful at some point, sooner than later, that we’ll be able to officially cement something. But just give us time.”
Boone is entering his eighth season as manager of the Yankees. His teams have reached the postseason in six of his first seven years, culminating last season in the franchise’s first World Series appearance since 2009. His .599 career winning percentage ranks 10th among Yankees managers.