It’s safe to say trading Giancarlo Stanton and Christian Yelich weren’t popular moves among Miami Marlins fans, but at least one player is rather happy to see the back of them.
Starting pitcher Dan Straily admitted he was glad to see both players go, as they’d been critical of the team’s rebuilding plan.
“I’m glad they’re gone,” Straily said Friday, via ESPN. “If they don’t want to be here, good for them.”
Straily feels that the Marlins’ rebuild plan is necessary and is being executed well thus far.
“I really agreed with what happened,” Straily said. “I feel like with the pieces they brought in, this might flip around a little quicker than people realize. I’m not saying today, but I’m excited to be here and try to mentor guys coming into the big leagues for the first time.”
Straily added that Stanton’s complaints about the pitching staff last season were something of a motivator.
“In a way,” Straily said, when asked if Stanton’s public venting about the staff was insulting. “It’s not like I was upset-insulted. It’s no secret our starting rotation didn’t exactly carry the team. When I hear that kind of stuff, it’s motivation to continue to focus on bettering myself, because that’s the last thing you want to hear.”
On one hand, Straily’s attitude as a member of a rebuilding team is exactly what you’d want, and perhaps he’s right that this rebuild was overdue. On the other hand, he’s only been with Miami for a year, while Stanton and Yelich are both elite players who had done nothing but lose in the majors despite numerous promises from ownership and the front office. Stanton’s comments before he was traded made pretty clear how he felt about being repaid by the club. You can understand why they wanted out.
