Blue Jays fans: Marcus Stroman or Randal Grichuk?

If the Blue Jays had to choose between Marcus Stroman and Randal Grichuk, who would they choose?

Yesterday, former MLB player Aubrey Huff posted a tweet bashing Marcus Stroman for being a bad teammate as a member of the Blue Jays. Huff said that during a workout session in Spring Training in 2019, Stroman got the Jays strength coach to kick 30 minor league players out of the room so he could use the rope. That tweet was liked by Randal Grichuk, which caught the attention of Marcus Stroman who went on to bash him.

As part of the tweet, Stroman said “Ask YOUR teammates and Canada who they rather have on their team…you or me.” As a fan of the Blue Jays, it got me thinking: If I had to choose between Grichuk or Stroman, who would I choose?

When Stroman was a member of the Blue Jays, he embraced Toronto like no other. He talked about how much he loved the city, he was seen at many Raptors games, and even got Toronto’s skyline tatted on his stomach, which he eventually covered up.

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On the field, Stroman’s performance with the Jays was inconsistent. There was 2017 where he posted a 3.09 ERA, but there were also times like 2018 where he finished with an ERA of 5.54. In total with the Blue Jays, Stroman was 47-45 with a 3.76 ERA. He was eventually shipped out at the 2019 deadline to the New York Mets for two pitching prospects, Simeon Woods Richardson and Anthony Kay.

Since coming over to Toronto in a trade with the St.Louis Cardinals in January 2018, Grichuk has slashed .238/.289/.476 with 56 HR. Just at the start of last season, he was given a five year, $52 million extension that keeps him under team control until 2023.

Stroman is known for his big personality. While he gives it his all out on the field, there are times where he’s gone overboard. In 2018, he went after Chicago White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson after he struck him out, which resulted in the benches clearing scuffle. Former Red Sox manager Alex Cora once commented how people don’t like the way Stroman plays the game.

When Stroman got traded, there were rumours that he made a public display of his displeasure in the clubhouse after receiving the news. Despite this, there have been stories of Stroman being a good teammate as a member of the Blue Jays, specifically to the rookies.

It’s a good thing that Stroman and Grichuk are no longer teammates, as if Stroman was still a member of the Jays and Grichuk liked that tweet, things would have been really awkward between them and for the rest of the team. This story only makes things more interesting when the Blue Jays and Mets are set to square off from September 11th-13th.

If you had to choose between having one of Randal Grichuk or Marcus Stroman, who would you choose?