"Tell him we want our hat back" - Blue Jays skipper John Schneider takes playful jab at Shohei Ohtani ahead of first visit to Canada since free agency
This weekend will mark Shohei Ohtani's first visit to Toronto since his historic, $700 million offseason deal with the Dodgers. While fans of MLB's only Canadian club will undoubtedly be looking for a glimpse of the star, do not expect many to have forgotten the offseason drama that existed between their club and the star.
Ahead of his December signing in LA, the Toronto Blue Jays were considered a prime candidate to land the 2023 AL MVP. In the days that preceded Ohtani's deal with the Dodgers, he was reported to have had a meeting with the Blue Jays. Speaking to Sportsnet earlier this week, Jays skipper John Schneider referenced what could have been:
“I thought we had him. If anything, tell him we want our Blue Jay hat back after our meeting. But, no, it’s just a good team coming in that we’re looking to play well against.”
The speculation that a deal between the Toronto Blue Jays and Ohtani was so strong last winter that several fans began tracking flights that the 29-year old could presumably be on. In the end, their efforts bore no fruit, and no such flights were uncovered.
Coming into the three-game weekend series in Toronto, Shohei Ohtani and the Dodgers have a 16-11 record. Currently the best team in their division, the NL West, the Dodgers are also fresh off of a three-game sweep of the Washington Nationals in DC.
"Shohei Ohtani CRUSHES a 450-FOOT HR. (via @MLB)" - Bleacher Report
For John Schneider and the Blue Jays, the situation is not so rosy. Now 13-13, the Jays lost three straight games to the Kansas City Royals coming into this series, and are currently tied with the Rays for the last place in the American League East.
Shohei Ohtani's unrelenting talent makes him hard to dislike
Known for being one of the more passionate fanbases, even the Jays faithful cannot hold Shohei Ohtani's snub of their team against him. Over his past 162 games, the Japanese superstar has hit .313 with 50 home runs and over 120 runs scored. With numbers like these, not even Schneider can throw shade, as he continued to tell Sportsnet:
"He’s a great player. You don’t like watching him from the other side of the dugout, but you have to appreciate how good he is. But, yeah, it’ll be interesting to see how the fans welcome him.”
For the first time since 2016, fans in Toronto will have a chance to watch the Dodgers. Only this time, the opposing roster will feature the one that got away.