The New York Yankees have begun their spring training workouts with pitchers and catchers. Every such player has been in attendance – except for one.
According to a report from Newsday’s Erik Boland on Thursday, righty starter Marcus Stroman has been a “no-show” for both of the team’s workouts thus far. Stroman reported to Tampa on Tuesday for a mandatory physical but has not returned to George M. Steinbrenner Field since.
“He’s in Tampa,” said Matt Blake, the club’s pitching coach, when asked about Stroman’s whereabouts. “He’s around.”
Signed by New York ahead of the 2024 season, the two-time All-Star did not enjoy a storybook first season in pinstripes. Across 29 starts and one relief appearance, Stroman held a 4.31 ERA with 113 strikeouts across 154.2 innings. He especially struggled in the second half of the season.
He did not pitch during the squad’s postseason run and was left off the ALDS and World Series rosters entirely.
But Stroman’s numbers don’t tell the whole story. He’s a ground ball pitcher, meaning he must rely on the defenders behind him to get batters out. Unfortunately for him, the Yankees’ defense was anything but reliable.
Brian Cashman, the team’s general manager, recently admitted that the club’s defense failed to back up Stroman throughout the season.
“First and foremost, he’s a better pitcher than what we saw in the second half,” he said. “I think our defense let him down significantly. We were unable to convert many double plays that should have been converted last year, and that hurt him more than most.”
But even so, Stroman’s role with the team became increasingly uncertain after the World Series. New York bolstered their rotation this winter by signing lefty Max Fried, a move that seemingly relegated Stroman to the sixth starter in a five-man rotation.
According to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, other clubs have indicated that the Yankees are hoping to move the 33-year-old and as much of his $18 million salary as they can before adding any additional pieces to their roster.
Nonetheless, Stroman arrived in Tampa along with everyone else. That day, Yankee manager Aaron Boone detailed the “awkward” situation. The skipper mentioned that he had a productive conversation with Stroman, emphasizing that his starter was in a good place heading into the spring.
Two days and two absences later, Boone is adamant that nothing has changed.
“I knew he might be out the first couple days,” he said. “But nothing changed with what I said to you guys about how I feel like where he’s at mentally, physically.”
Stroman technically has until Feb. 22 to report for spring workouts, as outlined in the Collective Bargaining Agreement. According to Sherman, a source close to the pitcher insists that the move is not in protest, and they expect him to arrive at George M. Steinbrenner Field before the team’s first full-squad workout on Monday.
“Of course, I want him here,” said Boone. “I’m trying to keep nudging him to get here. But again, you also have to respect the fact that this is something that players are allowed to do. There is a mandatory date [of Feb. 22], and he’s choosing that right now.”
