Yankees $37 Million All-Star Sends Strong Message To Aaron Boone on Surprise Demotion

Gamecocks coach Shane Beamer mentioned on TV at halftime that Sellers had injured his ankle. When asked about the impact on his offense, he acknowledged the setback but expressed confidence in his backups, Robby Ashford and Davis Beville.

Meanwhile, in Major League Baseball, the Yankees have taken a three-game lead in the American League East thanks to a three-game winning streak and an Orioles slump, positioning them well for a deep playoff run. However, they face a challenge in finalizing their pitching rotation for the postseason.

Despite having a deep pool of potential starters, each has significant issues that could affect their rotation spot. Gerrit Cole, the ace and most experienced playoff pitcher, will start Game 1 but comes with an injury concern after missing most of the season with an arm issue. Following Cole, the rotation remains uncertain. Nestor Cortes, who began the season as the Opening Day starter, recently transitioned to a long-relief role. Meanwhile, Marcus Stroman is shifting to the bullpen, a change Boone noted was met more positively by Stroman than Cortes.

Marcus Stroman’s Message to Aaron Boone

 

 

From a post by Yankees beat writer Bryan Hoch of MLB.com, Boone commented on Stroman’s demotion, noting that Stroman responded to the bullpen move with a positive attitude, unlike Cortes, who was less pleased about his shift to a relief role.

“Stro has been so good for us and so good in the room. He’s all about that team in there and all about the guys in there. 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 has generally performed well for the Yankees this season. He has made 28 starts—third-most on the team—and holds a 10-8 record with a 4.08 ERA. This is comparable to his previous season, during which he was an All-Star with a 10-9 record for the Cubs before signing a two-year, $37 million deal with the Yankees.

Stroman started the season strongly, with a 6-2 record and a 2.82 ERA through his first 14 starts. However, his performance has since declined, with a 4-6 record and a 5.50 ERA in his subsequent appearances.

Boone mentioned that Stroman’s shift to the bullpen isn’t necessarily a permanent move and that he could still be considered for a starting role in the playoffs.

“I’ll try to put him in the best position, make sure we try to communicate well with him,” Boone said, via the New York Post. “He and I spoke [Thursday] about it, nothing is necessarily permanent, but with the off day [coming up Monday], I want to have us go five at least this next turn and maybe the next time around, too. We’ll see.”