Aaron Boone won't love deleted Marcus Stroman Instagram story during Yankees workouts

The New York Yankees' pitchers and catchers officially reported for duty on Tuesday, Feb. 11. That included one pitcher who's a Yankee for now, but wouldn't be if both parties had their way: Marcus Stroman.

He showed up after, through no fault of his own, his $18 million salary (which the Yankees agreed to!) hamstrung and capped their spending on the back half of the offseason. Stroman took his physical on Tuesday and appeared in a Yankees arrival video on Instagram. Then, as his agent told the team would be the case, he opted not to report again for workouts; he, according to the collective bargaining agreement, isn't required to do so until Feb. 22.

For now, his locker is empty. There's apparently some gum in there.

On Thursday, as Aaron Boone answered questions about Stroman's "awkward" arrival (oops!) and how the team is getting him ready to pitch (they quite literally aren't), the right-hander posted a photo indicating that he was on a boat. Whether it was a Floridian boat or a Californian boat is undetermined.

Yankees starting pitcher Marcus Stroman isn't at workouts, but is riding a boat in deleted Instagram story

Let's be clear: It is fully Stroman's right to be on a boat right now. He doesn't have to be at workouts for nine more days. The Yankees' own hubris has cut them off at the head in this situation. They publicly made it clear they were begging for a Stroman trade. For weeks. They couldn't find anyone who would bail them out of the salary they agreed to, so ... he's here. In eight days. But not now.

It's not Stroman's fault the Yankees decided to use his mutually agreed upon salary to cap their own spending. It's not Stroman's issue if the Yankees would rather he be at camp than on a boat; he doesn't legally have to listen to them. He's not "being a bad teammate" if the Yankees refused to hold up their end of the bargain all winter long.

Because of New York's inability to get (what they considered to be) the most consequential move of the offseason across the finish line in time (or at all), the narrative surrounding the team as they report to defend their AL pennant is that there's a disgruntled No. 6 starter out to sea. The narrative at Red Sox camp? They just signed Alex Bregman, and they're coming for you.

It hurts to be the king. It stinks to be the circus. But it'd be nice if the king also, you know, won rings sometimes amid the cacophony.