By Adeniyi Precious 
Marcus Stroman finally showed up at Yankees spring training after missing the first day, but he didn’t exactly smooth things over. Instead, he made it crystal clear that he has no plans to move to the bullpen—a stance that could make trading him even tougher.
The Yankees are heading into the 2025 season with a lot of optimism, despite missing out on Juan Soto, who landed with the Mets. They made up for it by adding some big names like Max Fried, Devin Williams, Cody Bellinger, and Paul Goldschmidt. Still, GM Brian Cashman is looking to tweak the roster before Opening Day, and one move on the table is dealing Stroman.
After a disappointing first season in pinstripes, the two-time All-Star appears to be the odd man out in the rotation. But trading him? That’s proving tricky, and Stroman’s latest comments aren’t helping.
Stroman’s Message: “I’m a Starter, Period.”
In his first media session of spring training, Stroman didn’t hold back:
“I won’t pitch in the bullpen. I’m a starter. That’s me making the most basic, brief statement. Go look at the numbers. How many people can stay healthy and do it 30+ starts year after year? I’m a starter.”
Stroman has always been a fiery competitor, but his attitude has rubbed some people the wrong way over the years. He signed with the Yankees to be a starter, and he’s not budging from that role. That stubbornness could scare off teams that might have been willing to trade for him, especially since he’s still under contract for two more years at $37 million.
If one of the Yankees’ five projected starters goes down with an injury, Stroman could slide right into the rotation. But if everyone stays healthy, things could get pretty awkward in the Bronx.
Cashman still has time to work the phones, but with Stroman digging in his heels, moving him before Opening Day just got a lot harder.