Aaron Boone spoke with the media today, revealing that the Yankees have named Marcus Stroman their starter for their Spring Training opener on Friday against the Rays.
The Yankees have shopped the right-hander in trade conversations all winter as he’s owed $18.3 million this season and also has a vesting option for the 2026 season. Whether he ends up getting traded or not remains to be seen, but no one has jumped out to try and land the veteran starter during this saga.
It has been an awkward saga for the Yankees, but the two parties are committed to keeping this as professional as possible, with the team knowing an injury could come up at any moment in the rotation. If the team is able to find a trade partner though, the money freed up could be applied to other areas on the roster, with the infield being a position of need.
Marcus Stroman Gets the Spring Opener, Yankees Working Through Awkward Position
When the Yankees inked Marcus Stroman to a two-year deal, they did so with the hopes that he would be a middle-of-the-rotation starter who could anchor their rotation. Instead, the team pulled the plug on his season in September, giving him a role as a long reliever in the postseason which ultimately resulted in him not throwing a single inning in their run to the World Series.
Now that the contract has aged poorly, the Yankees are in a situation where they have to either bite the bullet and expand to a six-man rotation, trade Stroman, or have an injury that opens up a spot for the right-hander. Given that the Yankees would clearly rather have their current starting five than Marcus Stroman, a trade where they can free up payroll and invest both at third base and in their rotation depth chart would be ideal.
Right now the team has a four-way battle at third base between Oswaldo Cabrera, DJ LeMahieu, Oswald Peraza, and Jorbit Vivas, and their rotation depth chart would be seriously impacted by moving Stroman as Will Warren would become the sixth starter.
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Carlos Carrasco and JT Brubaker are veteran starters who could make an appearance at the Major League level this year if a starter goes down as well, but the Yankees might feel more comfortable adding another Minor League signing. As for third base, the team would probably want to at least bring in a bat capable of platooning with Oswaldo Cabrera, who has proven to be their best bet between that four-man group.
The Yankees want to avoid having a situation where they’ve got a black hole at third base, as they’ve felt the effects of having a position provide absolutely nothing in the past. Left field in 2023 and first base in 2024 weren’t just bad, they were some of the worst position groups the Yankees have ever had, and they cannot repeat the same mistake in 2025 if they hope to win the World Series.
Moving Marcus Stroman would open the door for that, but they could also put themselves at risk of having an incomplete rotation if another name went down with injury. The Yankees are hoping to find a trade for Stroman and he hopes to have a rotation spot at the Major League level, adamantly stating he won’t pitch out of the bullpen, but these two sides may not have a choice if fate strikes during Spring Training and someone goes down.