Mets’ Marcus Stroman declines to rip Astros again for scandal

PORT ST. LUCIE — Marcus Stroman may have strong feelings about the Astros’ illegal sign-stealing, but he’s finished discussing it.

“I spoke on it already,” the Mets right-hander said Thursday. “I am not addressing it any more. I spoke of it on Twitter, said exactly what I had to and meant every word. That’s where I am going to leave it.”

Last month, Stroman was among the players most critical of the Astros, following MLB’s report saying the team used electronic surveillance to steal catchers’ signs in 2017, when he pitched for the Blue Jays.

“S–t makes sense now,” Stroman wrote on Twitter in January. “I remember how these guys were laying off some of my nasty pitches. Relaying all my signs in live speed to the batter. Ruining the integrity of the game. These dudes were all about the camera and social media. Now, they’re all quiet! Lol.”

J.D. Davis and Jake Marisnick, both of whom are on the Mets, played for the Astros in 2017. Marisnick doubled off of Stroman during a three-run inning on Aug. 6, 2017.

Carlos Beltran, who was named in MLB’s report on the matter, departed the Mets as manager after only 77 days and was replaced by Luis Rojas.

Seth Lugo may not get the shot at the Mets’ starting rotation he craves this spring, but said he will continue to view himself as a starter who is working in the bullpen.

“As far as the way I pitch I am going to keep that mindset, but I am not going to be built up like [a starter] so I won’t be training like it this spring,” Lugo said. “But mindset is still on it.”

Lugo emerged as the Mets’ most dependable reliever last season, but says he wasn’t entirely satisfied with his work, which included closer’s duties later in the season.

“I tend to remember the bad outings more than the good outings, so I can still think of quite a few I wish I could have back,” Lugo said. “Hopefully I clean them up this year.”

New manager Luis Rojas said he isn’t fretting over the new three-batter minimum rule for relievers. The exception to the rule would be if a reliever gets the final out or outs in an inning.

Lefty Justin Wilson’s success against right-handers and Edwin Diaz’s past strength facing left-handers are among the reasons the manager is optimistic.

“I think this rule applies very well for our bullpen,” Rojas said. “We talked about different scenarios, so we are very familiar with the rule already. We brought it up in different game simulations, as a staff. And we felt pretty good about the guys in our bullpen and the guys on our staff.”