Separating truth from friction
Stroman calls post-trade blowup an ‘exit meeting;’ Atkins swears Jays pitched extension
Authentic: The genuine article, real, true.
A word that Marcus Stroman used thrice during a conference call with reporters on Monday, on each occasion in reference to himself. But I wonder. I disbelieve. There was that time, earlier this season, when the now ex-Blue Jays ace went ballistic when manager Charlie Montoyo came out to remove him from the bump. Afterwards, with a straight face, Stroman offered a revisionist account to media about what had happened, his conduct. All cool, no dispute with the skipper, no disrespect. Although evidence to the contrary was obvious.
There was that time when he engaged in a vicious dispute with a TV reporter over a benign question. Uh-uh, Stroman insisted later, he hadn’t been pointlessly rude and bullying. It was like the incident had never occurred to his way of magical thinking.
There was that time, many times this year, when Stroman insisted his heart’s desire was to remain a Blue Jay, although his actions and comments often portrayed the reverse sentiment.
And there was that time, just this past Sunday, when Stroman went vociferously furious inside the clubhouse upon learning he’d been traded to the sad-sack New York Mets rather than the Yankees or the Astros, where scuttlebutt had predicted he’d land.
Before blowing past a huddle of reporters who’d been left cooling their heels outside the locked doors, denied routine post-game access to the inner sanctum.
Quick-stepped down the stairwell to his car. A Hummer, I think, but don’t hold me to it.
Presented with the fact that several had overheard the commotion, Stroman’s angry voice, he couldn’t quite deny the incident. Yet he dissembled anyway. “I know how the rumour mill works.” Rumours my fanny. “The commotion was a discussion that I had with some of our coaches, some of the higher-ups in our org, kind of just like an exit meeting,” Stroman claimed Monday, down the blower. “I was just kind of voicing my opinion. I didn’t like how a couple of things were handled along the process. That was it. It had nothing to do with the Mets at all. Like I said, it all hit me kind of quick. Once that settled down and I talked to my family, it all settled in. To be back home, to be pitching in New York, is going to be an amazing time.”
Nobody was elaborating Monday about what transpired behind those sealed doors in Stroman’s final minutes as a Blue Jay. The thing is, the 28-year
old Long Island native would have been entirely within his rights to be displeased about the trade and frustrated by how events unfolded through these recent weeks when he and the franchise became ever more deeply estranged, sickened of each other.
Stroman wouldn’t say that, though, preferring scattershot fusillades on social media. He also clearly needed to retreat, with New York reporters on the line (if he thinks Toronto media is harsh, he hasn’t seen anything yet) from any suggestion that he was gutted about becoming a Met, a team six games out of a wild-card spot as of this writing.
“No frustration,’’ Stroman continued. “Nothing but positive times, man. I’ll do nothing but look back on these times and just be grateful for them all, to be honest with you.”
Then immediately contradicted himself. “The frustration is something that happens in an instant and it’s kind of gone in an instant.”
Repeated attempts draw out what Stroman meant about disliking how some of his matters were handled by the brass and went nowhere. “I’ve addressed this question multiple times.” Well, no you didn’t, not specifics. “No, I answered it. Like I said, I have no hard feelings towards anyone.”
I’ll buy that, if only Stroman would ever own it, the jagged edges, the tempestuous nature, all the Sybil personalities that flash through his outward mannerisms. Because they often seem a roiling vortex of demons.
Instead, Stroman wraps himself in an exculpatory clock of emotionalism and passion because those are good qualities.
Frankly, the deceit cuts both ways. Jays management has hardly been forthright about the dim view they’ve adopted toward Stroman for quite some time. Of course, it would not be advantageous for general manager Ross Atkins to have provided a sincere character assessment about the tightly wound starter while simultaneously stroking his assets to potential trade partners — eight teams interested, culled to four in recent days.
“It’s an emotional time,” Atkins said, dodging a query about Stroman’s immediate reaction to the trade.
But why couldn’t the Jays move forward with Stroman remaining in the fold, when he’s been their best starter this year? It wasn’t just Stroman who was shocked unspeechless. The entire baseball world was taken aback, with many expressing the view that Toronto’s return was poor, considering what was given up. Heck, the dysfunctional Mets are actually being applauded for “brilliance” in pulling off a deal, giving up only two pitching prospects who don’t rate in the top 100 as per Baseball America.
It was hoped Atkins would hit a home run, swapping Toronto’s most glittery asset. At best, at this moment, it’s a long single.
“It’s not that he’s not a good fit,” Atkins demurred, about Stroman’s place within the culture the franchise is trying to promote on a reconstituted club. “I wouldn’t say that. If there was a way for him to be a part of it, and we certainly did work towards that.”
At that point, the tortured quote disappeared up its own rectum.
But why the twain never shall meet was illustrated by a fundamental difference over whether Stroman had ever been approached about extending his contract beyond the year and a half still remaining. The player is adamant that never happened. The GM parsed and hedged and split his infinitives.
“My discussions with him about (that) were always very, very brief,” Atkins said, adding that most of those conversations were with Stroman’s agent, Brodie Scoffield, which would be normal.
“I had discussions with Scoffield as (late) as yesterday. Three days prior to that. Multiple times over the past couple of weeks. At least once a week over the last couple of months. And over the last year, at least once a month, interacting with Scoffield and talking about the potential of this. It felt as though that gap was too big for us to continue to have those discussions.” A gap on term and money. “Total value is really what it comes down to. That’s all I’ll say.”
Someday, presumably, the truth of it will filter out. Meanwhile, we forage in the margins of clashing narratives.
For a little man, Marcus Stroman still casts a long shadow.