Aaron Boone's emotional comments on Marcus Stroman show he made impact with Yankees

Every so often, there's a player who catches the ire of New York Yankees fans and can't seem to stop getting flak. Up until recently, that player was Marcus Stroman. With performance that could be extremely variable, and availability that was sometimes questionable, Stroman had become an easy target.

While it seemed like a foregone conclusion that the Yankees would add a starter at the trade deadline in light of Clarke Schmidt's torn UCL, they actually subtracted one with Stroman's release ... to the outrage of absolutely no one.

At the start of spring training, when the Yankees' rotation looked flush with talent, Stroman made waves when he proclaimed himself a starter and refused to come out of the bullpen. From then on, he became a bit of a public enemy among the fan base.

But perhaps there's more than meets the eye with comments like that, and manager Aaron Boone's statements regarding Stroman following his release provide a different lens through which to view Stroman's tenure in the Bronx.

Aaron Boone's comments highlight the impact Marcus Stroman had on the Yankees organization

Boone might be known as a players' manager (and for being a bit soft), but that doesn't mean the man can't tell what kind of impact a player made on his peers. When speaking with MLB.com's Bryan Hoch, he provided a differing perspective on the Marcus Stroman experience.

"The [public] perception around Stro, for us, did not meet the guy we got to be around for the last couple years. He's an awesome competitor. ... I feel like he's a guy I'll stay in touch with for the rest of our lives."

Stroman grew up in Long Island, rooting for the Yankees as a child, and donning pinstripes was a lifelong dream for him. He's also a player who, despite some recent struggles, has had a longer and more illustrious career than most.

That doesn't come easy, especially as a pitcher who measures just 5-foot-7. At that size, the odds of making it are really stacked against you. A fiery competitive spirit is required in order to rise above the rest, especially for an underdog like Stroman.

So while fans may have read his refusal to work out of the bullpen as selfish and defiant, Boone's comments may have altered the perception. Maybe, instead, his motivation was a desire for greatness and a supreme belief in his abilities.

No matter what you want to say about his on-field performance during his Yankee tenure, Boone's comments make two things readily apparent — Marcus Stroman was a good teammate and seemingly an even better person. Yankees fans wish him the best of luck with his future endeavors.