Cashman didn't want Stroman; here's his reply

NEW YORK -- The Yankees reportedly did not think Marcus Stroman would be “a difference-maker.” Stroman begs to differ.

A day after Yankees general manager Brian Cashman told Yahoo! Sports that he refrained from acquiring Stroman at the Trade Deadline because he did not think the pitcher was worth giving up outfielder Clint Frazier, Stroman fired back on social media. In a graphic posted to Twitter, Stroman compared his season statistics to those of the Yankees’ starters.

Among the most significant gaps was Stroman’s 3.23 ERA, which is more than a run lower than the Yankees’ 4.49 rotation mark.

Cashman might contend that those numbers do not tell the entire story. Thanks in part to Luis Severino's return from the injured list and James Paxton's second-half breakout, Yankees starters hold a 3.91 ERA since July 28, the day the Mets made a surprise acquisition of Stroman for prospects Anthony Kay and Simeon Woods-Richardson. Stroman owns a 3.86 ERA over that same stretch.

Stroman’s interest in Cashman’s comments comes two months after his trade, and accompanying rumors that the Long Island native hoped the Blue Jays would deal him to the Yankees, not the Mets. His father, Earl, confirmed as much to Newsday after the trade, and Stroman himself said during a June interview that he loves pitching at Yankee Stadium. Still, Stroman denied that a clubhouse incident in Toronto shortly after the trade had anything to do with his desire to go to the Bronx.

“The commotion was a discussion I had with some of our coaches and some of our higher-ups,” Stroman said during his Mets introductory conference call. “It was kind of like an exit meeting. I didn’t like how things were handled along the process and that was it. I was voicing my opinion.”

Tuesday, Stroman voiced his opinion again, this time via social media. Regardless of whether the Yankees could use him, they do hold one advantage heading into October: They’ve already clinched the American League East crown, whereas the Mets face imminent elimination.

“Life’s full of regrets,” Cashman told Yahoo! Sports. “But this year, I have no regrets. I feel like we’ve accomplished phase one of our goals, which was winning the division, and we’re in pretty good shape for the next phase. But until we win the World Series, we really haven’t accomplished anything yet.”