NEW YORK (PIX11) -- Sometimes, there are times to be upset and sometimes we all just need to relax.
I bring that up because who cares who is the opening day starter for the Yankees, next Thursday against the Houston Astros. When ace Gerrit Cole lost for the first two months of the season with a nerve issue in his elbow, it does not matter who the Yankees role out there.
The Bombers did not want to take Carlos Rodon off schedule, so he is out. The Yankees gave Marcus Stroman the option, because he has seniority, and he said he was fine pitching anywhere in the starting rotation and passed on the opportunity because he wanted to stay on schedule.
The Yankees ended up naming Nestor Cortes the opening-day starter, the guy they wanted all along. But here is where you must be careful about narratives.
Stroman's history as a player worked against him. When he turned it down, people suddenly thought he was being a prima donna. Well, that is not true. We have seen him pitch for the Mets in Queens.
We have watched his activity on social media. Stroman, though, is no longer on X and had no idea of the shade that was being thrown his way. It was all complete and utter nonsense. I love opening day, just as much as the next guy. The pageantry, the bunting, it is a slice of americana. But it is just one game.
There are 161 more after that.
The Yankees need Stroman to stay healthy and pitch well for the duration of the season. If the Yankees wanted Cortes all along, they should never have asked Stroman. We want our athletes to be honest, Stroman was, for all the right reasons. The pushback on all platforms was ridiculous. It was not some insult to Yankees fans.
If you have an issue with it, here is a bit of advice, go scream at another cloud.
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