Former Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Marcus Stroman expressed to the media his unhappiness in the manner in which the front office handled the trade.
Marcus Stroman spoke to the Toronto media this afternoon via a conference call and acknowledged he was front and centre during the alleged clubhouse disturbance yesterday afternoon after being informed of the trade to the Mets.
Stroman stated the commotion was a result of a discussion with the coaches and front office over the way some things were handled. The 28-year-old admittedly voiced his opinions in a moment of frustration, however, there are no hard feelings on either end.
The pitcher also stated that he never saw Shelley Duncan all day yesterday so his demotion is not a result of the clubhouse melee. The Blue Jays have been tight-lipped about the reassignment of their on-field coordinator.
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General Manager Ross Atkins was on Tim and Sid on Sportsnet today and took the high road in regards to Stroman. Atkins advised they would welcome Stroman back with open arms in free agency and that he had discussions with Stroman’s agent multiple times over the last couple of weeks but at the end of the day the gap was too big to come to an agreement on an extension.
At the end of the day, this trade has the feeling of a clubhouse cleansing rather than an inability to come to an agreement. Regardless, Atkins will never shed light on his personal feelings of Stroman or the real reason that precipitated the trade.
The Blue Jays were a zoo of excitement yesterday with the Stroman and Eric Sogard trades, the Duncan demotion, and promotion of Bo Bichette. The Jays have until 4 pm on Wednesday to make any further moves with the likes of Joe Biagini, Ken Giles, and Freddy Galvis all garnering interest.