TORONTO – Day one of the 2020 draft could hardly have gone better for the Toronto Blue Jays, who landed a player widely considered a top-two talent despite picking fifth overall.
In Austin Martin, they selected someone whose contact skills, plate discipline and emerging power make him one of the best pure hitting prospects in the game. On defence, he’s versatile enough to play centre field, second base or shortstop – the position at which the Blue Jays officially drafted him.
But of course selecting Martin only gets the Blue Jays so far. Next up, they must sign a player who may have been expecting a larger payday. If Martin had been selected second overall, the recommended bonus would have been $7.79 million. Three spots later, the suggested bonus is $6.18 million. But each additional dollar the Blue Jays allocate to the Scott Boras client comes out of their total draft pool of $9,716,500.
Clearly, there’s some accounting work ahead for the Blue Jays, yet the front office was aware of all this when it was their turn to pick. And still, they wanted Martin.
“We were extremely happy that Austin was there,” GM Ross Atkins said. “We were prepared for that. We had worked through that scenario (and) have had dialogue with his representation as well. We felt very good about making the selection.”
In other words, the Blue Jays are well aware of the negotiation that awaits. But after signing Hyun-jin Ryu, their once-frosty relationship with Boras has thawed, and Atkins sounds like someone who’s legitimately excited to add Martin to the organization.
In the meantime, the Blue Jays selected four more college players Thursday evening. Here’s an initial look at the rest of the Blue Jays’ 2020 draft class.
MLB comp: Dan O’Dowd of MLB Network compared Van Eyk to Ian Kennedy, who started 289 games in the major-leagues before moving to a relief role with the Royals last year.
With a 1.31 ERA in four starts before the NCAA suspended its season, Van Eyk was generating some first-round buzz. Instead, a prospect who pitched to a 3.21 ERA over the course of three seasons at Florida State was available on day two. Van Eyk generated strikeouts in bunches during his college career and was consistently hard to hit, but he did walk 83 in 176.2 career innings at FSU.
Along with a fastball in the 90-95 m.p.h. range, he throws a curveball and a change-up that, according to Baseball America, has “sinking action that fools hitters on both sides.” That mix will presumably allow Van Eyk to continue starting when he begins his pro career – whenever that is.
He was also highly regarded as a high school pitcher (at George M. Steinbrenner High School, of all places) though some questions surfaced at the time due to a forearm issue. The Mets took a late-round flier on him in 2017 only to see him head to Florida State instead.
Trent Palmer, RHP, Jacksonville
Round: 3 Age: 21 Height: 6-foot-1 Weight: 230 lbs
Recommended bonus: $805,600
Baseball America rank: 165 MLB Pipeline rank: 114
In three seasons at Jacksonville, Palmer started just nine total games, but that might undersell his potential out of the rotation. Before the pandemic led to the suspension of NCAA action, Palmer had a 1.30 ERA in four starts with 41 strikeouts compared to just five walks. He achieved those results with a fastball in the 92-96 m.p.h. range and two off-speed pitches Baseball America describes as above-average: his slider and change-up.
With a full season like that, he would certainly have gone higher than the third round, but under the circumstances there were enough questions about Palmer to make him available here. Among them: can he improve his command, and will he be a starter long-term? Even last summer, when Palmer impressed in the Cape Cod League with a 1.45 ERA, he was pitching in relief. Plus, at 6-foot-1, 230 lbs, he doesn’t have a traditional pitcher’s frame.
“He doesn’t look imposing, but he’s very strong, athletic and intelligent,” Jacksonville coach Chris Hayes recently told Gene Frenette of the Florida Times-Union. “I think he’s going to surprise a lot of people. Trent doesn’t look like a big-leaguer. He just acts like one.”
Palmer has a repeatable delivery, according to Baseball America, and the Blue Jays tend to develop pitchers as starters until they prove they can’t start. With that in mind, Palmer’s likely to debut in the rotation once he signs and remain there unless he falters.
Nick Frasso, RHP, Loyola Marymount
Round: 4 Age: 21 Height: 6-foot-5 Weight: 190 lbs
Recommended bonus: $549,000
Baseball America rank: 107 MLB Pipeline rank: 98
There’s no denying the athleticism and potential here. Frasso has been clocked up to 97 m.p.h., according to Baseball America, and the former high school basketball star can still dunk with apparent ease.
The questions for the Blue Jays revolve around health and role. Before the shutdown, Frasso suffered an injury to his forearm/elbow area that impacted his draft stock. And despite his upside, he has limited experience starting with just 15 college starts compared to 22 relief appearances.
Still, that fastball is intriguing and Frasso also boasts a high-spin rate slider, according to Baseball America. His third pitch, a change-up, is still developing, but there’s obvious upside if Frasso can overcome this spring’s injury issues and refine those secondary offerings a little more.
Zach Britton, OF, Louisville
Round: 5 Age: 21 Bats: Left Throws: Right Height: 6-foot-1 Weight: 200 lbs
Recommended bonus: $410,100
Baseball America rank: 192 MLB Pipeline rank: N.A.
Until now, the most memorable Zach Britton-related moment in Blue Jays history occurred when Orioles manager Buck Showalter declined to use his dominant closer in the 2016 AL Wild Card Game that the Blue Jays eventually won.
Perhaps this selection will give Blue Jays fans another reason for fond Britton-related memories. This left-handed hitter slashed .280/.395/.455 over the course of three seasons at Louisville, including a .322 average before action stopped this spring. He has doubles power thanks to what Baseball America describes as “a pretty lefthanded swing with good bat speed and some impressive exit velocity numbers.”
At this stage he doesn’t have tons of power or projected defensive ability, but that offensive track record certainly is intriguing.
LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — A top official of the Pakistan Cricket Board declined Friday to confirm media reports that India has decided against playing any games in host Pakistan during next year’s Champions Trophy.
“My view is if there’s any problems, they (India) should tell us in writing,” PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi told reporters in Lahore. “I’ll share that with the media as well as with the government as soon as I get such a letter.”
Indian media reported Friday that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has communicated its concerns to all the Champions Trophy stakeholders, including the PCB, over the Feb. 19-March 9 tournament and would not play in arch-rival Pakistan.
The Times of India said that “Dubai is a strong candidate to host the fixtures involving the Men in Blue” for the 50-over tournament.
Such a solution would see Pakistan having to travel to a neutral venue to play India in a group match, with another potential meeting later in the tournament if both teams advanced from their group. The final is scheduled for March 9 in Pakistan with the specific venue not yet decided.
“Our stance is clear,” Naqvi said. “They need to give us in writing any objections they may have. Until now, no discussion of the hybrid model has happened, nor are we prepared to accept one.”
Political tensions have stopped bilateral cricket between the two nations since 2008 and they have competed in only multi-nation tournaments, including ICC World Cups.
“Cricket should be free of politics,” Naqvi said. “Any sport should not be entangled with politics. Our preparations for the Champions Trophy will continue unabated, and this will be a successful event.”
The PCB has already spent millions of dollars on the upgrade of stadiums in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi which are due to host 15 Champions Trophy games. Naqvi hoped all the three stadiums will be ready over the next two months.
“Almost every country wants the Champions Trophy to be played here (in Pakistan),” Naqvi said. “I don’t think anyone should make this a political matter, and I don’t expect they will. I expect the tournament will be held at the home of the official hosts.”
Eight countries – Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, England, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Afghanistan – are due to compete in the tournament, the schedule of which is yet to be announced by the International Cricket Council.
“Normally the ICC announces the schedule of any major tournament 100 days before the event, and I hope they will announce it very soon,” Naqvi said.
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Ottawa‘s Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe of New Zealand are through to the doubles final at the WTA Finals after a 7-6 (7), 6-1 victory over Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the United States and Australia’s Ellen Perez in semifinal action Friday.
Dabrowski and Routliffe won a hard-fought first set against serve when Routliffe’s quick reaction at the net to defend a Perez shot gave the duo set point, causing Perez to throw down her racket in frustration.
The second seeds then cruised through the second set, winning match point on serve when Melichar-Martinez couldn’t handle Routliffe’s shot.
The showdown was a rematch of last year’s semifinal, which Melichar-Martinez and Perez won in a super tiebreak.
Dabrowski and Routliffe will face the winner of a match between Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend, and Hao-Ching Chan and Veronika Kudermetova in the final on Saturday.
Dabrowski is aiming to become the first Canadian to win a WTA Finals title.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.
Inter Milan winger Tajon Buchanan, recovered from a broken leg suffered in training at this summer’s Copa America, is back in Jesse Marsch’s Canada squad for the CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal against Suriname.
The 25-year-old from Brampton, Ont., underwent surgery July 3 to repair a fractured tibia in Texas.
Canada, ranked 35th in the world, plays No. 136 Suriname on Nov. 15 in Paramaribo. The second leg of the aggregate series is four days later at Toronto’s BMO Field.
There is also a return for veteran winger Junior Hoilett, who last played for Canada in June in a 4-0 loss to the Netherlands in Marsch’s debut at the Canadian helm. The 34-year-old from Brampton, now with Scotland’s Hibernian, has 15 goals in 63 senior appearances for Canada.
Midfielder Ismael Kone, recovered from an ankle injury sustained on club duty with France’s Marseille, also returns. He missed Canada’s last three matches since the fourth-place Copa America loss to Uruguay in July.
But Canada will be without centre back Derek Cornelius, who exited Marseille’s win Sunday over Nantes on a stretcher after suffering an apparent rib injury.
The Canadian men will prepare for Suriname next week at a camp in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
“We are looking forward to getting the group together again with the mindset that there is a trophy on the line,” Marsch said in a statement. “We want to end 2024 the right way with two excellent performances against a competitive Suriname squad and continue building on our tremendous growth this past summer.”
The quarterfinal winners advance to the Nations League Finals at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., with the two semifinals scheduled for March 20 and the final and third-place playoff March 23, and qualify for the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup.
Thirteen of the 23 players on the Canadian roster are 25 or younger, with 19-year-old defender Jamie Knight-Lebel, currently playing for England’s Crewe Alexandra on loan from Bristol City, the youngest.
Bayern Munich star Alphonso Davies captains the side with Stephen Eustaquio, Jonathan Osorio, Richie Laryea, Alistair Johnston and Kamal Miller adding veteran support.
Jonathan David, Cyle Larin and Theo Bair are joined in attack by Minnesota United’s Tani Oluwaseyi.
Niko Sigur, a 21-year-old midfielder with Croatia’s Hadjuk Split, continues in the squad after making his debut in the September friendly against Mexico.
Suriname made it to the Nations League quarterfinals by finishing second to Costa Rica in Group A of the Nations League, ahead of No. 104 Guatemala, No. 161 Guyana and unranked Martinique and Guadeloupe.
“A good team,” Osorio said of Suriname. “These games are always tricky and they’re not easy at all … Suriname is a (former) Dutch colony and they’ll have Dutch players playing at high levels.”
“They won’t be someone we overlook at all,” added the Toronto FC captain, who has 81 Canada caps to his credit.
Located on the northeast coast of South America between Guyana and French Guiana, Suriname was granted independence in 1975 by the Netherlands.
Canada has faced Suriname twice before, both in World Cup qualifying play, winning 4-0 in suburban Chicago in June 2021 and 2-1 in Mexico City in October 1977.
The Canadian men, along with Mexico, the United States and Panama, received a bye into the final eight of the CONCACAF Nations League.
Canada, No. 2 in the CONCACAF rankings, drew Suriname as the best-placed runner-up from League A play.
Canada lost to Jamaica in last year’s Nations League quarterfinal, ousted on the away-goals rule after the series ended in a 4-4 draw. The Canadians lost 2-0 to the U.S. in the final of the 2022-23 tournament and finished fifth in 2019-20.
Canada defeated Panama 2-1 last time out, in an Oct. 15 friendly in Toronto.
Goalkeepers Maxime Crepeau and Jonathan Sirois, defenders Joel Waterman, Laryea and Miller and Osorio took part in a pre-camp this week in Toronto for North America-based players.
Canada Roster
Goalkeepers: Maxime Crepeau, Portland Timbers (MLS); Jonathan Sirois, CF Montreal (MLS); Dayne St. Clair, Minnesota United FC (MLS).
Defenders: Moise Bombito, OGC Nice (France); Alphonso Davies, Bayern Munich (Germany); Richie Laryea, Toronto FC (MLS); Alistair Johnston, Celtic (Scotland); Jamie Knight-Lebel. Crewe Alexandra, on loan from Bristol City (England); Kamal Miller, Portland Timbers (MLS); Joel Waterman, CF Montreal (MLS).
Midfielders: Ali Ahmed. Vancouver Whitecaps (MLS); Tajon Buchanan, Inter Milan (Italy); Mathieu Choiniere, Grasshopper Zurich (Switzerland); Stephen Eustaquio, FC Porto (Portugal); Junior Hoilett, Hibernian FC (Scotland); Ismael Kone, Olympique Marseille (France); Jonathan Osorio, Toronto FC (MLS); Jacob Shaffelburg, Nashville SC (MLS); Niko Sigur, Hadjuk Split (Croatia).
Forwards: Theo Bair, AJ Auxerre (France); Jonathan David, LOSC Lille (France); Cyle Larin, RCD Mallorca (Spain); Tani Oluwaseyi, Minnesota United (MLS).
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.
