Jays will be getting clearance to return home to play: sources
TORONTO Their bags are packed and the Toronto Blue Jays are set to fly north.
Sources told Postmedia that government clearance for the Major League Baseball team to return to Canada is expected early in the week. With that in mind, the team is making arrangements to transport staff and players to Rogers Centre around mid-week. Some were training in the Dunedin, Fla., area, with others at various spots around North America.
The team expects to play all 30 of its 2020 home games at Rogers Centre against its regular American League East opponents, as well as those from the National League East. After reaching an agreement last Tuesday on a 60-game season, Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association have restructured the divisions to make travel easier in this most unusual shortened season. There will be 10 playoff teams.
There will be no fans in the stands at any of the games at Rogers Centre, per previous comments from team president Mark Shapiro. Opening day is slated for “around July 24.” MLB had asked the players to report for training by Wednesday.
Various Blue Jays players and staffers recently tested positive for COVID-19, which is an obvious concern. Shapiro has acknowledged that they expect more positives. Having said that, the team is confident it can be safe and that its players will follow safety protocols above and beyond what is recommended in MLB’S 100-page return-to-play manual.
“Any time you do comprehensive tests, the numbers go up,” Shapiro said on a Friday conference call with Jays beat reporters. “We are testing every single person at intake. That’s going to be part of the transition process into creating the closed environment as much as possible around our players.
“It will be very important for it to be a collaborative effort that will take a partnership between us and the players. There are many things within our control that enable us to stay healthy. The players are going to be constantly educated on that and provided protection wherever possible.”
The team is not yet confirming any of the details of the return to Canada, but general manager Ross Atkins is expected to comment later in the week. Players had recently been told to be ready for a potential trip to Canada.
“We have to deal with the reality that we have logistical issues that we have 60 players and staff to transport. If we delay a decision too long, there are implications in our readiness and competitiveness. We are working on an accelerated time frame and we need to make a decision very soon,” Shapiro had said on Friday.
The Blue Jays organization, Shapiro in particular, had been lobbying all levels of Canadian government for six weeks now. The other 29 American-based MLB teams are planning to play their home games in their normal parks, but there currently is a non-essential travel ban between Canada and the U.S. to navigate.
“There is more comfort coming to Toronto and conducting training camp here under the conditions and circumstances here,” Shapiro said.
Shapiro spoke then of creating “a modified quarantine for our players and if we move to a regular season scenario for visiting players.”
“That would be in addition to the MLB protocol.”
Shapiro had said the Blue
Jays weren’t seeking “extreme special treatment” from Canadian governments and health authorities and that the team is “understanding and deferential to public health and safety” concerns. Shapiro on Friday had also thanked Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Toronto Mayor John Tory for their openness during discussions.
“Their guidance and support has been very strong throughout the entire time I’ve been talking. It’s been encouraging.”
Toronto revealed most of its 60-man player pool for the return to play later Sunday. Top prospect Nate Pearson was on the list, as expected, along with several of the club’s other most glittery youngsters, such as
Alek Manoah, Jordan Groshans, Simeon Woods Richardson and Alejandro Kirk.
There is also room for recent No. 5 overall draft pick Austin Martin should he be signed, since only 58 spots were filled.
We are testing every single person at intake. That’s going to be part of the transition process into creating the closed environment as much as possible.