RULES DON'T STATE WHAT I THOUGHT ABOUT STROMAN'S STANCE

Marcus Stroman is taking a beating today, and honestly, I’m right there with everyone else. A player who refuses to adapt to the team’s needs isn’t just stubborn—he’s a bad teammate in my eyes. Sure, Stroman may get along with his fellow players and the manager, but that doesn’t excuse his rigid stance on being strictly a starter. I respect his confidence, but at some point, he needs to recognize that flexibility is part of the game.

So, I did some digging to see whether a professional athlete can actually refuse to play a position if their contract states otherwise. Turns out, while a player technically has the right to push back, doing so usually comes with serious consequences—think reduced playing time, disciplinary action, or even contract disputes. At the end of the day, the coaching staff has the final say on where a player fits within the team’s strategy. Seems like common sense, right? But of course, Aaron Boone isn’t going to do a thing about it because he's weak.

Instead of stepping in, Boone will likely sit back and wait for Brian Cashman to handle it, whether that means trying to trade Stroman or just cutting ties altogether. That way, Boone keeps his "good guy" image intact. And if you caught Boone’s comments to the media, he was quick to push back on the criticism, saying reporters were "getting ahead of things" for calling out Stroman’s unwillingness to leave the rotation. As a journalist, that stuck with me—because let’s call it what it is: insubordination. Stroman was acting like a petulant child.

And this is exactly why I can't stand Boone. He loves to argue with umpires over balls and strikes, but when it comes to holding his players accountable? Silence. It’s frustrating, but not surprising. After all, this is the same guy who blew out his knee playing pickup basketball right after hitting one of the most iconic home runs against the Red Sox, voiding his contract—only to come back years later and land the Yankees' managerial job. No lessons learned, no consequences. So why would we expect him to challenge Stroman now? Read WHEN AARON BOONE BROKE HIS CONTRACT & MADE IT ALL ABOUT HIM about how I truly feel about this fraud.

But back to Marcus. Here’s the bottom line: Stroman needs to put the team first. If that means he’s the sixth starter, then fine—compete for a spot. But if the Yankees decide he’s not in the rotation, he needs to accept whatever role they give him. Long relief, short relief, clubhouse maintenance—whatever it takes. Getting demoted isn’t easy, but that’s life.

Now, to be fair, Stroman’s teammates have always spoken highly of him. They say he’s a great guy, and maybe he is. But that’s not enough right now. If I’m Marcus Stroman, I swallow my pride and do whatever it takes to help the Yankees win. The ego can wait.

That’s my take.