General Blue Jays Thread: 2024 Off-Season

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[SharoneWright]

For whatever reason I was curious about Merrifield’s contract situation next year… Looked it up. Interesting tidbit: it’s a mutual option for $18 million!? That’s a lot… Good luck! Lol!
https://www.spotrac.com/mlb/toronto-blue-jays/yearly/payroll/

[Randle McMurphy]

For whatever reason I was curious about Merrifield’s contract situation next year… Looked it up. Interesting tidbit: it’s a mutual option for $18 million!? That’s a lot… Good luck! Lol!
https://www.spotrac.com/mlb/toronto-blue-jays/yearly/payroll/

Yeah, he and the Royals did a pretty strange bit of restructuring at the beginning of last season:

https://www.mlb.com/news/whit-merrifield-restructures-royals-contract

[Parataxis]

For whatever reason I was curious about Merrifield’s contract situation next year… Looked it up. Interesting tidbit: it’s a mutual option for $18 million!? That’s a lot… Good luck! Lol!
https://www.spotrac.com/mlb/toronto-blue-jays/yearly/payroll/

Every time I realise that we're paying Kiermaier less than Belt, my mind boggles anew.

[Mehar]

For whatever reason I was curious about Merrifield’s contract situation next year… Looked it up. Interesting tidbit: it’s a mutual option for $18 million!? That’s a lot… Good luck! Lol!
https://www.spotrac.com/mlb/toronto-blue-jays/yearly/payroll/

I had noticed that last year when we acquired him. Maybe they can work something out on a lower number than the 18 million he is owed for next year, but Merrifield will most likely be elsewhere next year.

[Parataxis]

Not super relevant, but probably interesting. A quarter of the way through the season, and there are only 3 teams - Us, Yankees, and White Sox - who have only used five starters so far.

https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/2023-mlb-predictions/pitchers/

[polo007]

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[Parataxis]

Looks like Bass is putting himself in the spotlight again, just as the Jays begin to celebrate their Pride month festivities.

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[polo007]

Blue Jays reliever Anthony Bass apologizes for sharing homophobic social media post - The Globe and Mail

Anthony Bass wants to reassure Toronto Blue Jays fans that baseball is for everyone.

The 35-year-old relief pitcher apologized on Tuesday a day after he shared an Instagram reel where a content creator made the “Biblical case” for why Christians should boycott Bud Light and Target after they openly supported the LGBTQ+ community.

“I made a post that was hurtful to the Pride community, which includes friends of mine and close family members of mine and I’m truly sorry for that,” Bass said to media outside the Blue Jays’ dugout at Rogers Centre. “I just spoke with my teammates and shared with them my actions yesterday. I apologize with them and, as of right now, I’m using the Blue Jays’ resources to better educate myself to make better decisions moving forward."

“The ballpark is for everybody. We include all fans at the ballpark and we want to welcome everybody.”

Bass did not take questions from media after making the statement. Manager John Schneider took several questions from reporters on Bass’s statement in his regularly scheduled pre-game media availability.

Schneider said that Bass originally apologized to him and general manager Ross Atkins and then, at Schneider’s prompting, the reliever apologized to the entire team.

“I think him showing accountability was a really good thing. We want everyone to feel welcome here at the ballpark, obviously, and around the league,” said Schneider in his office. “We as an organization are going to continue to do all the things we have done in the past with the Pride community."

“It was a good thing that Anthony came in and realized what he did.”

Bass’s comments come days before Pride Month, a weeks-long celebration of Toronto’s LGBTQ+ community, is set to begin. Rainbow decorations have already been set up around Union Station, the downtown transit hub less than a 10-minute walk from Rogers Centre.

[polo007]

Blue Jays’ Anthony Bass apologizes for sharing anti-LGBTQ+ social media post - The Athletic

The Blue Jays will hold their annual Pride Weekend on June 9 and 10 at the Rogers Centre. Schneider said he expects Bass will be supportive and engaged in the festivities.

“The message to the fan base is that we have and will continue to be a huge part of the Pride community. We’re looking forward to the 9th and 10th of June and it doesn’t represent our overall feelings as an organization,” Schneider said. “We love our fans and we love all the support that we get and it was unfortunate that happened and, if they take anything, it’s that the accountability was there and the awareness of how it made people feel was there.”

In an emailed statement, the organization said, “Individual player sentiments are not representative of the club’s beliefs.”

“The Blue Jays bring millions of fans together across Canada and are committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming experience for all. The Blue Jays are proud to celebrate LGBTQ2S+ Pride Month, including a special fourth annual Pride Weekend at the ballpark June 9 and 10, and demonstrations of allyship all month long around the ballpark,” the statement read.

The Blue Jays did not immediately detail what “resources to better educate” will be available to Bass but Schneider said there would be more steps that will follow Tuesday’s apology.

“We’re not going to pretend like this never happened. We’re not going to pretend like it’s the end and move on. There are definitely more steps that are going to follow,” the manager said.

Bass, 35, is not expected to receive any internal discipline, per Schneider.

“I think his apology was authentic and powerful to both the coaching staff and his teammates,” Schneider said. “And when it comes to how a fan base views you, whether it’s a player or manager, you have to own up to things that you do, and you have to recognize when you do things that are hurtful or wrong, and you have to admit that, and you have to have things that you do going forward that won’t allow that to happen again.”

[bluerap23]

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I’m guessing our 6th is Nate

[Parataxis]

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I’m guessing our 6th is Nate

I'd be shocked if Nate is stretched out enough to be a starter at this point. I think our 6th is a bullpen day right now.

[Mad Prophet]

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I’m guessing our 6th is Nate

I'd be shocked if Nate is stretched out enough to be a starter at this point. I think our 6th is a bullpen day right now.

Could be Bowden Francis.