Marcus Stroman reveals heartbreaking personal loss amid rumors of rift with Yankees

The New York Yankees pitchers and catchers have reported for training camp, however, Marcus Stroman has found himself to be the main topic of conversation. The former All-Star has been noticeably absent from the team's training facilities in Tampa, Florida, however, after a few days of speculation he arrived and spoke to the media on a variety of topics.

The 33-year-old arrived at training camp on Valentine's Day and addressed several questions from reporters. One of the topics that Marcus Stroman spoke to the media about was the loss that he experienced as part of the California wildfires that ravaged the Los Angeles area.

"I had a tough offseason, I was getting settled, had family around. I've been donating alot to the Assitance League in L.A. As far as the fires, alot of people, especially in the Altadena community, the Palisades, Malibu, I lost my home in Malibu. So, yeah, I've just been dealing with alot," Stroman said of his chaotic and difficult offseason.

The California wildfires have caused incredible amount of damage and loss throughout the region with weather service AccuWeather estimating that the damages from the disaster could be between $250 billion and $275 billion.

Marcus Stroman is not the only professional athlete who has been directly impacted by the wildfires as Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Reddick's home also burned down in the disaster. Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr's parents also lost their home in the fires.

Marcus Stroman explained his offseason workout routine despite arriving late to camp

The New York Yankees have been putting in the work already, with superstars such as Gerrit Cole and Max Fried seen throwing off of the mound at the team's facilities. Pitchers and catchers have been working alongside each other most of the week since it takes them a little longer to be fully prepared for the long season ahead, with batter expected to arrive for Monday February 17th.

This was another question that Marcus Stroman had to address on Friday. The two-time All-Star explained that he has always stuck to his own offseason workout routine saying that his personal preparation could take longer than others.

"I put a priority on my workout routine, my mind, my body. I come into camp ready to go 30+ starts. A huge of my body. I know health is something that's not focused on and being available to go out there and pitch every five days, it's not something I take lightly. I'm prepared to the utmost degree, sometimes I take a few more days," Stroman explained.

Although Stroman denied that his delayed appearance at training camp was any sort of statement to the plethora of offseason trade rumors, there is a chance that the New York Yankees still explore the market for a potential deal. Things could get interesting between the veteran and the World Series runners up.