TAMPA — New York Yankees right-hander Marcus Stroman, the subject of trade rumors in recent months and currently the odd man out of the team's starting rotation, did not participate in the first two spring training workouts, choosing to stay away from camp after reporting for his physical on Tuesday.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone said he «had an idea» that Stroman would miss workouts on Wednesday and Thursday after speaking with the pitcher earlier in the week. Boone said he was in communication with him both Wednesday night and Thursday morning, declining to divulge Stroman's reasoning for the absence.
«I'm not going to speak for him,» Boone said. «You can ask him for the reasons. I want him here, obviously, but we also have to respect the rules that are set up.»
Major League Baseball's collective bargaining agreement stipulates that players are not obligated to report for spring training until Feb. 22. Boone said he anticipates Stroman will join the team in the next couple of days, though he declined to share the specific date.
«He's a prideful player,» Boone said. «He's a guy that's had a great career where it's a little bit of an awkward situation, obviously. So of course I want him here, and I'm trying to keep nudging him to get here. But, again, you also have to respect the fact that this is something players are allowed to do. There's a mandatory date and he's choosing that right now.»
Stroman, 33, does not project to make the Yankees' five-man starting rotation — a group that includes Gerrit Cole, Max Fried, Carlos Rodon, Clarke Schmidt and Luis Gil — and is owed $18.5 million this season with an $18 million player option for 2026 should he log at least 140 innings in 2025. The Yankees, as a result, have tried
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