That’s fantastic news! The Toronto Blue Jays are always an exciting team to watch. Securing a contract worth $100 million is a significant achievement and speaks volumes about the player’s talent and value to the team. It’ll be interesting to see how this contract negotiation unfolds and how it impacts the team’s performance in the upcoming seasons.
Absolutely! It’s great to hear that the Toronto Blue Jays are in the running for such a substantial contract. A deal of $100 million signifies a major commitment, both financially and strategically, from the team’s perspective. It shows their dedication to securing top talent and investing in their success on the field. This kind of news generates excitement among fans and sets high expectations for the upcoming seasons. The negotiations will undoubtedly be closely watched by baseball enthusiasts eager to see how it shapes the team’s roster and competitiveness.
While José Bautista headlined Toronto’s weekend series at Rogers Centre, there was a fair amount of other news around the Blue Jays.
From reliever Julian Merryweather’s return to a bevy of injury updates and more, here’s the latest around the team:
Merryweather Returns, Reflects on Blue Jays Days
Julian Merryweather came to Toronto facing insurmountable expectations. A 26-year-old prospect pitcher midway through a Tommy John recovery, Merryweather had the burden of being traded for 2015 AL MVP, Josh Donaldson.
For a glimmering moment in 2021, it looked like Merryweather might overcome at least part of that burden, dicing through the Yankees lineup to earn the team’s first save of the season. But, injuries and home runs ultimately became the subhead of his Blue Jays chapter. When Merryweather was claimed off waivers by the Cubs in 2022, he finished his Toronto tenure with a 5.64 ERA in just 52.2 innings.
Merryweather looks back at his Toronto days fondly, the 31-old said. It was full of firsts — debut, first save, first win — but it was also packed with inconsistency and IL stints. Now a regular in the Cubs bullpen having the best year of his career, the righty credits “learning his body” for being able to stay healthy in 2023.
“It’s kind of been helping me stay a little bit more healthy and on the field, just feeling better day to day. It’s probably the biggest adjustment, just being healthy,” Merryweather said. “That leads to staying in games and learning through the experience of being in games, just kind of adds up.”
After locking down the win in Saturday’s game against the Jays, Merryweather pushed his record to 4-0 with a 3.44 ERA and 11.9 K/9. Most importantly, he’s doubled his career innings pitched total this year alone, avoiding the IL entirely. He’s never going to be Donaldson, but Merryweather’s finally finding consistent health and success in the big leagues.
“Julian’s been through a lot injury wise, especially with us,” manager John Schneider said. “From a baseball standpoint and a human standpoint, it’s nice to see a guy healthy and doing well.”
