Ex-Yankees Bust Marcus Stroman Sinks to a Humiliating New Low

Way back when he arrived at spring training, then-New York Yankees pitcher Marcus Stroman quickly established that he didn’t intend to pitch out of the bullpen.

Luckily for Stroman, he won’t need to worry about being a reliever for the Yankees this October. In fact, it sure looks like Stroman won’t be sitting in anyone’s bullpen anytime soon.

The Yankees released Stroman, an 11-year vet in the second season of a two-year, $37 million deal, on Aug. 1 following a frantic trade deadline. Stroman’s departure came less than 24 hours after allowing four runs over five innings in a victory over the Tampa Bay Rays.

Interestingly, no teams have added Stroman ahead of the postseason. He remains unsigned only days before the Sept. 1 playoff eligibility deadline, which is both Stroman’s newest low and an ominous sign regarding the rest of his career.

Has Marcus Stroman Pitched His Final MLB Game?

In fairness, we’re not too surprised that Stroman is still a free agent. The Yankees moved Stroman to the bullpen last September and intended to keep him there before injuries forced him back into the rotation.

However, Stroman failed to take advantage and posted a 6.23 ERA and a 26-16 K-BB ratio across 36 innings. Most concerningly, Stroman’s 1.4 home runs and 3.7 walks per nine innings rates marked the worst of his career.

The 34-year-old Stroman also had a negative reputation among Yankees fans for a perceived bad attitude and immaturity. Social media users specifically took umbrage with Stroman’s refusal to become a reliever after the Yankees landed former Atlanta Braves standout Max Fried in free agency.