"A crazy good athlete... I enjoyed playing with him" - Former Yankee Jameson Taillon on what it was like being teammates with Marcus Stroman
Righty ace Marcus Stroman has finally bid farewell to the free agency market and reportedly put pen to paper on a $37 million deal with the New York Yankees. Stroman, a two-time All-Star, was one of the biggest names available in the free agency market this offseason.
Stroman has often been outspoken about the Yankees in the past, which has led some fans to question this signing.
However, in a recent episode of the "Foul Territory" podcast, former Yankees pitcher Jameson Taillon fondly recalled his time with Marcus Stroman when they were teammates during their Chicago Cubs tenure.
“I like to play with Stroman, and he’s a hot topic,” Taillon said. “I feel like I got asked when I played for the Yankees. I got asked a lot about Judge and what playing with Judge is like, and when I played for the Cubs, I got asked a lot about what Stro’s like.
“Stro is definitely someone who knows at this point in his career what he needs to do to be successful. So there’s not a lot of eye wash.
“He’s not a guy who gets to the field at 1 p.m. for a seven o’clock game. But he shows up, he goes to work. Incredible routine. Great body control- just a crazy good athlete. I loved watching a movie on the mound, and some of the stuff he does in the weight room is wild. Like the walking handstands and stuff like that. Just a crazy good athlete.
“I enjoyed playing with him, he’s a good teammate. He takes the ball, he competes. I seriously enjoyed playing with him.”
Marcus Stroman’s MLB Journey
Marcus Stroman was drafted in the first round (22nd overall) by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 2012 MLB draft. He made his big league debut in 2014 for the team. In 2019, he was traded to the New York Mets.
Stroman played for the Mets until the 2021 season before signing for the Chicago Cubs on a three-year deal in 2021. He opted out of his third year with the Cubs after the 2023 season.
Marcus Stroman was named an All-Star in 2019 and 2023 and bagged a Gold Glove in 2017. He was also named the World Baseball Classic MVP in 2017. Stroman also made it to the All-World Baseball Classic Team.
If the Yankees can maximize his potential and utilize him as an innings eater, this could turn out to be a value-for-money signing for the Bronx Bombers.