Outta here
He was gone in a flash, with nothing to say. But it can’t be denied that Marcus Stroman — dealt to the New York Mets for a pair of pitching prospects — gave the best of himself to Toronto
Angry yelling in the clubhouse. Doors closed to the media. Marcus Stroman emerging only to blow past a pack of reporters.
The pitching ace took his leave of the Blue Jays on Sunday pretty much the same way he’d acquitted himself throughout this season, right from spring training. With a fury.
And disrespecting the franchise.
Guess the New York Mets — six games out of a wild-card spot — is not where Stroman expected, or hoped, to land as a trade deadline gaudy bauble. Wrong Big Apple team, after heaps of speculation he’d be Yankees bound.
Even though it’s still close to his Long Island roots.
It was chaos and confusion in the aftermath of a switchback 10-9 loss — seven-run lead evaporating — to the Tampa Bay Rays. Unusually, the club brought starter Aaron Sanchez for his post-game scrum to the formal interview room, rather than the stadium bowel alcove where these media huddles are normally held.
A quite jolly Sanchez, which immediately triggered jokes that Stroman, his former BFF — they don’t speak anymore — was no longer a teammate. And damn if the joshers weren’t right.
Everyone wanted immediate words with Stroman, of course. A beleaguered PR staff couldn’t make it happen, as Stroman disappeared up the stairwell, a civvy liege in tow. “There’s a reason why we kept the clubhouse closed,’’ said PR director Rich Griffin.
“I wasn’t there when he reacted, however he reacted,” Griffin said.
Jays sources did, however, confirm to the Star on Sunday night that Stroman had been dealt to the Mets — not yet MLB officially in the books — thus ending a career-long tenure with the Blue Jays that never lacked for drama, spice, controversy and confrontation.
The 28-year-old right-hander essentially verified the trade himself later on his Instagram account: “Toronto, I love you forever. Will be back plenty in the future. Putting together a proper goodbye tribute. Love you all more than you know!”
He tagged the Blue Jays in the post. And he certainly didn’t board the team charter to Kansas City.
“He’s not going to be on the flight,” Griffin said.
Neither did infielder Eric Sogard, who was on the field Sunday for the national anthems and was then pulled aside by manager Charlie Montoyo, informed that he was now, um, a Ray. Sogard, who didn’t know quite what to do with himself at that point — Go down the tunnel to the visitors’ clubhouse? Immediately swap uniforms? — stayed in the Toronto dugout for a couple of innings before disappearing to pack up.
“It was definitely an interesting scenario,” Sogard said. “I was kind of sitting there thinking what team I should be cheering for, you know what I mean?”
Would have been way cool for Sogard to wear two opposing uniforms in one day, though the opportunity was denied him. “Absolutely. Awesome. It would have been neat to start the game with the Blue Jays, then go over, suit up and finish the game with (the Rays).”
Some 15 minutes before game time was when Sogard learned that he was likely outta here. “Charlie grabbed me, said things were escalating between a couple of teams so he was going to pull me out just to be safe. Just kind of waited it out from there.
“I’m excited to be with a team in contention to make the playoffs. Certainly hope I can bring to them what I’ve done here and help them make the playoffs.”
Adding, of his half-season or so as a Jay: “I absolutely loved it here in Toronto. These young players have been a true joy to be around, to watch them grow each day has been fun.”
One of those young players — eagerly anticipated shortstop Bo Bichette — will be joining the Jays in Kansas City on Monday, sources told the Star. Both Bichette and starter Sean Reid-Foley were pulled from the Triple-A lineup during Buffalo’s 5 p.m. game in Durham.
But Stroman — that was the big get and the even bigger gone on a hectic day at the Rogers Centre.
In return, Toronto obtained a pair of fine young comers in southpaw pitcher Anthony Kay — widely regarded as the Mets’ best pitching prospect, currently at Triple-A — and righty Simeon Woods Richardson, plus cash.
Pressure had been intense on Jays GM Ross Atkins to hit one out of the park this time at the swapping deadline — the dropdead hour is actually 4 p.m. Wednesday — after acquiring little that impressed in exchange for boldface players who departed a year ago, including former MVP Josh Donaldson. Likewise for the cock-up a year previously, a botched handling of beloved Edwin Encarnacion’s fare-thee-well. Toss Troy Tulowitzki — who announced his retirement a few days ago — on that heap of misfires as well, released with the Jays still owing him $38 million.
While Stroman stiffed the Toronto baseball corps one last time, he’s certainly been active over the past fortnight on his social media platforms, variously pumping his own tires as a team-first dude, rejecting accusations that he’d become a toxic element in the clubhouse, and passive-aggressive in his slags toward the franchise. Repeatedly, Stroman has stressed that management clearly had no desire to extend his contract, portraying himself as a true-blue Jay who had no wish to go elsewhere.
That virtue-signalling message, however, has been ofttangled with simultaneous comments Stroman has made — lo these several months — suggesting that, emotionally, he already had one foot out the door and was glad of it.
It’s always been difficult to get a read on the guy because he’s been chirping all over the map. But it can’t be denied that he gave the best of himself to Toronto — even had the Toronto skyline tattooed on his chest — and certainly dug being a Blue Jay, in the best of times and the worst of times.
Wore his heart and his soul on his sleeve, over the top with his mannerisms and competitive zeal on the mound, such that opposing hitters often snarled and jawed — mostly when Stroman struck them out. He never made apologies for any of that.
Wasn’t shy about showing his tightly-wound personality, his bantam strut. Catch him on a good day and he was all charm and graciousness. Catch him on a bad day and, hooboy, you’d want to stick your head in a woodchipper.
Yet he was the starter his managers trusted most for must-win games. A remarkable athlete, Gold Glover, MVP at the World Baseball Classic for Team USA. Thrived on the biggest stages. This season, following a down 2018, Stroman was back in his groove with an earned run average of 2.96 in 21 starts. The win-loss record should have been better than 6-11, if he’d had more run support.
In his last start, a 4-0 loss to Cleveland this past Wednesday, Stroman came off the bump banging his hand to his chest, roaring: “This is my (expletive deleted) house!”
Pity that he didn’t make even more of a Stro Show about it, taking a farewell bow at the only home ballpark he’s known these last half-dozen seasons.
He left his imprint. Now, ready-set-GO.