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

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.”

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.