Stroman unhappy after losing in arbitration

DUNEDIN, Fla. Toronto pitcher Marcus Stroman met with Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins on Friday, a day after the 26-year old right-hander’s salary arbitration loss triggered him to vent on Twitter.

Stroman received a raise from $3.4 million to $6.5 million instead of his $6.9 million request.

“The negative things that were said against me, by my own team, will never leave my mind,” Stroman tweeted Thursday. “I’m thickskinned so it will only fuel the fire. Can’t wait for this year!”

A year earlier, he beat the Blue Jays in arbitration and received a raise from $515,900. Toronto had submitted a $3.1 million figure.

“It has nothing to do with the money at all why I was upset,” Stroman said Friday. “Sitting in a room hearing how bad you are for five hours, I’m upset because I had to go through the process again. I may have been wrong for taking it to Twitter. I’m sorry if I vented my frustration the wrong way. It’s an extremely tough process.”

Stroman went 13-9 with a 3.09 ERA last year. He struck out 164, two shy of his career high, and walked 62 in 201 innings.

“At this point, it’s over with,” Stroman said. “We’re moving on. I’m excited for opening day. I can’t wait to pitch against the Yankees, I’ll tell you that.”

A 26-year-old righthander, Stroman is eligible for free agency after the 2020 season. He is open to negotiating a multiyear contract.