This time last year, nobody predicted Luis Gil would be part of the Yankees’ Opening Day rotation.
No one expected Gerrit Cole to be diagnosed with an elbow injury during spring training, costing the ace nearly the first three months of the regular season.
Cole’s absence opened a spot for the hard-throwing Gil, who became such a fixture in the Yankees’ rotation that he started Game 4 of the World Series and is now considered a foundational piece of the starting staff.
That saga serves as a reminder that a team can never have too much starting pitching — a truism general manager Brian Cashman pointed to last week when asked about the Yankees’ plans for Marcus Stroman.
“Don’t make any assumptions on where Stro would slot for us, because he may very well be playing an important role for us, even though right now the perception might not be the case with who might be perceived to be in front of him,” Cashman said Friday. “Let’s just see how our winter shakes out.”
Stroman, 33, could be the odd man out in a Yankees rotation composed of Cole, Max Fried, Carlos Rodón, Clarke Schmidt and Gil.
Last offseason, the Yankees signed Stroman to a two-year, $37 million contract with an option for 2026 that vests if the right-hander hurls at least 140 innings in 2025.
Stroman, a two-time All-Star from Medford, N.Y., got off to a hot start with the Yankees. He started their 2024 home opener and sported a 6-2 record and a 2.82 ERA through 14 starts.
But Stroman pitched to a 5.88 ERA over his final 16 appearances, including 15 starts, and was moved to the Yankees’ bullpen in September. He finished his debut season in pinstripes at 10-9 with a 4.31 ERA over 154.2 innings.
The Yankees did not include Stroman on their ALDS roster. They added him for the ALCS and World Series, but he did not appear in a playoff game. His average four-seam fastball velocity dipped from 92.0 mph in 2023 to 89.9 mph in 2024, though Stroman relies more on his sinker and cutter than he does on overpowering hitters.
“He had a really good first half,” Cashman said. “The second half wasn’t as good as the first half, but he was there every step of the way for us, in any category we needed him, so he’s currently in the mix.”
The Yankees and Fried reached an eight-year, $218 million contract last week, adding another ace to an already deep rotation in their first pivot after losing superstar slugger Juan Soto to the Mets.
They then cut into their starting-pitching surplus on Friday by trading Nestor Cortes to the Milwaukee Brewers in a deal for shutdown closer Devin Williams.
Cashman acknowledged the Yankees have more moves to make. Soto’s departure left a vacancy in the outfield, while last year’s primary first baseman (Anthony Rizzo) and second baseman (Gleyber Torres) are free agents.
Amid that roster uncertainty, Stroman has been the subject of trade speculation. Last week, he replied to a social-media troll who referenced the rumors.
“I’m 33 and have accomplished more than I could imagine,” Stroman wrote on X. “I’m good with wherever life takes me at this point. The unknown excites me. Being able to take care of my entire family daily is a blessing that I could only dream of. It’s now a reality!”
The Yankees’ rotation depth includes Cody Poteet, who posted a 2.22 ERA over 24.1 innings last year, primarily as a spot starter; and Will Warren, a top pitching prospect who struggled to a 10.32 ERA in 22.2 innings as a rookie.
Another prized prospect, Chase Hampton, recorded a 2.41 ERA in seven minor-league starts during an injury-riddled 2024 season. The right-hander, 23, has not pitched above Double-A but could eventually factor into the Yankees’ 2025 plans.
“I have no idea what this roster’s going to look like yet,” Cashman said. “I just know that Stro is one of the reasons that we were able to win the American League East. He was on our postseason roster two of the three rounds, so we’ll see.”