Stroman reiterates Blue Jays concerns: 'Seems like I'm not wanted sometimes'

Marcus Stroman isn't feeling the love.

Following a Sunday scrum with reporters, during which Stroman said he hadn't been approached about a contract extension, the 27-year-old had more to say about his Blue Jays status.

"I would love to be here," Stroman told John Lott of The Athletic. "But it seems like I'm not wanted sometimes."

The diminutive hurler, who is set to earn $7.4 million in 2019 before becoming a free agent at the end of the 2020 season, insisted he's "been offered nothing" when it comes to a long-term contract with Toronto.

Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins wouldn't confirm the accuracy of Stroman's comments, instead focusing on positives concerning the right-hander.

"Any negotiation, any discussion, I'm not going to comment on," Atkins said during a conference call Sunday, according to MLB.com's Gregor Chisholm. "We've had lengthy discussions with Marcus' representation. ... I'm excited to have Marcus Stroman as a Toronto Blue Jay, extremely excited about his health, the way he has performed thus far, the way he looks, his energy has been awesome in the clubhouse."

Stroman also mentioned his dissatisfaction with the Blue Jays' lack of veteran additions this offseason, saying the team's youngsters need mentoring from experienced players in order to succeed.

"They need to know how to go about the ins and outs," he explained, according to Lott. "So I think it's a premium that we start getting some of these guys who don't have jobs. They need to have jobs. Not only because they need to have jobs - they should have jobs. They should be in clubhouses. It's ridiculous that they're not."

Responding to questions about Stroman's comments, Atkins explained the organization's aim is to field the best team possible.

"I agree with him, that we need to do everything we can to put the best roster on," the general manager said. "We will look to continue to bolster the roster any way we possibly can. That won't end the day the season opens. That's our existence. It's all we think about. We obsess about it and we'll continue to do that.

"As it relates to adding position players, we're excited about Justin Smoak, Kevin Pillar, Brandon Drury as I've mentioned, Randal Grichuk. There are a lot of established pieces that we are very excited about with some veteran presence. If we do look to add to our roster it will most likely be on the pitching side."

The Blue Jays went 73-89 last season en route to a fourth-place finish in the AL East.