How Blue Jays move forward when players or staff face legal issues

TORONTO – Among the loudest ovations doled out to the Toronto Blue Jays during opening night’s pre-game introductions was the one a sell-out crowd showered on Pete Walker.

That the long-time pitching coach – entering his 10^th season in the role and 18^th with the organization, including stints as a player and minor-league instructor – would get love shouldn’t be surprising. Walker has grown into a coaching staff institution, revered for helping the likes of Marco Estrada, J.A. Happ, Robbie Ray and Steven Matz reach peak levels while supporting the transitions of prospects like Marcus Stroman, Aaron Sanchez and Alek Manoah.

Still, a positive reaction couldn’t be certain after Walker was arrested and charged last month for driving under the influence during spring training. On March 28 he entered a not guilty plea and is next due in Pinellas County Court on May 17, according to case records.

Friday’s reception offered an unscientific measure suggesting the public’s perception of Walker remains positive after the events of last month. And thus far, his status with the club is unaffected, with GM Ross Atkins telling reporters last week that “once we have clarity on the legal process, we’ll look to make a decision if there are things we need to do.”

In general terms, how does the team make that determination?

That’s handled on a case-by-case basis, according to Blue Jays president and CEO Mark Shapiro, beginning with allowing “the law to handle the circumstances initially and then after the law sorts it out, we determine how that should be handled from both a rules perspective and a culture perspective internally.”

For context, the Blue Jays have had others in the organization arrested over the past four years: Roberto Osuna (assault, May 2018) and Reese McGuire (exposure of sexual organs, February 2020), both of whom are no longer with the club.

As well, last April the club severed ties with Roberto Alomar, removing him from the Level of Excellence and taking down the Hall of Fame banner honouring him, when Major League Baseball placed him on the ineligible list after an allegation of sexual misconduct was investigated and reviewed by commissioner Rob Manfred.

MLB suspended Osuna for 75 games under its joint domestic violence policy and was traded to the Houston Astros before he was eligible to return (the Crown in an Ontario court eventually withdrew the assault charge and the right-hander agreed to a peace bond). McGuire, meanwhile, pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of disorderly conduct in Pinellas County Court, was levied a $450 fine and appeared in 97 games the past two seasons before he was traded to the Chicago White Sox last week.

The path forward in each instance is the product of a complicated calculus.

The legal process must come first “so that we're not left to be judge and jury,” says Shapiro, followed by “evaluating what that conclusion means to our ability to construct a positive, character-filled team culture.”

“If it's disruptive,” he continues, “it's safe to say it will probably impact the decision moving forward. If it's not, and we don't view it to be a reflection of the person's overall character but instead a mistake, or we feel like the teammates can deal with it on their own, then we don't make a change. It's way too circumstantial – you can't just take those comments and apply it to what we concluded (in each instance). It's more subtle than that. But the ultimate is we're making a decision based on how that player fits, how the teammates feel, what that incident means as a reflection of their overall character, not just one incident, and we reach a conclusion based upon that.”

Such a framework seems to bode well for Walker, whose overall character isn’t reflected in one incident. In a brief statement to media after his arrest, he said he is, “very apologetic to the Blue Jay organization, Blue Jays fans, and my family,” and was working toward a resolution with his lawyer.

The various considerations are why the Blue Jays don’t have a universal policy for such situations – “I just don't believe in absolutes … the world is grey. It is nuanced. And most of our decisions are nuanced,” explains Shapiro – and the executive generally cautions against putting too much emphasis on one incident rather than looking at the greater whole.

“We've had players here who may not have had those infractions, but may have been far more disruptive and far more disrespectful as a teammate and far more challenging to a culture,” adds Shapiro. “It's hard to use that as the barometer for whether someone fits in what would be an efficient, positive, respectful, teammate-driven culture."

“Get past the legal piece and think about when players cause disruption and inefficiency and distractions, are disrespectful or not great teammates, or disproportionately focus on themselves. They may not get arrested, but they probably don't fit within our culture, you know? Whereas (in general terms) there could be a player that makes a mistake ... and it's not an overall reflection of how they function within the team environment."

“So it’s not that easy for me just to say, ‘Well, this guy was bad. This guy's good.’ No. It’s like net-net, can we build the team we want to build with that guy here?”

BORDER RULES: The Texas Rangers came and left Toronto without any roster disruption related to Canada’s border-entry rules requiring visiting travellers to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Due next in town are the Oakland Athletics for a three-game visit beginning Friday, followed by a homestand starting April 25 that will include series against the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees, who could both be missing players ineligible for entry.

“No one's approached me” seeking help to get their players in, says Blue Jays president and CEO Mark Shapiro. “I've dealt with the league on that. We haven't approached the government. Since we increased capacity (at Rogers Centre to 30,000 fans) last year, the (federal government) made it pretty clear they're not making exceptions for athletes (to enter the country). I focus on us, not other teams, and ensuring that we're prepared to deal with that policy and making sure that it didn't affect us. The responsibility for the other teams lies with the other teams, not us.”

In the spring, both the Yankees and Red Sox said the removal of exemptions for certain classes of arriving travellers, announced in November before taking effect in January, were “a concern.” Pundits have suggested the border rules offered the Blue Jays an unfair advantage, either ignoring or unaware that the United States currently has the same border requirements.

Understandably, Shapiro has little tolerance for whinging. The Blue Jays opened up a season at their Rogers Centre home for the first time since 2019 after playing only 36 games in their home city during 2020 and 2021.

“We've had a disproportionate challenge for two years,” he says. “There's no question we've considered that in how we ran our team and how we acquired players and talked to our players and emphasized how important it is, that it could be an advantage for us in some circumstances this year. But net-net, if you were to weigh out who's had advantage and disadvantage, I'd still say we've had the hardest path over the past couple of years. So I'm not that sympathetic to complaints.”

EUROPE BOUND?: London may be calling the Blue Jays as part of the expanded international play plan included in the new collective bargaining agreement.

Regular-season games or tours will be staged in London, Paris, Mexico, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and Asia during the CBA’s lifespan, along with more special-event games like the Field of Dreams or Little League Classic contests.

“My understanding is every team will be involved in either an international game or one of the marquee games,” says Mark Shapiro. “We've expressed interest in the past in some of the international contests, some make more sense than others. If there's one in England that certainly makes the most sense for us. But I would imagine we will play somewhere internationally during the CBA.”