Breaking down the latest with Anthony Bass and his possible replacements

2 of 3

After taking another turn as a social media piñata this weekend, Anthony Bass gave a statement to the media at Rogers Centre just after 3:30 p.m. Tuesday afternoon which lasted about 35 seconds. He said, “I recognize yesterday that I made a [social media] post that was hurtful to the Pride community, which includes friends of mine and close family members of mine, and I am truly sorry for that.” He also mentioned that he’d spoken with his teammates and delivered the same message.

Anthony Bass did not take questions from the media. Here’s his statement.

“The ballpark is for everybody.” - Bass #BlueJays #Sportsnet pic.twitter.com/6t4SqKvs96
— Hazel Mae (@thehazelmae) May 30, 2023

This all stems from an Instagram story he’d shared Monday morning which was noted by blogTO. The story asked Christians to boycott U.S. retail chain Target and Bud Light beer due to the brands' support of LGBTQ rights. This is disappointing and comes just ahead of Pride month, which includes various Blue Jays promotions and a Blue Jays rainbow flag jersey giveaway to the first 15,000 fans on Pride weekend on June 10th.

Budweiser is also a Blue Jays corporate sponsor. The team issued a statement via Sportsnet here, but they turned off comments. The statement read as follows:

“The Blue Jays bring millions of fans together across Canada and are committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming experience for all. The Blue Jays are proud to celebrate LGBTQ2S+ Pride Month, including a special fourth annual Pride Weekend at the ballpark June 9 and 10, and demonstrations of allyship all month long around the ballpark. Individual player sentiments are not representative of the club’s beliefs."

Manager John Schneider also took questions from the media after Bass spoke, saying, “Every place should be a safe place to be, whether it’s in Toronto or around the league.” According to Schneider, the team didn’t suspend Bass, and said it didn’t get that far in terms of being a consideration.

#BlueJays manager John Schneider says Anthony Bass needs to go beyond making a statement:

"We’re not going to pretend like this never happened. We’re not going to pretend like it’s the end and move on. There are definitely more steps that are going to follow."
— Keegan Matheson (@KeeganMatheson) May 30, 2023

Should the Jays Cut Bait on Bass?

Sportsnet noted here that “the Blue Jays consulted with MLB and the players' association when they suspended Yunel Escobar for three games in September 2012 after the shortstop wore eye-black patches with a derogatory term for homosexuals written in Spanish on them”, and that MLB updated its code of conduct in 2013 to protect players from discrimination based on sexual orientation or race.

Blue Jay outfielder Kevin Pillar also received a two-game ban in May 2017 after directing a homophobic slur at Atlanta Braves pitcher Jason Motte.

Bass should certainly be reprimanded for his insensitive actions. Whether that involves a suspension may depend on discussions with MLB and the MLB Players Association.

Many are calling for the Jays to either trade or release the 35-year old Bass. Nick Ashbourne of Yahoo!Sports goes as far as saying that ”The Toronto Blue Jays can't employ Anthony Bass, the middle reliever, and avoid reckoning with Anthony Bass, the man.” Gregor Chisholm of the Toronto Star wrote, “Bass isn’t a core piece. He’s barely a replacement-level pitcher, which should make his potential departure easier to stomach.”

Bass melted down in the wild card game, he couldn't get anybody out in April, now he's endorsing the boycott of a corporate sponsor while offending the LGBTQ community. So why are #BlueJays still protecting him? Some guys aren't worth the hassle. https://t.co/6x8trwccdk
— Gregor Chisholm (@GregorChisholm) May 31, 2023

This front office did trade closer Roberto Osuna to Houston in July 2018 after he was suspended 75 games in June for violating Major League Baseball’s domestic violence policy. They’re unlikely to get much in return for Bass at this stage: he’s got a 4.50 ERA and 4.06 FIP this year in 18 innings pitched, with 18 strikeouts against 8 walks. His percentile rankings this year aren’t great as per Statcast.

Who could replace Bass?

Previous call-ups when Adam Cimber and Zach Pop were injured included Jay Jackson and Thomas Hatch, plus Pop could be nearing a return as well. They are all on the 40-man roster already. Other 40-man roster pitchers include Hagen Danner, Zach Thompson, Trent Thornton and Yosver Zulueta, plus Mitch White, Chad Green and Hyun Jin Ryu could all be nearing a return from the IL over the next few months. In fact, White resumed his rehab assignment in Triple-A Buffalo last Saturday after just being placed on the 60-day IL on May 23rd.

Zach Pop (hamstring) threw a bullpen Saturday at Blue Jays player development complex in Dunedin that went well. He also took fielding practice.

Logical next step for Pop would be facing hitters in live BP
— Arden Zwelling (@ArdenZwelling) May 28, 2023

Regardless of what the Blue Jays organization decides on Bass, there’s no place for bigotry, discrimination or racism in our society. In this specific situation, baseball stadiums should be places where everyone feels safe and included. Love is love, and hopefully Bass can learn from his mistakes and become a better man.

Home / Toronto Blue Jays News

Breaking down the latest with Anthony Bass and his possible replacements if the Blue Jays move on

Should the Jays Cut Bait on Bass?

Who could replace Bass?

Schedule