Toronto Blue Jays

The Toronto Blue Jays are reportedly "pushing hard" to acquire Cleveland Guardians third baseman Jose Ramirez, according to MLB insider Hector Gomez. 

The news comes after the Guardians reportedly made another contract offer to Ramirez of five years and $104 million. Gomez notes Cleveland is "low balling" the veteran slugger in contract negotiations. 

The Guardians set an Opening Day deadline to get an extension with Ramirez completed, but The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal reported Saturday that the two sides aren't close to an agreement. 

Ramirez is set to make $12 million in 2022 and has a $14 million club option for 2023. He's expected to earn a hefty amount of money on his next deal and, according to The Athletic's Zack Meisel, the Guardians "almost certainly" are prepared to make Ramirez the highest-paid player in franchise history. 

Considering the team continues to make him lackluster offers, though, it's hard to believe he would make more than the three-year, $60 million deal Edwin Encarnacion signed with the franchise in 2016.

The Guardians also have the second-lowest payroll in baseball at $37.4 million, according to Spotrac, and have continued to slash payroll in recent seasons. Signing Ramirez to an extension would likely significantly increase the team's payroll. 

If the two sides don't come to an agreement soon, the door will be left open for the Blue Jays to swoop in and potentially acquire the three-time All-Star. 

If Toronto were to acquire Ramirez, he would likely shift to second base, where he's played 145 games over his nine-year career. That would leave Vladimir Guerrero Jr. at first, Matt Chapman at third and Bo Bichette at shortstop.

Ramirez would have little issue slotting into the Blue Jays lineup. Last season, the 29-year-old slashed .266/.355/.538 with 36 home runs and 103 RBI.

The Dominican native reportedly wants to play his entire career in Cleveland and is "comfortable" with the team, though, according to Gomez. However, should discussions fall apart in the coming days and Ramirez be traded to Toronto, the Jays would field perhaps the most dangerous lineup in MLB. 

Toronto Blue Jays pitching coach Pete Walker has been arrested and charged with driving under the influence.

Per Sportsnet's Arden Swelling, an arrest affidavit obtained through the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office shows that Walker was pulled over after allegedly going 82 mph in a 45 mph zone in Oldsmar, Florida. The Blue Jays are holding spring training in Dunedin, which is roughly seven miles from Oldsmar.

Walker reportedly did not consent to a breath alcohol content test, but he allegedly failed multiple field sobriety tests.

The affidavit says Walker appeared impaired and had a "strong odor of alcoholic beverage" in addition to poor balance and bloodshot eyes. A police officer also relayed that Walker "admitted to drinking four beers at a bar/eating facility."

Walker was booked at 2:02 a.m. ET and released on a $500 bond at 9:15 a.m.

Per Zwelling, Walker was with the Blue Jays for their spring training game against the New York Yankees in Tampa on Saturday afternoon.

The 52-year-old Walker previously pitched in the big leagues for eight seasons, including 2002, 2003, 2005 and 2006 for the Blue Jays. He's served as the team's pitching coach since 2012.

The Toronto Blue Jays and first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. have agreed to a $7.9 million contract for the 2022 season to avoid arbitration, per Mark Feinsand of MLB.com.

The 23-year-old hit .311 (1.002 OPS) with an American League-leading 48 home runs and 111 RBI last year. His 123 runs scored also led the AL.

Guerrero, who was named an All-Star and earned the Silver Slugger, finished second in the American League MVP voting behind the Los Angeles Angels' Shohei Ohtani.

Per Baseball-Reference, 2022 marks the first year that Guerrero was eligible for arbitration. He is currently set to become a free agent in 2026 barring an agreement on a long-term contract extension.

The Blue Jays would certainly hope to lock up one of the game's best players long-term. He's a big reason why Toronto, which posted losing seasons from 2017-19, has gotten back on track.

The Blue Jays made the playoffs in 2020 and finished one game short of them in 2021 despite a solid 91-71 mark. Per Baseball-Reference, the Jays were unlucky and actually finished with a Pythagorean record of 99-63.

Toronto lost ace pitcher Robbie Ray and slugging middle infielder Marcus Semien this offseason to free agency, but the Blue Jays still return some strong hitters (e.g. Guerrero, Bo Bichette, George Springer, Teoscar Hernandez). They also added starting right-hander Kevin Gausman (14-6, 2.81 ERA).

Toronto opens its season on Friday, April 8 at home against the Texas Rangers.

The Toronto Blue Jays and third baseman Matt Chapman agreed to a two-year, $25 million contract that will eliminate his final two years of arbitration before he can become a free agent.

Jeff Passan of ESPN reported the terms of the deal Tuesday, less than a week after the Oakland Athletics traded Chapman to the Jays.

Chapman, 28, spent his first five MLB seasons with Oakland, emerging as one of the best power-hitting third basemen in baseball. He's coming off a down 2021 campaign in which he hit .210/.314/.403 with 27 home runs and 72 RBI.

The Jays are hoping a change of scenery, along with a better supporting cast, can get Chapman back into form. He finished in the top 10 in American League MVP voting in 2018 and 2019 while also playing Gold Glove defense at the hot corner.

On Monday, Toronto shortstop Bo Bichette said Chapman's transition to the team has been "seamless" as the duo tries to get into a rhythm before the start of the regular season.

"I think it comes easily," Bichette told reporters. "He's ready to work as hard as he can. I'm ready to work as hard as I can. We both have the same goal in mind.

"It's been pretty seamless so far. Obviously there's some work to do in the field and get to know each other better and hopefully play together soon and everything's going well that way."

Chapman topped the AL in defensive WAR in 2018 and 2019 and won his third Gold Glove Award in 2021. He won the Platinum Glove in 2018 and 2019 as the AL's best defender overall.

Bichette is not in Chapman's league as a defender, but FanGraphs' projections are bullish on his improvement in 2022. Even if Bichette continues with his inconsistent play at short, pairing him with one of the best defenders in the sport could obscure some of those shortcomings.

Toronto Blue Jays star Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is proof that youthful metabolism is a wonderful thing to have. 

Jose Fortuna, Guerrero's personal trainer, wrote on social media that the 23-year-old slugger lost 22 pounds in one month and now weighs 239 pounds:

https://twitter.com/hgomez27/status/1505641666820153350

If Guerrero remains at the 229-pound mark, it will presumably be the lightest he has been during his Major League Baseball career. The 2021 American League MVP runner-up is officially listed at 250 pounds on MLB.com. 

There's never been any doubt that Guerrero can have success because of his natural hitting ability and athleticism. 

Keith Law wrote in his 2019 top prospects list for ESPN.com that the only real criticism of Guerrero, who came in as the No. 2 player behind Fernando Tatis Jr. "is that he's probably a DH in the long run."

The Blue Jays have used him primarily at first base over the past two seasons after trying him at third base as a rookie in 2019. Guerrero is never going to be known as a defensive wizard, but if he develops more flexibility at a lighter weight to be passable, that's a win for the team. 

Regardless of what his defense looks like, Guerrero being in better condition heading into 2022 is bad news for opposing pitchers. He hit .311/.401/.601 with an AL-leading 48 homers as a 22-year-old last season. 

The Toronto Blue Jays have reached out to the Cleveland Guardians about a trade centered around Jose Ramirez, according to The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal.

While Ramirez has spent the bulk of his time at third base in recent years, Rosenthal reported the three-time All-Star would move over to second base if the move happens.  

The Blue Jays announced Wednesday they acquired Matt Chapman, which takes care of the hot corner in Toronto.

Ramirez is a long-term target for the Jays. Sportsnet's Shi Davidi reported they "took a run" at the 29-year-old prior to last year's trade deadline. General manager Ross Atkins and team president Mark Shapiro both worked in Cleveland prior to joining Toronto's organization, which could partially explain the continued pursuit. 

Ramirez has also consistently been an elite player in MLB since his 2016 breakout. He was sixth in the American League MVP voting in 2021 after hitting 36 home runs and finishing with a .266/.355/.538 slash line.

José Ramírez raked a team-high 36 home runs this season.

Start your morning right. 😌 pic.twitter.com/Ady3LLjJCS

— Cleveland Guardians (@CleGuardians) October 14, 2021

Imagine a lineup that already includes Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Bo Bichette, Teoscar Hernandez and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. snagging Ramirez as well. 

Granted, Rosenthall added that it's "still unlikely" the Guardians will trade the Dominican Republic native. He's the only Cleveland player signed to a fully guaranteed MLB contract, and the $26 million he can collect over the next two seasons remains a bargain.

By now, Guardians fans have come to expect the team's best players to get traded as their contracts wind down.

But PECOTA projects Cleveland to have a 13 percent chance of reaching the playoffs. This is a franchise that can at least claim a wild-card berth with the right additions. And when the Guardians already have one of the lowest payrolls in MLB ($35.5 million), the absence of any meaningful spending is difficult to justify.

The Francisco Lindor trade was already a bit of a referendum on the Dolan family's ownership of the franchise. Dealing Ramirez would burn yet more goodwill with the fanbase.

The Toronto Blue Jays announced Wednesday that they acquired third baseman Matt Chapman from the Oakland Athletics for four players.

According to ESPN's Jeff Passan, the A's will receive a bevy of prospects for Chapman in the form of pitchers Gunnar Hoglund, Zach Logue and Kirby Snead, as well as shortstop Kevin Smith.

Per MLB.com, Hoglund is the Jays' No. 4 prospect, Smith is No. 9, Logue is No. 27 and Snead is not inside the top 30.

The 28-year-old Chapman is a one-time All-Star and is widely considered one of the best defensive players in baseball, having won three Gold Gloves, two Platinum Gloves and one Wilson Overall Defensive Player of the Year award.

Trading Chapman is the latest in a string of big moves the A's have made this offseason in an apparent attempt to rebuild.

Last week, Oakland dealt starting pitcher Chris Bassitt to the New York Mets for a pair of pitching prospects in J.T. Ginn and Adam Oller.

They followed that two days later by sending slugging All-Star first baseman Matt Olson to the Atlanta Braves for outfielder Cristian Pache, catcher Shea Langeliers and pitchers Ryan Cusick and Joey Estes.

In Chapman, the A's are losing one of their most talented players, as well as one of their glue guys due to his hard-nosed playing style.

He's spent each of his five MLB seasons in Oakland, and during that time he has hit .243 with 111 home runs, 296 RBI and 338 runs scored.

His best all-around season came in 2019 when he played elite defense and hit .249 with a career-high 36 home runs, 91 RBI and 102 runs. He finished sixth in the American League MVP voting.

Getting on base was an issue for Chapman last season, as he hit just .210 with an on-base percentage of .314, but he did club 27 homers and drive in 72 runs, which still gave him some value at the plate.

Even if Chapman's production doesn't return to 2019 levels, Toronto is set to receive a huge upgrade at the hot corner compared to last season.

In 2021, Santiago Espinal, Cavan Biggio and Joe Panik all saw extensive action at third base for the Jays.

Espinal and Panik are light-hitting guys better suited for utility roles, while Biggio can play second base and the outfield.

The Blue Jays missed the playoffs last season with a 91-71 record despite having one of the most stacked lineups in baseball, and it was mostly a case of playing in an American League East that had four teams with at least 90 wins.

Toronto is looking to run it back this season with an equally good lineup anchored by Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Bo Bichette, George Springer, Teoscar Hernandez and Chapman.

As for the A's, a return to the playoffs in 2022 after missing out with an 86-76 record in 2021 seems unlikely.

Bassitt, Olson and Chapman were three of Oakland's best players, and barring additional trades, the Athletics will have to rely heavily on the few core players who remain.

Frankie Montas and Sean Manaea are still present to anchor the starting rotation, but the lineup is a shell of its former self, and it is clear Oakland is playing the waiting game for its prospects to reach the big leagues.

The Toronto Blue Jays are reportedly looking to add a big lefty bat to their lineup.

According to The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal, Toronto has its eyes set on first baseman Freddie Freeman and left fielder Kyle Schwarber, but the team believes it has a better chance to land Schwarber. 

Rosenthal added that the Blue Jays face "intense" competition for Schwarber from teams like the Philadelphia Phillies.

Toronto's interest in the veteran slugger is believed to be substantial. Jon Heyman of MLB Network reported on Monday that the team is "making a big push" for him and is considered to be among the frontrunners to land him.

Schwarber, who split last season between the Washington Nationals and Boston Red Sox, is coming off a career year. The 29-year-old slashed .266/.374/.554 with 32 home runs in 471 plate appearances.

Schwarber played the 2021 season on a one-year, $10 million deal he signed with the Nationals. He declined an $11.5-million mutual option for 2022 in favor of testing the open market. The midseason trade made him ineligible to receive a qualifying offer.  

While the Blue Jays aren't believed to be the favorites to land Freeman, the team is still interested in the 2020 NL MVP. Freeman, who spent his entire 12-year career with the Atlanta Braves, is coming off another strong season in 2021 with a .300 batting average, 31 homers and 83 RBI.

The 32-year-old veteran is expected to be with a new team in 2022 after the Braves made a trade to acquire All-Star first baseman Matt Olson from the Oakland A's on Monday. Atlanta reportedly signed Olson to an eight-year, $168 million contract on Tuesday.

Left-handed starting pitcher Yusei Kikuchi and the Toronto Blue Jays have agreed to a three-year, $36 million contract, per Jon Heyman of MLB Network and Audacy Sports.

The 30-year-old Kikuchi spent the first three seasons of his MLB career with the Seattle Mariners. He went 7-9 with a 4.41 ERA (4.61 FIP, 1.32 WHIP) and 163 strikeouts in 157 innings last year.

Before arriving in the United States, Kikuchi pitched eight seasons for Nippon Professional Baseball's Saitama Seibu Lions, going 73-46 with a 2.77 ERA.

Kikuchi rounds out a loaded Blue Jays starting rotation on paper, and that's even with losing American League Cy Young winner Robbie Ray in free agency to the M's.

Roster Resource lists the Blue Jays rotation as Jose Berrios, Kevin Gausman, Hyun Jin Ryu, Alek Manoah and Kikuchi, in that order.

The Jays landed Gausman as a free agent with a five-year, $110 million deal.

Per Sportsnet, Toronto has also added left-hander Andrew Vasquez and relief pitcher Yimi Garcia to their pitching staff this year.

As for what's ahead for Toronto, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet gave an idea:

#BlueJays still expected to pursue an infielder. Options available on trade market & in free agency. But there should be more coming for Jays, who have focused on pitching so far this off-season.

— Ben Nicholson-Smith (@bnicholsonsmith) March 12, 2022

The 2021 Blue Jays went 91-71 and finished one game shy of earning the American League's second wild-card spot.

They took a few hits in free agency with Ray leaving for Seattle and middle infielder Marcus Semien going to the Texas Rangers, but they still have a solid, young core (e.g. Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Bo Bichette), some great veteran bats (e.g. George Springer, Teoscar Hernandez) and a solid pitching rotation that Kikuchi now rounds out.

Unvaccinated MLB players reportedly won't be able to enter Canada for games against the Toronto Blue Jays barring a change in the country's COVID-19 vaccine mandate for visitors before the 2022 season.

Sportsnet's Shi Davidi and Ben Nicholson-Smith reported Friday the situation was discussed during lockout talks between MLB and the MLB Players Association but that no action was taken before the sides agreed to a new collective bargaining agreement Thursday, ending a 99-day stalemate.

Unvaccinated players will be placed on the restricted list for games in Toronto, which means they'll miss out on pay and service time.

When Canada announced in February that it would ease travel requirements, it kept in place a ban on unvaccinated foreign nationals crossing the border.

Meanwhile, many countries had eased COVID-19 restrictions after two years of lockdowns and other measures.

While the nature of MLB's conversations with the MLBPA about the issue is unclear, it could have been related to whether players would be paid for missed games. And that could still be addressed before the season starts.

MLB put a vaccine mandate in place ahead of last year's playoffs for team employees. No such rules existed for players, and the league hasn't announced COVID-19-related rules heading into the 2022 season.

The NFL and NFL Players Association recently agreed to suspend COVID-19 protocols, saying operations would return to pre-pandemic standards.

MLB schedule details are still being finalized following the conclusion of the lockout.

The Blue Jays' first home series is set for April 8-10 against the Texas Rangers at Rogers Centre.