No, there are not plenty of fish in the sea. The pitchers in the free agency market have been sparse, particularly for the New York Yankees. More so after Yoshinobu Yamamoto slipped from their hands. But Brian Cashman made the move to onboard Marcus Stroman which came as a shock to some. Was all the bad-mouthing forgotten?
Well, maybe there is a hidden softer side to Stroman. Sure, he had a falling out with the GM when he wasn’t considered a “difference-maker” back in 2019. And like-so in many more instances. But a snippet from history that read “Keep it down and take your negativity back to your miserable life” actually were words of compassion rather than spite, toward a Yankee, Anthony Volpe. Sounds confusing?
Once Upon a Time Marcus Stroman Revealed His Rare Compassion Toward the Yankees
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Quite contrary to common belief, ‘Stro’ made it loud and clear that he’s got the 22-year-old Bronx Bomber’s back. In April last year, Patrick Hennessy, tweeted something not-so-nice about the 2023 debutant. His “unpopular opinion” was, “Anthony Volpe smiling ear to ear in his postgame interview after the Yankees worst loss of the season really annoys me. That’s when Stroman entered the stage.
Marcus… That’s why you and I will finish with the same number of World Series rings. https://t.co/EloDIRueFC
— Patrick Hennessy (@UnhingedPatrick) April 15, 2023
He was quick to respond with some prickly words. But this time, it was done in defense of the Yankees shortstop. “Patrick…you’re a loser. He hit his first homerun in the big leagues. Something you will never accomplish. Keep it down and take your negativity back to your miserable life.” Maybe the #0 pitcher is not an anti-Yankees after all.
The 32-year-old has grown up adoring the Yankees (then) captain Derek Jeter. Moreover, despite some of his harsh remarks about the mega-franchise previously, he made sure to take some of those critical tweets down. Having said that, is it safe to conclude that Stroman has finally buried the hatchet?
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The fact that he has now signed a deal with New York at the rate of $18 million each season weaves a story with a predictable happy ending. The deal further has a mutual option between the player and the club an added $18 million in the year 2026. The Stroman-Yankees story this offseason has had many back-and-forths. Curious about how it went from being “seriously interested” to getting ‘declined’ to then developing ‘mutual interest’ to finally ‘signing’ the two-year deal?
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Looks like, keeping aside all the comments, Cashman approached the case logically. First, it’s no secret that Stroman believes, “I’m built for [Yankee Stadium]. Anybody can say whatever, but I’m built for the bright lights and the moment. I’m not scared of it. I’ll never be. I love it.”. Secondly, he has shown that he can pitch and not crack, even if the environment is pressure-packed. He recorded a 3.21 ERA over 44 starts with the New York Mets. While the spotlight of being in the Bronx might work in his favor only time can tell how his relationship with the club will flourish.