TAMPA — Marcus Stroman reported to Yankees camp and took his physical when fellow pitchers and catchers were supposed to on Tuesday, but that’s about all he’s done so far this spring training.
The pitcher, the subject of offseason trade rumors and an odd man out in the Yankees’ rotation, has been absent from official on-field workouts in the two days since reporting. His locker at George M. Steinbrenner has also been empty, aside from some team-issued gear.
Stroman appeared on a list of pitchers scheduled to stretch and throw on a side field at GMS on Thursday morning, but the righty was nowhere to be found for the second straight day.
Asked about Stroman’s whereabouts, pitching coach Matt Blake said, “He’s in Tampa. He’s around.”
Stroman lives in Tampa, but he is not required to participate in workouts until Feb. 22, as stated in the collective bargaining agreement. According to Newsday’s Erik Boland, Stroman’s agent, Brodie Van Wagenen, informed the Yankees that his client wouldn’t be showing up for workouts just yet. The team is not sure when Stroman will show, though he’s expected to over the next few days.
Stroman, a Long Island native, currently lines up as the Yankees’ sixth starter, as their rotation is full with Gerrit Cole, Max Fried, Carlos Rodón, Luis Gil and Clarke Schmidt all ahead of him. The Yankees have unsuccessfully tried trading Stroman following a disappointing debut season in the Bronx, but his $18 million salary has proven difficult to move. Stroman also has a 2026 option for the same sum that will vest if he throws 140 innings this season.
Further complicating things: there’s still some veteran starters on the open market who can likely be had for less than Stroman’s salary.
On Tuesday, Aaron Boone acknowledged that Stroman may be in “a little bit of an awkward situation,” but the manager and skipper had a “good conversation” that day.
“Feel like he’s in a good mental place,” Boone said. “He’s physically ready to go. And the bottom line is, we’re getting him ready to pitch. Those things kind of have a way of working themselves out, especially as we sit here in the middle of February. Cream rises to the top, and I feel like it’ll work itself out. But right now, it’s about getting him ready to go to be a real contributor.”
Boone, who did not mention Stroman’s planned absence, said that the pitcher did not ask about his role on the team. Boone added that he’s not worried about Stroman being outspoken if things don’t go his way and added that the 33-year-old was a “great teammate” throughout an uneven first season in the Bronx last year.
Stroman recently scrubbed his social media, including Yankees-related content, but Boone has said that’s standard practice for the hurler every offseason.
The Yankees pivoted to Stroman two offseasons ago after Japanese ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto signed with the Dodgers. Stroman began the year on a high note, recording a 2.60 ERA over his first 12 starts. Then he logged a 5.70 ERA over his last 18 games. That span included a bumped start and a demotion to the bullpen. Stroman didn’t pitch in any playoff games, and he finished the year with a 4.31 ERA over 154.2 innings.
His ERA was the 15th-highest of any pitcher who threw at least 150 innings. His 7.9 K-BB% was the worst in baseball, while his 1.47 WHIP ranked third-worst. The .275 average he allowed was fourth-worst.
Stroman projects as the next man up in case the rotation suffers an injury, but the Yankees also have veterans JT Brubaker and Carlos Carrasco among their depth options.