Yankees Coach's Telling Comments on $18 Million Veteran's Future Role
Marcus Stroman pitched two innings in a simulated game Saturday before the Yankees took on the Los Angeles Dodgers. He threw 33 pitches against live hitters and while manager Aaron Boone called it 'really sharp,' a potential return to the Yankees rotation is more uncertain than ever.
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Pitching coach Matt Blake's comments were telling.
'We've got five starters currently, so you're starting to talk about roster decisions,' Blake told MLB.com's Bryan Hoch. 'You want to give yourself as much information as possible to get to that point and make sure he's ready to go. Then we'll have a better idea of where it all fits together.'
Stroman, unhappy with the trade rumors that swirled around him last winter, made it clear that he refuses to fit in the bullpen.
He came into this season as an extra after the Yankees could not find a trading spot for him, but became part of the starting five when injuries hit the rotation. Without Gerrit Cole (Tommy John surgery), Luis Gil (strained lat) and Clarke Schmidt, who was slow getting ready this spring, Stroman became a fourth starter.
New York Yankees starting pitcher Marcus StromanVincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
But Stroman's 2025 has been rough, with an 11.57 ERA in limited starts before he went on the injured list with knee inflammation.
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The Yankees have managed, even improved, without him. Ryan Yarbrough has stepped in as the fifth starter and done an admirable job. Schmidt is back healthy and rookie Will Warren has started to establish himself.
With a vesting option for 2026 in Stroman's contract, the Yankees caught a break with his extended time on the injured list. He needs 140 innings pitched this season for the $18.5 option to kick in. Without that option, Stroman could be more attractive as a veteran innings eater in a trade – if he's healthy.
After speculation in a column from the New York Post's Joel Sherman earlier this month questioning Stroman's Yankees future, it seems more and more likely that he may never pitch for the Yankees again.
Blake was cautious: 'We're building the pitch count up a little bit, making sure the knee is responding well.' But this slow grind and a full spring-like rebuild in the middle of the season suggest the Yankees aren't banking on a quick fix.
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Related: Yankees Announce Giancarlo Stanton News Before Dodgers Series
Related: Dad Says Cody Bellinger's Dodgers Title Was Great But Yankees Pinstripes Mean More
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 1, 2025, where it first appeared.
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