Marcus Stroman has perfect response to Yankees Opening Day 'controversy'

New York Yankees newcomer Marcus Stroman is locked in, just as he promised.

With Gerrit Cole set to miss 1-to-2 months while nursing an elbow injury, the Yankees were briefly left without an Opening Day starter, if not an outright doomsday scenario. Just shuffle one of the other guys in? It wasn't quite that simple. Considering the typical onslaught of injuries this team endures annually, any deviation to their pitchers' current rhythmatic build-up felt unnecessary at best and dangerous at worst.

Plus, after the season Carlos Rodón had last year, you want to mess around and throw him on Opening Day in Houston? The Yankees might not make all their decisions based around press reaction, but they aren't that stupid.

Before logic brought New York back around to giving Nestor Cortes Jr. the honor after a long road back from All-Star status, the idea of Stroman making his Yankees debut in the road opener held some water. Ultimately, it was nixed, and -- naturally -- fans blamed the outspoken Stroman for "turning down" the honor. Ready for this? The idea of keeping Stroman on schedule came from a mutual agreement between Aaron Boone and the right-hander, with the added benefit of keeping a home opener start against his former team, the Blue Jays, on his docket. In fact, the Yankees never told Stroman they wanted him to consider moving at all; reportedly, it was always Cortes.

When pressed about the "social media backlash" to something that wasn't even his call (and was also never raised formally), Stroman proved that his internet hiatus is very much real (or, at least, he did a good job of faking and not taking the bait).

“There was?” Stroman reacted when pressed by the New York Post on the idea of negative backlash. “I said my piece, I’m not on Twitter anymore. I’m not going to see a lot of reaction.

Yankees starter Marcus Stroman couldn't care less what fans think of the Opening Day decision he didn't even make

Clearing up misinformation: It's what we do. Stroman himself is a pretty good primary source on Stroman's motivations and decisions, for what it's worth.

Stroman, locked in and ready to put on for his city rather than create the wrong kind of buzz, is preparing to live out his dream with his childhood team after making the All-Star roster and posting a 113 ERA+ in 136 2/3 innings. His season was cut short by recurring second-half injuries, and in an effort to establish himself as a sure thing rather than another Yankees who's always battling something, all parties involved came to a mutual decision to avoid upsetting the (big) apple cart.

Makes sense to most, not to some. But, if you disagree, Stroman has already muted you metaphorically.