Blue Jays: Mark Shapiro not bothered by Stroman’s tweets

Blue Jays President and CEO Mark Shapiro isn’t bothered by Marcus Stroman’s criticism of the organization.

Though there appears to be some internal conflict between the Blue Jays front office and starting pitcher Marcus Stroman, the team’s President and CEO, the always well-spoken Mark Shapiro, doesn’t appear to be bothered by it.

In a conversation with The Athletic’s John Lott (and other reporters), Shapiro said that Stroman is “the kind of player we want in our clubhouse”, mainly because “he’s highly competitive, highly athletic, and has been a big part of what we’ve accomplished here over the last 4-5 years”.

Shapiro went on to say that he wants “players to feel free to say what they believe and what they think”, adding that “the player can say anything they want”.

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Of course, Shapiro’s comments are rather predictable considering his position with the organization and his complicated relationship with Stroman, who recently was very vocal about the organization not offering him a contract extension.

Still, it’s good that Shapiro (and his front office) are cognizant of the issues in the team. While Stroman might not be a member of the organization for long, maintaining a good relationship with him (and the rest of the team’s young core) is vital.

Stroman, who turns 28 in May, pitched to an ERA of 5.54 in 2018 over 102.1 innings, striking out 77 and walking 36. A native of Medford, New York, Stroman was drafted by the Blue Jays in the 1st round of the 2012 draft and has been with the major league team since 2014.

The prime subject of some recent trade rumours, Stroman has reportedly caught the eye of the Cinncinati Reds, the San Diego Padres, and some other unnamed teams who are seeking to upgrade their starting rotation before the start of the 2019 season.