Even if you thought the Boston Red Sox wouldn't trade for Marcus Stroman, Marcus Stroman apparently felt otherwise.
The Toronto Blue Jays traded the right-hander to the New York Mets on Sunday in a move that surprised many -- including Stroman himself.
According to the Toronto Sun's Rob Longley, Stroman caused a "commotion" in the Blue Jays' clubhouse Sunday upon learning he was going to the Mets.
The New York Post's Mike Puma then added an interesting follow-up: Stroman was upset because he was joining the 50-55 Mets instead of a contender -- and was expecting to go to the Red Sox, New York Yankees or Houston Astros.
Stroman, a Long Island native, would have made sense for the Yankees, who boast a strong bullpen but desperately need another starter. The 28-year-old also would have bolstered an Astros rotation working with just four starters.
But the Red Sox recently acquired a starting pitcher in Andrew Cashner and likely would use their remaining assets to acquire bullpen help instead of another rotation piece.
Stroman is saying the right things publicly, expressing his excitement over pitching for the team he grew up watching.
Still, it's notable the veteran right-hander reportedly lumped the Red Sox -- who as of Monday sit one game out of the final Wild Card spot -- among serious American League "contenders" like New York and Houston.
UPDATE (3:20 p.m. ET): In a conference call with reporters Monday afternoon, Stroman denied his disturbance had anything to do with going to the Mets.
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