Aaron Boone, Marcus Stroman talk about starter’s Yankees role
TAMPA — Aaron Boone at least acknowledged that the situation has the potential to be “awkward” this spring for Marcus Stroman.
But with the Yankees veteran entering camp as a trade candidate and the likely odd man out of the rotation if the top five starters stay healthy, Stroman had a conversation with Boone on Tuesday morning that the manager left feeling good about.
“I’m more than comfortable with the conversation I had with Marcus today and where his mental preparation is, where I think he is physically,” Boone said Tuesday after pitchers and catchers reported to George M. Steinbrenner Field. “We’re in a good spot. He certainly understands the situation. I’m sure he’s heard some of the things this winter. You can’t control everything. … Going out there and doing your job at a high level has a way of quieting some of those things.
“The bottom line is we’re getting him ready to pitch.”
Left unsaid was where or in what role Stroman will be pitching, though it would take only one injury to a member of the Yankees rotation for the right-hander to become an important factor again.
Boone said Stroman did not ask him what his role would be this year, but the manager’s message was essentially to let things work themselves out.
“The situation is what it is,” Boone said. “We have a lot of guys that you would expect to be starting pitchers in the big leagues, Marcus being one of those. … The 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.
“It’s maybe a little bit of an awkward situation, just with all the noise around it this winter, but I’m comfortable with where he is in his focus and physical preparation coming in.”
A year after signing with the Yankees, Stroman is set to make $18 million this season and will trigger an $18.3 million option for next year if he pitches 140 innings.
Moving his salary — or at least part of it — could allow the Yankees to get under the highest luxury tax threshold (which they are currently projected to exceed by about $4 million), but so far they have yet to find a taker for him.
In the meantime, Stroman arrived at camp on Tuesday coming off a season in which he posted a 4.31 ERA across 154 ²/₃ innings — though he had a 5.97 ERA over his final 14 outings, which bounced him to the bullpen by September and left him out of action in the postseason.
“The biggest thing right now is making sure we’re getting Marcus ready to roll,” Boone said, “and hopefully play a big role for us.”
