Marcus Stroman not at Yankees' workouts for pitchers and catchers yet

TAMPA, Fla. — The Marcus Stroman situation isn’t quite as settled — or as simple — as the Yankees made it sound earlier this week.

Or, for that matter, continued trying to sell on Thursday.

Stroman, whom the Yankees have spent the winter trying to trade because of their starting pitching surplus and the $18 million he is owed for this season, has been a no-show the first two days of workouts for pitchers and catchers. The date he plans to be in uniform is not clear.

The righthander is taking advantage of a clause in the collective bargaining agreement that says players are not required to be on the field for spring training until Feb. 22, when workouts officially become mandatory. The workouts technically are voluntary until Feb. 22.

“I certainly get how it all looks with the noise around it this winter, but the reality is, this is something that is under the CBA,” Aaron Boone said Thursday afternoon. “But I do feel like, and I’ve even had communication with him, last night and this morning, that he is ready to go mentally and physically, and hopefully he’ll be here in the next couple of days.”

The optics, Boone acknowledged, are not good, especially considering the circumstances, which boil down to this: Stroman, a starter the vast majority of his career (he’s started in 252 of his 261 career games), currently is without a defined role.

If there are no spring training injuries, the Yankees’ rotation will be composed of Gerrit Cole, Max Fried, Carlos Rodon, Clarke Schmidt and reigning American League Rookie of the Year Luis Gil.

With a guaranteed rotation spot entering last spring training, his first with the Yankees after signing a two-year, $37 million deal, Stroman was on the field with the club’s pitchers and catchers on Day 1.

“I’m not going to speak for him. You can ask him the reasons,” Boone said. “I want him here, obviously, but we also have to respect the rules that are set up.”

Stroman did show up at Steinbrenner Field on Tuesday, report day for pitchers and catchers, and underwent his scheduled physical. A couple of days before the physical, Stroman’s agent, Brodie Van Wagenen, informed general manager Brian Cashman that Stroman would not be taking the field until a to-be-determined date, a source said. The expectation is that the former Patchogue-Medford High School star will take part in workouts at some point before Feb. 22, perhaps as soon as Saturday.

Cashman declined to comment further, and Van Wagenen did not respond to a call or text message seeking comment.

“Nothing to add,” Cashman wrote in a text.

Stroman’s move is not without precedent. For example, Zack Greinke, who went 225-156 with a 3.49 ERA during his 20 years in the majors, delayed arrivals for spring training multiple times late in his career.

Still, context is king, and Stroman’s absence raised eyebrows throughout the organization as well as in the clubhouse because of the uncertainty surrounding his role.

Stroman had an up-and-down first year in pinstripes. After a mostly terrific first half in which he went 7-4 with a 3.51 ERA, he struggled in the second half, going 3-5 with a 5.98 ERA to finish the regular season at 10-9, 4.31.

Stroman, 87-85 with a 3.72 ERA in what has been a solid and at times spectacular 10-year career in the majors, was left off last October’s Division Series roster. He was on the ALCS and World Series rosters but did not appear in a game.

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“My experience with him is he was a really great teammate for us,” Cole said Thursday. “Even in the postseason, he put his work in, he was ready to pitch. I enjoyed being around him.”

Boone, who on Tuesday characterized the situation with a role-less Stroman as “awkward,” said he did not detect any “animus between he and I” and that he expects him to arrive, whenever that is, “ready to compete.”

Boone did not delve into the specifics of his talk with Stroman the day he had his physical, other than to say, “We had a good conversation.”

“This is a guy that’s been an outstanding pitcher in this league for a long time with a lot of pride,” Boone said. “I’m confident and comfortable that he’s ready to come in here to do his job at a high level.”