Blue Jays' Marcus Stroman says he'll use lost arbitration case as fuel

Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Marcus Stroman wasn't satisfied with the results of his salary arbitration case, and he didn't shy away from talking about it. 

Stroman received a lift from $3.4 million US to $6.5 million instead of his $6.9 million request on Thursday. Edna Francis, Elizabeth Neumeier and Gary Kendellan heard the case Monday.

Stroman went 13-9 with a 3.09 ERA in 2017. The 26-year-old right-hander struck out 164, two shy of his career high, and walked a career-worst 62 in 201 innings.

The Blue Jays ace expressed his disappointment with the ruling in a series of tweets.

Meanwhile Cleveland's Trevor Bauer, Houston's Collin McHugh and Tampa Bay's Jake Odorizzi won their salary arbitration cases Thursday, and Minnesota's Kyle Gibson lost.

Decisions for all five pitchers had been held for simultaneous announcement to prevent any of the cases from being affected by the rulings.

Players have an 11-8 advantage over teams with three more hearings scheduled. The 22 decisions would be the most since players went 14-10 in 1990.

Cincinnati second baseman Scooter Gennett, Kansas City pitcher Brandon Maurer and Miami pitcher Dan Straily are the only players awaiting hearings from among the 27 who swapped proposed salaries with their teams last month.

Bauer received a raise from $3.55 million to $6,525,000 from arbitrators Andrew Strongin, Steven Wolf and Robert Herzog, who heard the case on Feb. 8. The Indians offered $5.3 million.

A 27-year-old right-hander, Bauer was 17-9 with a 4.19 ERA in 31 starts and one relief appearance for the AL Central champions last season, when he made $3.55 million. He was just the third Cleveland player to go to a hearing since 1991. The Indians defeated pitchers Vinnie Pestano and Josh Tomlin four years ago.

McHugh won a hearing for the second straight year and was given a hike from $3.85 million to $5 million by Mark Burstein, Jeanne Wood and Allen Ponak, who listened to arguments Tuesday. The World Series champion Astros offered $4.55 million.

McHugh heads to spring training projected as a sixth starter behind a rotation of Justin Verlander, Dallas Keuchel, Gerrit Cole, Lance McCullers Jr. and Charlie Morton. The Astros could decide to trade McHugh.

The 30-year-old right-hander was 5-2 with a 3.55 ERA in 12 starts last season. He was on the disabled list with tendinitis in his pitching shoulder until July 22.

Odorizzi also won for the second consecutive year. He got a raise from $4.1 million to $6.3 million instead of the Rays' $6.05 million offer in a case argued Monday before Dennis Archer, Phillip LaPorte and Matt Goldberg. A right-hander who turns 28 next month, Odorizzi was 10-8 with a 4.14 ERA in 28 starts last year. He struck out 127, his lowest total in four full major league seasons, and walked a career-high 61.​

Gibson made $2.9 million last year and will get $4.2 million, $350,000 below his request, in a case argued Wednesday before Herzog, Neumeier and Kendellen. The 30-year-old right-hander was 12-10 with a 5.07 ERA last year, when he earned $2.9 million.