Blue Jays star Marcus Stroman joins his own squad

Marcus Stroman sees fewer and fewer players like him – veterans – around the Blue Jays.

And that could eventually lead the Blue Jays to have a Marcus Stroman less.

The right coach, during a long media session in Dunedin, Florida, during Sunday's spring training, complained of a lack of experienced players around the camp after a season that ignored a number amazing free agents. The middle class player is being phased out, and a reliable but not spectacular veteran who is more expensive than a farmer is left behind.

"There is no longer any real presence of veterans," Stroman told reporters on Sunday. "It's me and KP [Kevin Pillar], John Axford, a few other guys, Justin Smoak. I can not say more about the fact that the game must come to a point where we are starting to put these veteran players back to the clubhouse. "

It was apparently a sharp advocacy of Stroman.

"Where are you at my brother's house?" Had he written on Twitter on Saturday. "Could you use your presence in the clubhouse in Toronto! @ RealCarlosGomez. "

A good part of the reasoning could be that Stroman wants to protect himself, while the 27-year-old from New York is entering his sixth major league season and does not want to be one of those veterans looking for work. He expressed his frustration that Toronto has not extended its long-term contract – a charge brought by the Blue Jays. anonymous then disputed – and can only be a free agent after the 2020 season. He and the Blue Jays have avoided arbitration in the off-season and have agreed on a $ 7.4 million deal.

"Would it bother you?" Said Stroman about not being offered a long-term contract. "I play enough every year, it's a business, as I said. It does not affect my relationship with the country of Canada. I am able to separate the two now, between businesses and people. "

Stroman continued, "I want to play here. I wanted to play here for a long time. I was waiting to sign a long-term contract. I was not offered anything. No one is more than me in the city of Toronto. And you will not find any guys who want to come in and embody the city of Toronto because it's just not natural, and I myself have loved that, and it has been organic and natural, it's not something I had to do. This is something I wanted to do. I've always wanted to be here. "

Advocacy may not be best timed. Stroman had a great year in 2017, but struggled in 2018, posting a 5.54 ERA in 102 1/3 inning, although he said Sunday his shoulder was bothering him last season.