The time is nearing for Marcus Stroman, who will soon pitch in Spring Training with the New York Yankees in a sort of test to see how ready he is to be a starter. It’s worth noting that weeks ago, Marcus Stroman made it clear that he didn’t want to be a reliever and that his sole focus is as a starter.

Stroman will start Friday’s game against the Rays at Steinbrenner Field, manager Aaron Boone said Wednesday, putting the potential odd man out of the Yankees’ rotation right into the spotlight. The veteran right-hander has not faced hitters since arriving at camp on Friday, but had done so beforehand and will just throw one inning on Friday.

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The Yankees could make Stroman part of the trade package to get Nolan Arenado. The Cardinals are rebuilding and have a lot of pitchers on expiring contracts. If Stroman does not reach 140 innings this year, he will also be a free agent after 2025. They could bring in Stroman, and trade arms like Erick Fedde, Miles Mikolas and Steven Matz.

Here are five New York Yankees pitchers and hitters to keep an eye on as spring training games begin around the country.