Spring Threat: Can The Real Team Canada Please Stand Up?

Photo credit:Sportsnet

7 years ago

Team Canada vs Pseudo Team Canada. Which one is which? That’s up to you to decide!

The Blue Jays will play a World Baseball Classic tune-up game against Team Canada, featuring our friend Dalton Pompey and, uh, not a hell of a lot else! It’s certainly a toned down Canada squad, as missing Joey Votto, Michael Saunders, Jameson Tallion, and others, but it’s fun to watch a random scrap heap of Canadians you may or may not have heard of nonetheless!

News and Scuttlebutt

An interesting note from Jeff Passan here, as apparently Jose Bautista turned down “well over $50 million in guaranteed money” to take the one-year (with two options years) deal with the Blue Jays. He goes on to say that it wasn’t clear which team it was that offered him the contract, but that Jose said he’s comfortable and happy in Toronto. I remember there being talk about him getting into contract talks with Minnesota and Tampa Bay, but I doubt the tight-wallet Rays would have offered him that much. Who the fuck cares, really! Jose Bautista is a Blue Jay, and it’s a damn great thing. Whether this is nonsense PR or not, it doesn’t really matter. I think we can all agree Jose wanted to play here, has unfinished business here, and likely wants to finish his career rocking the blue and white.

Stoeten will have more on this in an in-depth piece later on, but apparently Devon Travis might not be ready for the beginning of the regular season. That sucks, obviously, but with the volume of health issues Travis has had throughout his young career, and how important he is to the team long-term, it’s necessary to take this one slow. Plus, I’m guessing the Jays might be inclined to put Travis on the DL to begin the season so, as I’ve said before, they aren’t forced to put Ryan Goins on waivers, and can do so later on when rosters aren’t as fluid.

TV: MLBN, MLB.tv

Radio: SNET, MLBN

And now, the lineups…