The New York Yankees will have some tough decisions to make when it comes to the postseason roster.
Holding a 0.5-game lead over the Baltimore Orioles for the top spot in the division entering Wednesday, the Yankees' sole focus will be on winning the AL East for the third time in Aaron Boone's tenure.
Where the Yankees end up in the postseason race will determine how they go about constructing the roster, but one starter finds himself in danger of not being included.
Given that a five-man rotation isn't used in the postseason, right-handed pitcher Marcus Stroman could be the odd-man out if the Yankees win the division, according to Chris Kirschner of The Athletic .
"If the Yankees win the division, Stroman could find himself off the roster for the first round. He does not have elite stuff that would play up out of the bullpen, and he consistently mentions how process-oriented and routine-focused he is as a starter. Coming out of the bullpen would disrupt his process and routine," Kirschner wrote.
Should the Yankees fail to win the division, Kirschner argues a fourth starter would be needed to likely start Game 1 of the division series if the wild-card series goes all three games.
While Stroman has showcased some much-needed leadership, his struggles on the field have become a liability. In his 16 starts since June 1, Stroman has a 5.35 ERA with 54 strikeouts, 31 walks and a 1.62 WHIP across 79 innings.
The Yankees are 9-7 in the games he has pitched during that span.
Among 58 qualified starting pitchers this season, Stroman's 17% strikeout rate ranks third-worst in Major League Baseball while his 7.6% strikeout-to-walk ratio is the lowest across MLB.
With a six-man rotation right now, the Yankees have to make a decision when it comes to Stroman, Luis Gil, Clarke Schmidt and Nestor Cortes.
Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodon are the likely 1-2 punch to begin a series. Gil seems locked in as the No. 3 starter while Schmidt just returned from a three-month stint on the injured list.
Cortes has struggled with consistency this season, but he does bring value as an asset to the bullpen with his command from the left side — regardless of his feelings on the matter .
If Schmidt picks up where he left off in terms of his breakout, it's hard to argue that Stroman or Cortes deserve the final rotation spot.
Schmidt does have bullpen experience so the Yankees could transition him there, but he's been extremely valuable as a starter this season.
It will be interesting to see how the Yankees decide to navigate this situation because putting their full trust in Stroman during the postseason is a massive risk given the way he's thrown.
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