New York Yankees’ Marcus Stroman Addresses Move to Bullpen

Two-time All-Star starter Marcus Stroman was moved to the New York Yankees’ bullpen on Sept. 13, where he has remained since.

Sep 17, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; New York Yankees relief pitcher Marcus Stroman (0) throws against the Seattle Mariners during the eighth inning at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images / Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

When Marcus Stroman signed a two-year, $37 million deal with the New York Yankees this offseason, the expectation was that the 2023 All-Star would help anchor the top of the rotation. But as the postseason approaches, those expectations have shifted. 

On Sept. 13, Yankees manager Aaron Boone announced that Stroman would be moving to the bullpen. Though Boone noted, “nothing is permanent,” Stroman has remained in the relief role through two turns of the rotation.

In Tuesday night’s 11-2 win over Seattle, Stroman pitched the final three innings, recording his first save since 2014, and the second of his career.

He opened up on his new role in an exclusive interview with The Athletic’s Brendan Kuty on Friday, published in an article Saturday. 

“I have no ego nowadays, man,” Stroman told Kuty. “I know how much I’ve contributed to this team to get to this point, and I’m open to doing whatever they need me to do to help continue to contribute.” 

Stroman, 33, went 10-8 with a 4.07 ERA, 1.43 WHIP and a staff-low 6.7 K/9 over 28 starts before moving to the bullpen. His performance dipped following the All-Star break, where he posted a 3-4 record and a 5.40 ERA in nine starts, compared to his 7-4 record and 3.51 ERA in 19 starts prior to the break.

He was ultimately overtaken in the rotation by Nestor Cortes Jr., who also had a stint in the bullpen a week earlier, as well as promising young right-handers Luis Gil and Clarke Schmidt, who returned from the injured list. 

As of Saturday afternoon, Stroman’s three-inning save against the Mariners on Sept. 17 remains his lone bullpen appearance for New York. In that outing, he allowed one run on five hits, with no walks, striking out three over 64 pitches. It marked the ninth relief appearance of his 10-year major league career. 

The 5-foot-7 right-hander said Boone was “open and honest” when he explained the decision to move him to the bullpen with the playoffs approaching. A week earlier, Boone indicated that the two-time All-Star took the news well. 

“He’s all about that team in there and all about the guys in there,” Boone said on Sept. 13. “Basically, his message to me is, ‘Whatever you need, and I’ll be ready to go.’ I think he just wants to be part of a winner.” 

Stroman showed a similar attitude in 2023, when he accepted a bullpen role with the Cubs to demonstrate he was healthy enough to contribute to the team’s playoff push. He even pitched on back-to-back days for the first time in his career after a surprising return from the injured list. At the time, Stroman told reporters he was “excited” to be a weapon out of the bullpen, despite his accomplished résumé as a starter. 

With the Yankees on the verge of clinching the AL East title at 90-64 with eight games remaining, Stroman may find himself on the outside of the postseason rotation. However, the Medford, New York native still has the opportunity to play a crucial role in long relief, whether it be piggybacking starters early on in games or closing out blowouts this October.