Bass, 35, was obtained from the Marlins at last year’s trade cutoff point. He recorded a 1.54 ERA over the course of the season between the two teams. The Blue Jays exercised a $3MM team option to retain him for 2023. However, his performance has regressed this season, as he currently holds a 4.95 ERA. His strikeout percentage from last year, which stood at 26.5%, has dropped to 21.6% in 2023. Furthermore, his walk percentage has risen from 7.3% to 10.2% and his ground ball percentage has decreased from 41.2% to 38.3%.
Companies endorsing the LGBTQ2S+ community were referred to as “sinister” and “malevolent” in a video posted on Instagram by the pitcher on May 29. The recent narrative surrounding Bass, as highlighted by Keegan Matheson of MLB.Com, is explained for those who may not be aware. Lately, Bass has garnered significant attention for various matters, extending beyond disappointing performances on the field.
There are definitely more steps that you should follow. We’re not going to pretend to be moving and ending like it’s going. John Schneider, the manager, said at that time that we’re not going to pretend like this never happened. Bass read a written apology last week, but he did not take any questions afterward.
“Isn’t that right? Everyone is entitled to their own beliefs, and Bass stated that eventually the video would be deleted. However, he felt that it was just too much of a distraction and he shared that he was more upset by the negative attention than the actual content of what he had shared. Modeste Sherwin, the executive director of Toronto Pride, was working with him and he maintained that he was committed to self-reflection. Although he did take the time to address the issue again yesterday when he met with the media.”
According to Matheson, the media will hear from Ross Atkins, the general manager, at 3pm Eastern/2pm Central. However, these plans have now been altered. It is reasonable to anticipate that Bass was going to receive the ceremonial first pitch at tonight’s game, which marks the beginning of Pride Weekend, as it was reported only yesterday. However, one could argue that this decision was simply based on Bass’s performance on the field and the return of White, as the exact reason for the Jays’ decision to make today’s move is not completely known.
Any other team has the option to sign him to the prorated league minimum while he is on the active roster, and the Blue Jays would still be responsible for paying that amount. If this scenario occurs, he would be able to decline being sent to a minor league team and choose to become a free agent, all while still receiving his full salary, due to his more than five years of service in the league. The Blue Jays now have a week to either trade Bass or try to pass him through waivers.
For now, he appears to have obtained tickets for relief efforts and is now pitching shorter appearances. He recently resumed his rehabilitation, but was forced to take a few days off in late May due to fatigue in his shoulder. Initially, he was participating in longer outings, seemingly preparing to return as a starting pitcher. However, he started his rehabilitation assignment in late April and has been on the injured list throughout the entire season. In February, he suffered from a shoulder impingement, followed by elbow inflammation in March. Despite these setbacks, he entered Spring Training ready to compete with Yusei Kikuchi for the fifth starter position. Following his acquisition from the Dodgers last year, he struggled with a 7.74 rating, although he had a 3.70 ERA at that time. This acquisition was made specifically for White.
The Toronto Blue Jays have a hole in their rotation, as Alek Manoah has recently been optioned and they have selected Francis Bowden, José Berríos, and Chris Bassitt as their starters for tomorrow. Kevin Gausman could also be a factor, as well as the bulk innings take by White, though he is still listed as TBD.