Blue Jays’ Stroman vents after losing arbitration
Pitcher motivated to prove team wrong, will earn $6.5M
DUNEDIN, Fla. (AP) — 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 thick-skinned so it will only fuel the fire,” he added. “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 right-hander, Stroman is eligible for free agency after the 2020 season. He is open to negotiating a multiyear contract.
“I can’t express to you, honestly, how much I love the city of Toronto, how much I love the country of Canada,” Stroman said. “I want to be here and I want to be here long-term. I just want to feel like I’m wanted here.”
NEW ARRIVAL
Left-hander Jaime Garcia arrived at training camp, a day after agreeing to a one-year contract that guaranteed him $10 million.
The 31-year-old is 67-55 in his big league career with a 3.69 ERA in 185 games. He is projected to be part of a rotation that includes Stroman, Aaron Sanchez, Marco Estrada and J.A. Happ.
“I’m healthy, I’m ready to compete,” Garcia said. “I believe that the best of my career is yet to come.”
Toronto opens the season at home to the New York Yankees from March 29 to April 1.