Recent history should’ve prevented Yankees from making ALCS roster mistake

Much has been made of Brian Cashman's unwillingness to trade for Marcus Stroman in 2019 as a "playoff difference-maker," then signing him five years later ... only to deemphasize him by the time the New York Yankees' playoff run was set to begin. While it's all well and good to snicker at Cash, the reality is that Stroman was still worth his contract in 2024, whether he makes a postseason impact or not.

154 2/3 innings and 0.7 bWAR represent value for a contender seeking stability; it's a shame he ran out of gas and velocity as the summer wore on, but Stroman was a source of the fiery energy the Yankees were seeking throughout the season's early months. He made a joyful imprint on this campaign.

That doesn't mean the Yankees have to be loyal to him come October, though.

Stroman won't be one of the four starters moving forward (knock on wood), but was chosen for the ALCS roster once the short ALDS had concluded. The Yankees need a long man they're hoping never to go to, and given his lifelong fandom and propensity for intensity, it might as well be Stroman.

But ... are we sure they shouldn't have given more consideration to Cody Poteet and his slow heartbeat, who rocked both the Guardians and the Yankees' potential World Series opponents to sleep earlier this season?

Yankees should've given Cody Poteet more consideration for Marcus Stroman's ALCS roster spot

While those dominant big-league outings have receded into the annals of "April through June" (a simpler time, a dog-barking-filled time), Poteet's recent rehab work was also up to snuff.

Double-A is Double-A and all that, but he certainly seemed to be locking in after an extended recovery.

And, remember, Poteet wouldn't have been needed for five or six innings. If your fear is that he'd probably only be able to be reliably counted on for two or three frames ... that's no problem. That's all he'd be asked to cover, like the Guardians' change-of-pace artist Pedro Avila in Game 1. Staunch the bleeding. Hand the ball to the high-leverage guys, if you can. Just help us.

Poteet has less of a history with the Yankees, and at the MLB level in general, but he also seems to bring less volatility to the table. Given that Stroman will likely only be called upon if a game is in danger of getting out of hand, it would've been nice to see Poteet's steady hand.

Of course, the Yankees also might be saving Stroman for strictly unsalvageable games, at this point, a thankless role (and, assuredly, one that he doesn't really deserve).