It is no secret that things between the New York Yankees and Marcus Stroman are tense right now. The 33-year-old pitcher notably missed the first few days of the Yankees camp before telling reporters that he is not open to pitching in the bullpen.
“I’m a starter. I’m a starter,” Stroman said. “I won’t pitch in the bullpen. I’m a starter. I’m a starter.”
While Stroman certainly made it clear that he views himself as a starter, he is currently projected to be the odd man out of their rotation. Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodon, Max Fried, Luis Gil, and Clarke Schmidt all rank ahead of him on the depth chart.
Marcus Stroman on the mound for the New York Yankees.
© Brad Penner-Imagn Images
However, even with things being tense between Stroman and the Yankees, general manager Brian Cashman made it clear that he does not regret signing him last offseason.
“He helped us last year,” Cashman said. “He was one of our better starters in the first half… Stro is one of the reasons why we got out of the gates strong and propelled ourselves in a position that ultimately led to an American League championship. So, no, I don’t have any regrets.”
While Cashman does not regret bringing in Stroman, there is no question that he now has a big decision to make with the two-time All-Star. This is especially so if tension continues to rise.
In 30 appearances last season with the Yankees, Stroman had a 10-9 record, a 4.31 ERA, and 113 strikeouts.
