The New York Yankees’ Marcus Stroman came to the spring training right after he missed two days of the workout sessions. While Stroman didn’t show up as quickly as everyone else, he also denied pitching out of the bullpen, and in response, top insider Jim Bowden has asked for some changes to be implemented in the spring training routine. Think that makes sense?

The 33-year-old right-hander’s name has emerged in trade rumors the offseason since the New York Yankees traded their lefty, Nestor Cortes, to acquire Devin Williams. As per stats given by Spotrac, the Yankees were at approximately $293 million in tax, so trading Stroman could have provided them financial relief for moving beyond the luxury tax threshold. So, what changes can one expect to the spring training?

Stroman missing the spring training demands some changes

The New York Yankees’ pitcher, Marcus Stroman, hadn’t had the best of seasons with the Bronx Bombers, who tried their best to trade him but were unable to find any takers. Stroman went 10-9 with a 4.31 ERA, 113 strikeouts, and 60 walks in 154 2/3 innings, which wasn’t satisfactory at all. Now, with his absence from the spring training in the first two days, things have become much more complex, as on February 15, top MLB insider Jim Bowden said on the Foul Territory, “You are not going to show up with the pitchers and catchers for a couple of days because you want to make a point, like, really, in this day and age, you want to do that? I mean, first of all, I can’t stand the mandatory reporting date because it gives players the flexibility to come whenever they want.”

Jim Bowden believed that the mandatory reporting date should be changed, as it gave players more flexibility to be present at the spring training at whatever time they want, which shouldn’t be happening. He even went on to say that the Players Association must come forward, discuss with the clubs, and set a specific time when the team wants every player to be present at the same time and place. Although, as per the CBA rules, Marcus Stroman didn’t need to be at the camp before February 22, and his absence from the spring training remains a major controversy that surrounds him currently.

The Yankees have some major plans for Marcus Stroman

Right after Marcus Stroman’s statement of not pitching in the bullpen, considering him as a starter multiple times, the New York Yankees seem uninterested to consider that. The Yankees boast of five starters, including Max Fried, Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodon, Luis Gil, and Clarke Schmidt; a bullpen role for Stroman looks possible in case he isn’t traded to another team. The Yankees aren’t looking to go with a similar approach of a six-man rotation like the New York Mets and the Los Angeles Dodgers, but their manager, Aaron Boone, has some other plans for Stroman. What is it?

Well, Aaron Boone is hopeful of training Marcus Stroman to become an effective starting pitcher, and with various challenges coming up, they would like to tackle those properly. Stroman also talked about being healthy and able to carry out more than 30 starts every year at his age of 33 years, which seems quite impressive, isn’t it? While there was no mandatory rule for him to be there at the spring training before February 22, he still made it to the spring training on February 14, Valentine’s Day, and hoped to make his presence count too. 

What, according to you, should be the changes to be done in the spring training, and did Marcus Stroman do the right thing by missing the first two days? Let us know in the comment section below.