Unbelievable: The ‘awkward’ statement made by Aaron Boone on the Marcus Stroman trade rumors
“A good mental place” is how Aaron Boone describes Marcus Stroman.
Marcus Stroman is expected to join the New York Yankees’ pitching staff at the start of the 2025 season, however this was not a given over the winter due to trade speculations.
Speaking to the media on Tuesday as Spring Training began, Yankees manager Aaron Boone was pleased with the 33-year-old veteran’s attitude.
According to Brendan Kuty of The Athletic, Boone stated, “Maybe a little bit of an awkward situation just with all the noise around it this winter.” “However, I’m at ease with his current level of concentration and his physical readiness.”
With a 2.82 ERA through June 11 of the previous season, Stroman got off to a solid start. However, he struggled after that, finishing with a 5.88 ERA. The Yankees reportedly wanted to move him to shift that expense somewhere because he had two years and $36.5 million remaining on his deal.
Boone stated, “The situation is what it is.” “Marcus is one of the many guys you would anticipate being starting pitchers in the major leagues.” I saw him today. We had a good talk with him today. He seems to be in a pleasant state of mind. Physically, he is prepared to leave. The main thing is that we are preparing him to pitch.
The condition of the Yankees’ starting lineup
The Yankees have six starting pitchers going into Spring Training, most likely competing for five places. Stroman may start in the bullpen in 2025 after his subpar final stretch performance the previous season.
On Opening Day, Gerrit Cole will start for the sixth time, barring injury. He remains the ace. Max Fried is guaranteed a position in the rotation after the Yankees acquired him in the winter to create a potent one-two punch. Following a season with the Atlanta Braves in which he pitched to a 3.25 ERA over 174.1 innings, the left-hander is a two-time All-Star.
Clarke Schmidt, Luis Gil, and Carlos Rodon have also returned. Despite having a rough postseason, Rodon recovered well from an injury-plagued first season with pinstripes, going 16-9 with a 3.96 ERA in 2024. Gil, the current American League Rookie of the Year, just finished his first complete season with a 3.50 ERA in 151.2 innings pitched while striking out more than 10 hitters per nine innings.
A bit more of a wild card is Schmidt. Despite missing June, July, and August due to an injury, he was outstanding throughout the first two months of 2024. When he reappeared, he was less reliable, however it shouldn’t be taken too seriously.
Stroman may be the odd man out to start if all five of them are healthy. However, injuries do occur. Inefficiency occurs. Stroman will have his chance in 2025, regardless of where he begins the season.
