The Toronto Blue Jays got some of the most expected news of the offseason on Tuesday. Bo Bichette officially declined the team’s qualifying offer and is out there for the taking in free agency right now. This was the obvious next step after Toronto tendered him the qualifying offer in the first place. There was never going to be a world in which the 27-year-old star infielder accepted a one-year deal worth just over $22 million. Bichette was one of nine players to officially decline the option. Four players accepted it: Milwaukee Brewers starter Brandon Woodruff, Chicago Cubs starter Shota Imanaga, Detroit Tigers infielder Gleyber Torres and New York Yankees outfielder Trent Grisham. Now that Bichette has declined the qualifying offer, what’s next? Well, it doesn’t change anything about the Blue Jays’ pursuit of him. It has been reported a multitude of times at this point that Toronto wants Bichette back. The fact that he declined the qualifying offer does nothing for the actual pursuit. What it does do is give the Blue Jays cover if he bolts. If Bichette signs elsewhere, the Blue Jays will get draft compensation in return. You can find the entire list of rules provided by MLB right here. Bichette is one of the hottest names on the open market and should cash in with a lucrative, nine-figure deal this offseason. If that isn’t with the Blue Jays, then they will get a draft pick in return, which wouldn’t immediately fill the hole left by the two-time All-Star. All in all, things went as expected on Tuesday. Now, all eyes are on Bichette and he can sign with a team at any time.
https://www.newsweek.com/bo-bichette-rejects-blue-jays-qualifying-offer-next-steps-11070444
Tag: Toronto
Latest Buzz Suggests Blue Jays Finally Boast Strong Free Agency Pitch
The Toronto Blue Jays have been no strangers to aggressive offseasons over the last few years. Toronto has consistently pursued top free agents, including Shohei Ohtani and even being mentioned in the Juan Soto sweepstakes, but ultimately missed out. Last year, the Blue Jays and San Francisco Giants were reported as the two most aggressive teams in the Corbin Burnes sweepstakes as well, though Burnes ended up signing with the Arizona Diamondbacks.
All in all, the Blue Jays have tried each offseason to bring big-name players to town but haven’t necessarily been able to get those deals done. However, after making it to Game 7 of the World Series, the perception of the team seems to have shifted.
Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi and Ben Nicholson-Smith reported that there could be a more “receptive audience” for Toronto in free agency this year, citing an anonymous “prominent” agent.
“Armed with the cachet of an inspired World Series run that captivated both fans and the wider industry’s interest, the Toronto Blue Jays jumped into the off-season with what some agents called a motivated posture across various player markets,” Davidi and Nicholson-Smith wrote.
“One prominent agent believes the American League champions will find a more receptive audience for their pitches this winter, too, having shown the baseball world how success looks north of the border.
“Baseball tends to have ‘a pack mentality,’ said the agent, and between seeing players succeed with the Blue Jays, the enthusiasm from fans Canada-wide and positive reviews of the team’s facilities, ‘it should be easier for them to get players’ this off-season.”
A second agent described the Blue Jays as “hungry” and “acting like the big boys,” while both representatives said they are involved in discussions around top-end starting pitchers, back-end relievers, position players, and talent from Asia.
Of course, aggressiveness doesn’t always lead to deals, as the Blue Jays have seen in the past. But this new attitude is a positive sign for what could be a big offseason in Toronto.
The Blue Jays have demonstrated over the last few years that they are willing to offer large contracts. Maybe this year, they will finally ink one of those external stars to a deal.
https://www.newsweek.com/latest-buzz-suggests-blue-jays-finally-boast-strong-free-agency-pitch-11035513
Blue Jays bounce back against Dodgers to even World Series after extra-inning marathon
The best-of-seven World Series is all even at two games apiece after the Toronto Blue Jays bounced back from Monday’s epic 18-inning marathon to beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-2 in Game 4 on Tuesday night.
Both teams were running on fumes following the nearly seven-hour showdown, but Toronto’s offense came alive behind Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette. The Dodgers took an early lead on a sacrifice fly from Enrique Hernández, but Guerrero Jr.’s two-run homer in the third inning put the Blue Jays ahead for good.
The Blue Jays’ victory came just hours after country music star Brad Paisley declared himself “Mr. More Baseball.” Paisley performed the national anthem before the marathon Game 3, which the Dodgers won 6-5 on Freddie Freeman’s homer that ended the game nearly seven hours after Paisley’s performance.
Shohei Ohtani, one of the Dodgers’ heroes this postseason, started Game 4 for Los Angeles. He pitched six innings, allowing four earned runs and striking out six. Ohtani made history just one night earlier, becoming the first player since 1906 to record four extra-base hits in a World Series game and reaching base nine times, tying a Series record.
For the Blue Jays, Bo Bichette delivered a two-RBI single in the seventh inning to extend the lead. Shane Bieber earned the win, pitching 5⅓ innings and allowing just one run. Ohtani was charged with the loss.
After Ohtani’s exit, the Dodgers used only three relievers, while the Blue Jays relied on four pitchers in total to close out the nine-inning win.
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https://www.foxnews.com/sports/blue-jays-bounce-back-against-dodgers-even-world-series-after-extra-inning-marathon
Yankees head home facing elimination after back-to-back beatdowns in Toronto
TORONTO (AP) — After back-to-back beatdowns in Toronto, the New York Yankees don’t have any margin for error as they head home for Game 3 of the ALDS on Tuesday night.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone put on a brave face after a 13-7 loss Sunday in Game 2 left his team facing elimination.
“Obviously, it feels like the world’s caving in around you, you lose two games like that in their building where it doesn’t go right,” Boone said. “But all of a sudden you go out there and win a ballgame on Tuesday, the needle can change. There’s been a lot of weird things that have happened in baseball this year. This would not be the weirdest, us rallying.”
New York was held hitless through 5 2/3 innings on Sunday, unable to get anything going against Blue Jays rookie Trey Yesavage. The Blue Jays thumped the Yankees 10-1 on Saturday in Game 1.
Toronto’s 23 runs in the ALDS so far are the most by any team in the opening two games of a postseason series. The Yankees scored 22 runs in the first two games of the 2020 Wild Card round against Cleveland.
New York has lost eight of nine in Toronto this season but is 4-2 at home against the Blue Jays.
“We haven’t lost any confidence,” Boone said. “Obviously, they’ve had our number and gotten the better of us so far this year, but I don’t think anyone in our room doesn’t feel like we can’t go out and beat them. We’ve got to play better. We’ve got to pitch and swing it better. But we’re certainly capable of it, and we’ll expect to do that on Tuesday night.”
New York was pushed to the limit by Boston in the Wild Card round and has seen its bullpen tested in the first two games of the ALDS, with seven relievers combining for 10 1/3 innings of work.
“We know where they’re at in terms of their bullpen and everything,” Toronto’s Ernie Clement said about the Yankees. “They just came off a really tough series. It’s really important for us to work them, just make it as tough as possible on them.”
Yankees left-hander Max Fried, who was chased after three-plus innings Sunday, credited the Blue Jays for making it tough on New York’s pitchers.
“They’ve put up good at-bats against us all year,” Fried said. “That’s a good ballclub. They don’t strike out and they put the ball in play and they play good defense. They’re playing their game and they’ve had a good series so far.”
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