Ontario Sports News

MLB owners unanimously approve sale of Baltimore Orioles to group led by David Rubenstein

SportsNets - Wed, 03/27/2024 - 10:59

David Rubenstein’s purchase of the Baltimore Orioles was approved Wednesday by Major League Baseball owners, clearing the way for the Angelos family to finalize the sale after over three decades running the team.

Approval of 75% of all owners was required, and MLB said the vote was unanimous. It came the day before the team is scheduled to open the season at home against the Los Angeles Angels. Rubenstein and his investor group were expected to close the purchase later Wednesday.

“To own the Orioles is a great civic duty,” Rubenstein, a Carlyle Group Inc. co-founder, said in a statement. “On behalf of my fellow owners, I want the Baltimore community and Orioles fans everywhere to know that we will work our hardest to deliver for you with professionalism, integrity, excellence, and a fierce desire to win games.”

The Orioles scheduled a news conference for Thursday morning with Rubenstein and Maryland Gov. Wes Moore.

Angelos and his family took control of the Orioles in 1993, when Peter Angelos purchased the team for $173 million. Angelos’ health took a turn for the worse in recent years — he died Saturday at age 94 — and his son John has been the team’s chairman, CEO and control person since 2019.

“I thank John Angelos and his family for all they have done to bring us to this point,” Rubenstein said. “John led a dramatic overhaul of the team’s management, roster, recruitment strategy, and farm system in recent years. Our job is to build on these accomplishments to advance a world-class professional sports agenda — with eyes on returning a World Series trophy to Baltimore.”

Rubenstein’s group, which includes Cal Ripken Jr. and Grant Hill, reached an agreement in January to buy the Orioles for an evaluation worth $1.725 billion.

Rubenstein, a Baltimore native, formed Carlyle in 1987. Before that, he practiced law in Washington. From 1977-81, he was a deputy assistant for domestic policy to President Jimmy Carter.

The Orioles are coming off a 101-win season and their first AL East title since 2014. Hopes are high after the team acquired ace right-hander Corbin Burnes in a trade with Milwaukee. Young stars Adley Rutschman and Gunnar Henderson have performed like franchise cornerstones, and Baltimore has another top prospect still in the minors in Jackson Holliday.

With all of that cost-controlled talent, the team’s payroll remains meager, and the question is whether Rubenstein will be a more aggressive spender as the Orioles try to make the most of their opportunity to win a World Series for the first time since 1983.

Before the sale, the big off-season story for the Orioles was securing a long-term lease to stay at Camden Yards. That happened in December with a deal extending the lease for 30 years, with an option to end it after 15 if the team does not receive approval from state officials for development plans next to the stadium.

“Capping our organizational turnaround with a championship in perhaps the toughest division in sports, while fulfilling my pledge that the O’s would forever play ball in Charm City, dovetails perfectly with the privilege to now pass stewardship of Baltimore’s iconic team to a Baltimore native, passionate American, and celebrated philanthropist in David Rubenstein,” John Angelos said Wednesday. “The Orioles are in great hands, and the club, as well as the city and state that it calls home, are well positioned for success into the future.”

More from Sportsnet

How depth of Toronto Blue Jays’ roster will determine 2024 fate


Blue Jays Roundtable: What does success look like in 2024?

Report: City of Toronto approves BMO Field expansion for 2026 World Cup

SportsNets - Wed, 03/27/2024 - 10:54

With the 2026 FIFA World Cup just a couple of years away, the City of Toronto has approved a $37-million contract to temporarily expand the capacity at BMO Field, The Toronto Star reported Wednesday.

City council voted in favour of a temporary expansion contract in order for the stadium to meet FIFA’s capacity requirements of more than 45,000 fans.

Along with the installation of 17,500 seats that will be dismantled after the games are over, the work also includes installing broadcast studios, staircases and an elevator.

The winning bid for the project went to Arena Event Services, a United Arab Emirates-based firm that will work with local suppliers.

City councillor Paul Ainslie, who is the chair of the committee, believes the economic benefits the World Cup will provide justifies the city paying for the expansion. 

“I’m hoping we’re going to have lots of tourists, they’re going to come Toronto, spend their money, make our investment worthwhile,” Ainslie told reporters via The Toronto Star.

The Ontario government had conditionally committed to giving Toronto up to $97 million for the city’s FIFA World Cup hosting duties.

Toronto is set to host five games in the 2026 World Cup that will also see games in Vancouver, in addition to games in both the U.S. and Mexico.

Deputy Tourism, Culture and Sport Minister Sarah Harrison wrote to Toronto’s city manager in early December to confirm Ontario’s support for the event.

BMO Field is owned by the City of Toronto, but Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment operates and manages the facility that the CFL’s Toronto Argonauts and MLS club Toronto FC play out of.

More from Sportsnet

Canada set to face Messi, other heavyweights after qualifying for Copa America


Toronto mayor lays out FIFA oversight and advisory groups amid cost overrun concerns

NCAA president Charlie Baker wants to ban prop betting in college sports

SportsNets - Wed, 03/27/2024 - 09:31

 

Editor’s Note: Gambling problems aren’t only about losing money. They occur on a continuum, and can affect a person’s whole life. To learn more about developing a healthy relationship to gambling, and to find resources for support, click here.

 

In the midst of March Madness, the NCAA is pushing for states with legal wagering on sporting events to ban prop bets on college athletes.

“Sports betting issues are on the rise across the country with prop bets continuing to threaten the integrity of competition and leading to student-athletes getting harassed,” Baker said Wednesday in statement posted on social media. “The NCAA has been working with states to deal with these threats and many are responding by banning college prop bets.”

Prop bets — short for proposition bets — allow gamblers to wager on statistics a player will accumulate during a game rather than the final score.

Baker’s statement came two days after the NBA confirmed it opened an investigation into unusual betting patterns surrounding props involving Toronto Raptors forward Jontay Porter. The Raptors said Porter would miss his third consecutive game Wednesday for personal reasons.

As Sportsnet’s Michael Grange has reported, the Raptors big man, who will earn $415,000 this season, is being investigated by the NBA for manipulating his on-court performance for bettors who could benefit financially from knowing he would do so.

An ESPN report cited two instances where Porter left a game early and didn’t hit the thresholds required to surpass the betting line for his points, rebounds and assists totals in what is known as a “prop” bet.

In both instances, according to ESPN, DraftKings Sportsbook — one of the NBA’s four gambling-related sponsors — reported to the league that Porter’s prop bets were the most profitable of any prop bets placed on those specific dates.

Some NBA players and coaches have been outspoken recently about prop bets and how gamblers react when numbers fail to hit. Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton said his social media is filled with complaints and Cleveland Cavaliers coach J.B. Bickerstaff revealed he received threats from gamblers last season and reported it to the NBA.

Earlier this month, U.S. Integrity, a company used by many professional sports leagues and college conferences to monitor betting activity, flagged a Temple regular-season men’s basketball game for wagering irregularities.

The NCAA men’s and women’s basketball tournaments are a huge draw for gamblers. The American Gaming Association estimates $2.7 billion will be bet this year on March Madness through legal sportsbooks.

Several states including Colorado, Arizona, Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania and Oregon have rules prohibiting prop betting on college athletes that predate the NCAA’s recent push. Others such as Illinois, Connecticut and Iowa do not allow college athlete prop bets involving in-state teams.

Kansas, Michigan, Louisiana and Wyoming allow bettors to place prop bets on college athletes regardless of where they play.

The NCAA already has made some progress this year toward eliminating prop bets on college athletes. Gambling regulators in Ohio, Vermont and Maryland have removed prop betting on college athletes online and in sportsbooks. Baker and his staff are reaching out to regulators in other states to encourage similar bans.

The Ohio Casino Control Commission said last month in granting the NCAA’s request that prop bets last year on NCAA athletes with sports gaming operators in the state brought in approximately $104.6 million, which accounted for 1.35% of the total amount wagered. Prop bets on college athletes accounted for about 2.2% of wagers.

Chris Cylke, senior vice president for government relations for the American Gaming Association, said banning legal wagering on college player propositions would drive more bettors to illegal and offshore sportsbooks.

“While it is unclear how this advances our shared goal of reducing athlete harassment, we do know that driving customers to illegal channels will ultimately hinder the ability to monitor for and detect potential suspicious betting behavior,” Cylke said in a statement provided to The Associated Press.

The number of states that now allow some form of sports betting has grown to 38, plus the District of Columbia. Thirty states and the nation’s capital allow online wagering.

Companies that monitor sports betting for irregularities have warned college sports administrators that prop betting on unpaid athletes elevates the potential risk for a scandal because players can more easily influence their own performance than the overall outcome of a game.

The NCAA conducted a survey after last year’s basketball tournaments that found 58% of 18- to 22-year-olds are gambling.

Baker has said the proliferation of legal sports gambling has increased stress on college athletes.

“All that chatter about who’s playing, who’s not playing. Who’s sore, who’s not sore. What’s going on with the team you’re playing? What do you think your chances are? Which is just classic chatter, where — in a world where people are betting — takes on a whole new consequence,” Baker said in January before his address to membership at the NCAA convention.

The NCAA has partnered with a data science company called Signify, which also works with the NBA Players Association and WNBA, to identify online threats made to athletes during championship events that are linked to wagering.

“Basically tracks ugly, nasty stuff that’s being directed at people who are participating in their tournaments and we’d use it the same way,” Baker said in January. “And it can shut it down or basically block it. And in some cases even track back to where it came from.”

In October, the NCAA announced it would be advocating for state legislators to update laws to crack down on harassment of athletes, coaches and game officials and bolster integrity protections.

In West Virginia, NCAA officials worked with lawmakers to pass a bill that would allow betting regulators to ban people from wagering in the state online or at sportsbooks who have been found to have harassed players, coaches, or officials online or in person. The bill is awaiting a signature from Gov. Jim Justice.

San Diego State men’s basketball coach Brian Dutcher said he is concerned about how all the negative feedback impacts athletes’ mental health.

“People complaining about how they’re playing, missing shots, and they just get beat up constantly,” said Dutcher, whose team is playing in Boston in the Sweet 16 this week.

Illinois guard Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn said he encourages his teammates to ignore the criticism.

“I never really am on social media but in person someone would be like, ‘I’m going to bet the under on you.’ In that moment you can’t say anything,” Gibbs-Lawhorn said. “So I’m just like, ‘OK, good job.’ Like, I don’t know what you want me to say.”

With files from Sportsnet’s Michael Grange.

How depth of Toronto Blue Jays’ roster will determine 2024 fate

SportsNets - Wed, 03/27/2024 - 08:39

The Toronto Blue Jays’ quiet offseason could be interpreted as a big bet on the team’s core, but the club is more likely to differentiate itself with the bottom of its roster than the top this season.

Kevin Gausman has a Cy Young ceiling, and the team employs position players capable of delivering star-level performances, but this group doesn’t run on star power — like it did in 2021, when Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Marcus Semien were MVP candidates, Bo Bichette and Teoscar Hernández were worthy all-stars, and Robbie Ray won the Cy Young. 

The Blue Jays haven’t had a position player top 4.5 fWAR in a season over the past two years as Bo Bichette’s 2022 ranks 58th among all position-player campaigns by that metric. No one projects to get over 4.3 in 2024 according to FanGraphs’ ZiPS projection system.

A resurgent season by Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is a possibility, Daulton Varsho’s defensive mastery gives him a road to producing massive value if his bat heats up, George Springer could build on a big spring and Alejandro Kirk has started the All-Star Game at a premium position. There’s a chance a Blue Jay other than Gausman produces at a truly elite level, but that hasn’t been the case lately.

Watch Blue Jays Opening Day on Sportsnet


The Toronto Blue Jays are officially back as they begin the season with Jose Berrios on the mound against the Tampa Bay Rays. Watch Opening Day, beginning with a special edition of Blue Jays Central, beginning at 3 p.m. ET / noon PT on Thursday, March 28, on Sportsnet and Sportsnet+.

Broadcast schedule

It’s not fair to expect Toronto’s top dogs to match up to the superstar duo of Juan Soto and Aaron Judge in New York or the trio of Yordan Alvarez, Alex Bregman, and Kyle Tucker in Houston, for instance.

While that may sound grim, it’s also noteworthy that the Blue Jays’ depth is impressive — and seems likely to be a competitive advantage over its direct rivals. Most competitive clubs have competence at the bottom of their rosters, but Toronto has some possible difference-makers.

Alek Manoah is an excellent example. The range of possible outcomes for his season is massive — particularly as he deals with shoulder soreness — but no team in the majors has a fifth starter with the potential to reach the heights Manoah experienced in the first two years of his career. 

Behind him sits a starter who’s shown plenty of promise in the spring (Bowden Francis) and an experienced swingman who’s just discovered stuff that could radically boost his potential (Mitch White), with a $32 million international free agent wielding a compelling repertoire working his way into the mix (Yariel Rodriguez).

var adServerUrl = ""; var $el = $( "#video_container-415226" ); var permalink = $el.closest('.snet-single-article').data('permalink');

/* if ( "1" == true && 'undefined' !== typeof window.getIndexAds ) { var so = {preroll:{1:{1:{siteID:191888},2:{siteID:191889}}}}; adServerUrl = window.getIndexAds( 'http://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/ads?sz=640x360&cust_params=domain%3Dsportsnet.ca&iu=%2F7326%2Fen.sportsnet.web%2FVideo&ciu_szs=300x250&impl=s&gdfp_req=1&env=vp&output=vast&unviewed_position_start=1&ad_rule=1&vid=6349755755112&cmsid=384', so, permalink); } else { adServerUrl = "http://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/ads?sz=640x360&cust_params=domain%3Dsportsnet.ca&iu=%2F7326%2Fen.sportsnet.web%2FVideo&ciu_szs=300x250&impl=s&gdfp_req=1&env=vp&output=vast&unviewed_position_start=1&ad_rule=1&vid=6349755755112&cmsid=384"; } */ adServerUrl = "http://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/ads?sz=640x360&cust_params=domain%3Dsportsnet.ca&iu=%2F7326%2Fen.sportsnet.web%2FVideo&ciu_szs=300x250&impl=s&gdfp_req=1&env=vp&output=vast&unviewed_position_start=1&ad_rule=1&vid=6349755755112&cmsid=384"; var adServerUrl_result = adServerUrl.includes("cust_params"); var queryString=''; if(adServerUrl_result){ var gettheDUFI = localStorage.getItem("theRED_loc")

if(gettheDUFI){ queryString += "dufiid=" + gettheDUFI + '&'; queryString += "ppid=" + gettheDUFI + '&'; var ppid = "ppid=" + gettheDUFI + '&'; }

var DUFI_IP = sessionStorage.getItem("DUFI_IP")

if(DUFI_IP){ queryString += "dufiip=" + DUFI_IP + '&'; }

adServerUrl = adServerUrl.replace(/cust_params=/, ppid + 'cust_params=' + encodeURIComponent(queryString) ); }

$el.after( unescape("%3Cscript src=\"" + (document.location.protocol == "https:" ? "https://sb" : "http://b") + ".scorecardresearch.com/beacon.js\" %3E%3C/script%3E") );

$( document ).one( 'ready', function() { $( "#video_container-415226" ).SNPlayer( { bc_account_id: "1704050871", bc_player_id: "JCdte3tMv", //autoplay: true, //is_has_autoplay_switch: false, bc_videos: 6349755755112, is_has_continuous_play: "false", adserverurl: adServerUrl, section: "", thumbnail: "https://www.sportsnet.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/6349755755112-1024x576.jpg", direct_url: "https://www.sportsnet.ca/mlb/video/why-blue-jays-starter-depth-and-health-will-determine-their-al-finish/" }); });

var adServerUrl = ""; var $el = $( "#video_container-347839" ); var permalink = $el.closest('.snet-single-article').data('permalink'); /* if ( "1" == true && 'undefined' !== typeof window.getIndexAds ) { var so = {preroll:{1:{1:{siteID:191888},2:{siteID:191889}}}}; adServerUrl = window.getIndexAds( 'http://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/ads?sz=640x360&cust_params=domain%3Dsportsnet.ca&iu=%2F7326%2Fen.sportsnet.web%2FVideo&ciu_szs=300x250&impl=s&gdfp_req=1&env=vp&output=vast&unviewed_position_start=1&ad_rule=1&vid=6349755755112&cmsid=384', so, permalink); } else { adServerUrl = "http://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/ads?sz=640x360&cust_params=domain%3Dsportsnet.ca&iu=%2F7326%2Fen.sportsnet.web%2FVideo&ciu_szs=300x250&impl=s&gdfp_req=1&env=vp&output=vast&unviewed_position_start=1&ad_rule=1&vid=6349755755112&cmsid=384"; } */ adServerUrl = "http://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/ads?sz=640x360&cust_params=domain%3Dsportsnet.ca&iu=%2F7326%2Fen.sportsnet.web%2FVideo&ciu_szs=300x250&impl=s&gdfp_req=1&env=vp&output=vast&unviewed_position_start=1&ad_rule=1&vid=6349755755112&cmsid=384"; var adServerUrl_result = adServerUrl.includes("cust_params"); var queryString=''; if(adServerUrl_result){ var gettheDUFI = localStorage.getItem("theRED_loc") if(gettheDUFI){ queryString += "dufiid=" + gettheDUFI + '&'; queryString += "ppid=" + gettheDUFI + '&'; var ppid = "ppid=" + gettheDUFI + '&'; } var DUFI_IP = sessionStorage.getItem("DUFI_IP") if(DUFI_IP){ queryString += "dufiip=" + DUFI_IP + '&'; } adServerUrl = adServerUrl.replace(/cust_params=/, ppid + 'cust_params=' + encodeURIComponent(queryString) ); } $el.after( unescape("%3Cscript src=\"" + (document.location.protocol == "https:" ? "https://sb" : "http://b") + ".scorecardresearch.com/beacon.js\" %3E%3C/script%3E") ); $( document ).one( 'ready', function() { $( "#video_container-347839" ).SNPlayer( { bc_account_id: "1704050871", bc_player_id: "JCdte3tMv", //autoplay: false, //is_has_autoplay_switch: false, bc_videos: 6349755755112, is_has_continuous_play: "false", adserverurl: adServerUrl, section: "", thumbnail: "https://www.sportsnet.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/6349755755112-1024x576.jpg", direct_url: "https://www.sportsnet.ca/mlb/video/why-blue-jays-starter-depth-and-health-will-determine-their-al-finish/" }); });

In the bullpen, Toronto figures to open the season without its top two relievers, but still has multiple experienced late-inning arms like Yimi Garcia and Chad Green who’ve closed out games plenty in their careers. 

Down two bodies the Blue Jays have been able to turn to an ultra-talented fireballer (Nate Pearson) and a hard-throwing groundball specialist (Zach Pop) with a sub-4 ERA at the MLB level (3.94). The Tampa Bay Rays can seemingly conjure quality relievers out of thin air, but most other teams can’t and would be in a worse spot than the Blue Jays find themselves in now.

On the position-player side, the Blue Jays don’t have an everyday spot for Davis Schneider, who started off his career on a historic heater, crushed the ball at Triple-A last season, and projects for a wRC+ of 110 or above according to five of FanGraphs’ six projection systems. It’s possible that Joey Votto can still bang, and if he can he’ll be a heck of a bench asset as well. Maybe Daniel Vogelbach might just be what Blue Jays fans are dreaming Votto could be.

None of this is to say that Toronto’s offseason deserves to be lauded as a triumph, or that the Blue Jays 2024 upcoming campaign warrants unbridled optimism. There are plenty of reasons to be skeptical of this team’s core, the bottom of its lineup, and whether the seemingly minor injury issues on the pitching staff will sort themselves out.

There’s a reason the Blue Jays are projected to win between 85 and 88 games and haven’t generated the same level of buzz as they did prior to the last two or three seasons.

It’s just worth remembering that while the ways this team is underwhelming are front-and-centre, the things that give it an advantage over its opponents are more subtle. There is quality up and down this roster from its deep pitching staff to a versatile mix of position players that will allow the club to ride hot hands and hunt matchups better than it has in previous seasons.

Whether that’s enough to uplift the top of this roster remains to be seen — but if Toronto’s best players follow up their underperformance in 2023 with projection-beating output in 2024 the guys around them are unlikely to let them down.

More from Sportsnet

What to know about Ohtani, interpreter controversy


At The Letters: What’s ahead for Blue Jays in 2024?

Blue Jays Roundtable: What does success look like in 2024?

SportsNets - Wed, 03/27/2024 - 08:37

To say that the 2024 Toronto Blue Jays are facing a pivotal season would be putting it mildly. After being swept by the Minnesota Twins in last year’s playoffs, the Blue Jays aimed high in free agency only to end up with a team that — while certainly competitive — looks awfully similar to last year’s roster, a group that underwhelmed for much of the year.

With a new season approaching, it’s time to put the good and bad from the 2023 season behind us, but what should we expect from this year’s edition of the Blue Jays? Can their pitching staff repeat last year’s success? Can the likes of Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Alejandro Kirk, George Springer and Daulton Varsho bounce back at the plate? What about newcomers including Yariel Rodriguez, Justin Turner and — eventually — Joey Votto?

For some answers to those questions and more, we turn things over to our baseball writers on the eve of Opening Day, 2024:

Watch Blue Jays Opening Day on Sportsnet


The Toronto Blue Jays are officially back as they begin the season with Jose Berrios on the mound against the Tampa Bay Rays. Watch Opening Day, beginning with a special edition of Blue Jays Central, beginning at 3 p.m. ET / noon PT on Thursday, March 28, on Sportsnet and Sportsnet+.

Broadcast schedule

What’s the biggest Blue Jays-related question or issue no one’s talking about?

Jeff Blair
George Springer has escaped a lot of criticism and it worries me that 2023, one of his healthiest seasons, was also one of his worst. But I seem to be alone. I’ll bet Vernon Wells wishes he’d received the free pass that Springer gets.

David Singh
George Springer turns 35 this year and is coming off his worst season in years, at least from a WAR perspective. What if he doesn’t rebound and continues to trend downward?

Shi Davidi
Where is the next core of this team going to come from? The upper-level depth of the farm system gets talked about often — as long as he’s healthy Ricky Tiedemann will factor in at some point this year and so too might Orelvis Martinez and his raw power at second base — and they’ll help. But the Blue Jays have seven players eligible for free agency this fall and 10 more after 2025, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Bo Bichette and Jordan Romano chief among them. Barring some sudden surprises, and they happen, this doesn’t look like a farm system ready to replace all that talent, or that’s deep enough to trade from to acquire new core pieces, and money alone can’t plug that many holes.

Arden Zwelling
Drafting and developing. The Blue Jays are positioned to shed a lot of talent over the next couple of seasons, both via veterans aging out and younger players qualifying for free agency. It’s going to be exceedingly difficult for the organization to compensate for that if it doesn’t start producing more impactful big-leaguers from within.

Ben Nicholson-Smith
The questions on the pitching staff are pretty obvious, and we’ll all be watching the offence closely too. One thing that snuck up on them last year was their awful baserunning, though. Selective aggression is a good thing, but this team was third-last in baseball in stolen base success rate last year while also making more outs on the bases than all but four teams. When I look ahead at 2024, that’s one area that has to improve.

At the Letters


Ben Nicholson-Smith is Sportsnet’s baseball editor. Arden Zwelling is a senior writer. Together, they bring you the most in-depth Blue Jays podcast in the league, covering off all the latest news with opinion and analysis, as well as interviews with other insiders and team members.

Listen and Subscribe for free Follow Ben on Twitter Follow Arden on Twitter

Among the stars on this team, whose performance are you most intrigued by for the 2024 season?

Arden Zwelling
George Springer. His 104 wRC+ in 2023 simply wasn’t enough from a player who led the team in plate appearances. Outfielders entering their mid-30s aren’t typically great bets for prolific seasons. But the Blue Jays could really use one from Springer.

Jeff Blair
I’ve said I thought Bo Bichette will win multiple batting titles in his career. The first one will come in 2024.

David Singh
Has to be Vladimir Guerrero Jr. This team will go as far as he takes them.

Shi Davidi
No need to complicate this one — Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Everyone has been waiting for a follow-up season to his monster 2021 and the Blue Jays are definitely betting on it arriving this year. His swing looked great during spring training and he’s clearly in a good spot physically, so the ingredients are there for some MVP-calibre production.

Ben Nicholson-Smith
Yeah, it’s Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Not only does he have legitimate 40-homer upside, he just turned 25 years old. That makes him younger than Heston Kjerstad, the outfield prospect who’s considered part of the Orioles’ bright future. But where many 25-year-olds are just breaking in, Guerrero Jr. is just two seasons away from hitting free agency, adding to the stakes for 2024.

It was nine years ago that the Blue Jays first signed Guerrero Jr. We’ve been building up to this point for a while now, and it’s time to see what he can offer as the pressure builds. Based on the conversations I had this spring, few around the game will be surprised if he puts together a monster year.

var adServerUrl = ""; var $el = $( "#video_container-309131" ); var permalink = $el.closest('.snet-single-article').data('permalink');

/* if ( "1" == true && 'undefined' !== typeof window.getIndexAds ) { var so = {preroll:{1:{1:{siteID:191888},2:{siteID:191889}}}}; adServerUrl = window.getIndexAds( 'http://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/ads?sz=640x360&cust_params=domain%3Dsportsnet.ca&iu=%2F7326%2Fen.sportsnet.web%2FVideo&ciu_szs=300x250&impl=s&gdfp_req=1&env=vp&output=vast&unviewed_position_start=1&ad_rule=1&vid=6349579993112&cmsid=384', so, permalink); } else { adServerUrl = "http://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/ads?sz=640x360&cust_params=domain%3Dsportsnet.ca&iu=%2F7326%2Fen.sportsnet.web%2FVideo&ciu_szs=300x250&impl=s&gdfp_req=1&env=vp&output=vast&unviewed_position_start=1&ad_rule=1&vid=6349579993112&cmsid=384"; } */ adServerUrl = "http://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/ads?sz=640x360&cust_params=domain%3Dsportsnet.ca&iu=%2F7326%2Fen.sportsnet.web%2FVideo&ciu_szs=300x250&impl=s&gdfp_req=1&env=vp&output=vast&unviewed_position_start=1&ad_rule=1&vid=6349579993112&cmsid=384"; var adServerUrl_result = adServerUrl.includes("cust_params"); var queryString=''; if(adServerUrl_result){ var gettheDUFI = localStorage.getItem("theRED_loc")

if(gettheDUFI){ queryString += "dufiid=" + gettheDUFI + '&'; queryString += "ppid=" + gettheDUFI + '&'; var ppid = "ppid=" + gettheDUFI + '&'; }

var DUFI_IP = sessionStorage.getItem("DUFI_IP")

if(DUFI_IP){ queryString += "dufiip=" + DUFI_IP + '&'; }

adServerUrl = adServerUrl.replace(/cust_params=/, ppid + 'cust_params=' + encodeURIComponent(queryString) ); }

$el.after( unescape("%3Cscript src=\"" + (document.location.protocol == "https:" ? "https://sb" : "http://b") + ".scorecardresearch.com/beacon.js\" %3E%3C/script%3E") );

$( document ).one( 'ready', function() { $( "#video_container-309131" ).SNPlayer( { bc_account_id: "1704050871", bc_player_id: "JCdte3tMv", //autoplay: true, //is_has_autoplay_switch: false, bc_videos: 6349579993112, is_has_continuous_play: "false", adserverurl: adServerUrl, section: "", thumbnail: "https://www.sportsnet.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/6349579993112-1024x576.jpg", direct_url: "https://www.sportsnet.ca/mlb/video/guerrero-jr-says-blue-jays-have-one-goal-go-deep-in-the-playoffs/" }); });

var adServerUrl = ""; var $el = $( "#video_container-117015" ); var permalink = $el.closest('.snet-single-article').data('permalink'); /* if ( "1" == true && 'undefined' !== typeof window.getIndexAds ) { var so = {preroll:{1:{1:{siteID:191888},2:{siteID:191889}}}}; adServerUrl = window.getIndexAds( 'http://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/ads?sz=640x360&cust_params=domain%3Dsportsnet.ca&iu=%2F7326%2Fen.sportsnet.web%2FVideo&ciu_szs=300x250&impl=s&gdfp_req=1&env=vp&output=vast&unviewed_position_start=1&ad_rule=1&vid=6349579993112&cmsid=384', so, permalink); } else { adServerUrl = "http://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/ads?sz=640x360&cust_params=domain%3Dsportsnet.ca&iu=%2F7326%2Fen.sportsnet.web%2FVideo&ciu_szs=300x250&impl=s&gdfp_req=1&env=vp&output=vast&unviewed_position_start=1&ad_rule=1&vid=6349579993112&cmsid=384"; } */ adServerUrl = "http://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/ads?sz=640x360&cust_params=domain%3Dsportsnet.ca&iu=%2F7326%2Fen.sportsnet.web%2FVideo&ciu_szs=300x250&impl=s&gdfp_req=1&env=vp&output=vast&unviewed_position_start=1&ad_rule=1&vid=6349579993112&cmsid=384"; var adServerUrl_result = adServerUrl.includes("cust_params"); var queryString=''; if(adServerUrl_result){ var gettheDUFI = localStorage.getItem("theRED_loc") if(gettheDUFI){ queryString += "dufiid=" + gettheDUFI + '&'; queryString += "ppid=" + gettheDUFI + '&'; var ppid = "ppid=" + gettheDUFI + '&'; } var DUFI_IP = sessionStorage.getItem("DUFI_IP") if(DUFI_IP){ queryString += "dufiip=" + DUFI_IP + '&'; } adServerUrl = adServerUrl.replace(/cust_params=/, ppid + 'cust_params=' + encodeURIComponent(queryString) ); } $el.after( unescape("%3Cscript src=\"" + (document.location.protocol == "https:" ? "https://sb" : "http://b") + ".scorecardresearch.com/beacon.js\" %3E%3C/script%3E") ); $( document ).one( 'ready', function() { $( "#video_container-117015" ).SNPlayer( { bc_account_id: "1704050871", bc_player_id: "JCdte3tMv", //autoplay: false, //is_has_autoplay_switch: false, bc_videos: 6349579993112, is_has_continuous_play: "false", adserverurl: adServerUrl, section: "", thumbnail: "https://www.sportsnet.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/6349579993112-1024x576.jpg", direct_url: "https://www.sportsnet.ca/mlb/video/guerrero-jr-says-blue-jays-have-one-goal-go-deep-in-the-playoffs/" }); }); Moving to some complementary players, who’s someone off the radar who you could see having a legitimate impact on this team? A 2.0-WAR season, maybe.

Arden Zwelling
Are Bowden Francis and Ricky Tiedemann considered off the radar? If either throws 100 or more big-league innings, they could give you those two wins.

David Singh
I’ve believed in Bowden Francis since he joined the club last season and dominated out of the bullpen. Sure, it was mostly low-leverage, but this spring he’s taken another step forward and forced his way into the rotation. I expect him to grab the reins on his spot there and not let go.

Ben Nicholson-Smith
The clear pick here is Bowden Francis, and he does have that kind of upside, but I’ll add Joey Votto into the mix, too. If Albert Pujols can hit 24 home runs and post a 151 OPS+ at age 42, can Votto hit 15 home runs and post a 120 OPS+ at age 40? If healthy, I think he can.

Shi Davidi
Chad Green and Yimi Garcia immediately came to mind as a couple of guys lost a bit amid the focus on Jordan Romano, Erik Swanson and Tim Mayza, but it’s really hard for relievers to produce that much WAR. So instead, let’s look at Cavan Biggio. This is a little volatile because a right shoulder issue derailed his off-season and left him with a staggered spring buildup, but the player he was May 23 onwards, after he made some changes to his swing, produced a .266/.378/.407 hitter in 270 plate appearances. If the swing changes and his shoulder holds up, that type of contribution from a left-handed hitter will play much bigger than expected.

Jeff Blair
Don’t know about 2.0 WAR or if he’s complimentary, but I have a sneaking feeling Ricky Tiedemann is going to be tossing some significant innings in the majors in 2024. As far as someone on the roster right now? I think we’ll see Genesis Cabrera do more heavy lifting than expected. Not sure that’s a good thing, but…

var adServerUrl = ""; var $el = $( "#video_container-352520" ); var permalink = $el.closest('.snet-single-article').data('permalink');

/* if ( "1" == true && 'undefined' !== typeof window.getIndexAds ) { var so = {preroll:{1:{1:{siteID:191888},2:{siteID:191889}}}}; adServerUrl = window.getIndexAds( 'http://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/ads?sz=640x360&cust_params=domain%3Dsportsnet.ca&iu=%2F7326%2Fen.sportsnet.web%2FVideo&ciu_szs=300x250&impl=s&gdfp_req=1&env=vp&output=vast&unviewed_position_start=1&ad_rule=1&vid=6349755755112&cmsid=384', so, permalink); } else { adServerUrl = "http://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/ads?sz=640x360&cust_params=domain%3Dsportsnet.ca&iu=%2F7326%2Fen.sportsnet.web%2FVideo&ciu_szs=300x250&impl=s&gdfp_req=1&env=vp&output=vast&unviewed_position_start=1&ad_rule=1&vid=6349755755112&cmsid=384"; } */ adServerUrl = "http://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/ads?sz=640x360&cust_params=domain%3Dsportsnet.ca&iu=%2F7326%2Fen.sportsnet.web%2FVideo&ciu_szs=300x250&impl=s&gdfp_req=1&env=vp&output=vast&unviewed_position_start=1&ad_rule=1&vid=6349755755112&cmsid=384"; var adServerUrl_result = adServerUrl.includes("cust_params"); var queryString=''; if(adServerUrl_result){ var gettheDUFI = localStorage.getItem("theRED_loc")

if(gettheDUFI){ queryString += "dufiid=" + gettheDUFI + '&'; queryString += "ppid=" + gettheDUFI + '&'; var ppid = "ppid=" + gettheDUFI + '&'; }

var DUFI_IP = sessionStorage.getItem("DUFI_IP")

if(DUFI_IP){ queryString += "dufiip=" + DUFI_IP + '&'; }

adServerUrl = adServerUrl.replace(/cust_params=/, ppid + 'cust_params=' + encodeURIComponent(queryString) ); }

$el.after( unescape("%3Cscript src=\"" + (document.location.protocol == "https:" ? "https://sb" : "http://b") + ".scorecardresearch.com/beacon.js\" %3E%3C/script%3E") );

$( document ).one( 'ready', function() { $( "#video_container-352520" ).SNPlayer( { bc_account_id: "1704050871", bc_player_id: "JCdte3tMv", //autoplay: true, //is_has_autoplay_switch: false, bc_videos: 6349755755112, is_has_continuous_play: "false", adserverurl: adServerUrl, section: "", thumbnail: "https://www.sportsnet.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/6349755755112-1024x576.jpg", direct_url: "https://www.sportsnet.ca/mlb/video/why-blue-jays-starter-depth-and-health-will-determine-their-al-finish/" }); });

var adServerUrl = ""; var $el = $( "#video_container-762342" ); var permalink = $el.closest('.snet-single-article').data('permalink'); /* if ( "1" == true && 'undefined' !== typeof window.getIndexAds ) { var so = {preroll:{1:{1:{siteID:191888},2:{siteID:191889}}}}; adServerUrl = window.getIndexAds( 'http://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/ads?sz=640x360&cust_params=domain%3Dsportsnet.ca&iu=%2F7326%2Fen.sportsnet.web%2FVideo&ciu_szs=300x250&impl=s&gdfp_req=1&env=vp&output=vast&unviewed_position_start=1&ad_rule=1&vid=6349755755112&cmsid=384', so, permalink); } else { adServerUrl = "http://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/ads?sz=640x360&cust_params=domain%3Dsportsnet.ca&iu=%2F7326%2Fen.sportsnet.web%2FVideo&ciu_szs=300x250&impl=s&gdfp_req=1&env=vp&output=vast&unviewed_position_start=1&ad_rule=1&vid=6349755755112&cmsid=384"; } */ adServerUrl = "http://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/ads?sz=640x360&cust_params=domain%3Dsportsnet.ca&iu=%2F7326%2Fen.sportsnet.web%2FVideo&ciu_szs=300x250&impl=s&gdfp_req=1&env=vp&output=vast&unviewed_position_start=1&ad_rule=1&vid=6349755755112&cmsid=384"; var adServerUrl_result = adServerUrl.includes("cust_params"); var queryString=''; if(adServerUrl_result){ var gettheDUFI = localStorage.getItem("theRED_loc") if(gettheDUFI){ queryString += "dufiid=" + gettheDUFI + '&'; queryString += "ppid=" + gettheDUFI + '&'; var ppid = "ppid=" + gettheDUFI + '&'; } var DUFI_IP = sessionStorage.getItem("DUFI_IP") if(DUFI_IP){ queryString += "dufiip=" + DUFI_IP + '&'; } adServerUrl = adServerUrl.replace(/cust_params=/, ppid + 'cust_params=' + encodeURIComponent(queryString) ); } $el.after( unescape("%3Cscript src=\"" + (document.location.protocol == "https:" ? "https://sb" : "http://b") + ".scorecardresearch.com/beacon.js\" %3E%3C/script%3E") ); $( document ).one( 'ready', function() { $( "#video_container-762342" ).SNPlayer( { bc_account_id: "1704050871", bc_player_id: "JCdte3tMv", //autoplay: false, //is_has_autoplay_switch: false, bc_videos: 6349755755112, is_has_continuous_play: "false", adserverurl: adServerUrl, section: "", thumbnail: "https://www.sportsnet.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/6349755755112-1024x576.jpg", direct_url: "https://www.sportsnet.ca/mlb/video/why-blue-jays-starter-depth-and-health-will-determine-their-al-finish/" }); }); 2024 will be a failure if the Blue Jays…

Ben Nicholson-Smith
Don’t advance past the wild-card series. Look, I know baseball playoffs are largely random and it’s maybe a touch dramatic to say there’s no possibility of a good season if they don’t advance, but ask the players. Ask the fans. No one would be happy with another easy exit, nor should they be. The goal is to build a team deep and talented enough to win in October, not shrug your shoulders and say ‘well, those are the breaks.’ The Blue Jays have much of what they need already, and should be prepared to add an elite reliever or a right-handed bat as needed at the deadline.

Shi Davidi
Aren’t in the post-season. There is, objectively, a lot of talent on this team and a deep pitching staff. One rival executive said to me a few days ago that the Blue Jays were his pick to win the AL East. Another told me their projections had the Blue Jays second to the Rays in the division. But you can also see the window starting to close on this group, making each opportunity especially precious.

David Singh
Don’t advance deep into the post-season. It’s not good enough to just win a game, or even a round. The window is getting smaller for this team.

Arden Zwelling
Don’t keep their best players healthy and productive; don’t reach a divisional series; don’t produce two or three above-average big-leaguers from within the organization.

Jeff Blair
If this team doesn’t win a playoff series. Who or where or how doesn’t matter. That’s it. That’s all.

Blair & Barker


Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker talk all things Blue Jays and MLB. Airing live on Sportsnet 590 The FAN and available wherever you get your podcasts.

Listen and Subscribe for free Follow Blair on Twitter

2024 will be a success if the Blue Jays…

Jeff Blair

Win a playoff series — which likely means Guerrero, Jr., hits 40 bombs and four pitchers make at least 30 starts.

Shi Davidi
They win a series or two in the post-season and play to their potential in October, avoiding the type of calamity that befell them the past two falls. There’s something to the playoffs being a crapshoot and its small sample-size randomness, but the Astros also find ways to consistently factor in every year. Executing in the moment the way they seem to do is the next step for the Blue Jays and the results then will be what they’ll be.

David Singh
Enjoy a long playoff run. Sure, every team wants to capture the World Series but for this team, advancing past a few post-season rounds will help everyone in the organization breathe a little easier.

Arden Zwelling
Opposite of above. Keep their best players healthy and productive; reach a divisional series; produce two or three above-average big-leaguers from within.

Ben Nicholson-Smith
Reach the ALCS. Again, I know this sounds super simplistic, but there are so few scenarios where the Blue Jays make it that far and the organizational positives don’t outweigh the negatives.

More from Sportsnet

MLB Preview Roundtable: 2024 sleepers, awards and predictions


Why committing to the Toronto Blue Jays this year feels different

What to know about Ohtani, interpreter controversy

SportsNets - Wed, 03/27/2024 - 07:41

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Only a week has passed since the Los Angeles Dodgers abruptly fired Ippei Mizuhara, the translator and constant companion of their new $700 million slugger, Shohei Ohtani.

But the biggest story of baseball’s spring is still murky — and shocking — as the regular season begins in earnest Thursday.

The scandal encompasses gambling, alleged theft, extensive deceit and the breakup of an enduring partnership between the majors’ biggest star and his right-hand man. Investigations are being undertaken by the IRS and Major League Baseball, and Ohtani publicly laid out a version of events Monday that placed the responsibility entirely on Mizuhara.

Here are the basics as Ohtani and the Dodgers prepare for their home opener against St. Louis on Thursday:

WHY WAS IPPEI MIZUHARA FIRED BY THE DODGERS?

Ohtani claims his close friend repeatedly took money from his accounts to fund his illegal sports gambling habit. Ohtani also says he was completely unaware of the “massive theft,” as his lawyers termed it, until Mizuhara confessed to him and the Dodgers last week in South Korea, where the team opened its regular season against the San Diego Padres.

Mizuhara has given more than one version of his path to this trouble, which was catalyzed by the IRS’ investigation of Mathew Bowyer, an alleged illegal bookmaker. Mizuhara has consistently said he has a gambling addiction, and he abused his close friendship with the Dodgers’ superstar to feed it.

var adServerUrl = ""; var $el = $( "#video_container-582502" ); var permalink = $el.closest('.snet-single-article').data('permalink');

/* if ( "1" == true && 'undefined' !== typeof window.getIndexAds ) { var so = {preroll:{1:{1:{siteID:191888},2:{siteID:191889}}}}; adServerUrl = window.getIndexAds( 'http://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/ads?sz=640x360&cust_params=domain%3Dsportsnet.ca&iu=%2F7326%2Fen.sportsnet.web%2FVideo&ciu_szs=300x250&impl=s&gdfp_req=1&env=vp&output=vast&unviewed_position_start=1&ad_rule=1&vid=6349755359112&cmsid=384', so, permalink); } else { adServerUrl = "http://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/ads?sz=640x360&cust_params=domain%3Dsportsnet.ca&iu=%2F7326%2Fen.sportsnet.web%2FVideo&ciu_szs=300x250&impl=s&gdfp_req=1&env=vp&output=vast&unviewed_position_start=1&ad_rule=1&vid=6349755359112&cmsid=384"; } */ adServerUrl = "http://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/ads?sz=640x360&cust_params=domain%3Dsportsnet.ca&iu=%2F7326%2Fen.sportsnet.web%2FVideo&ciu_szs=300x250&impl=s&gdfp_req=1&env=vp&output=vast&unviewed_position_start=1&ad_rule=1&vid=6349755359112&cmsid=384"; var adServerUrl_result = adServerUrl.includes("cust_params"); var queryString=''; if(adServerUrl_result){ var gettheDUFI = localStorage.getItem("theRED_loc")

if(gettheDUFI){ queryString += "dufiid=" + gettheDUFI + '&'; queryString += "ppid=" + gettheDUFI + '&'; var ppid = "ppid=" + gettheDUFI + '&'; }

var DUFI_IP = sessionStorage.getItem("DUFI_IP")

if(DUFI_IP){ queryString += "dufiip=" + DUFI_IP + '&'; }

adServerUrl = adServerUrl.replace(/cust_params=/, ppid + 'cust_params=' + encodeURIComponent(queryString) ); }

$el.after( unescape("%3Cscript src=\"" + (document.location.protocol == "https:" ? "https://sb" : "http://b") + ".scorecardresearch.com/beacon.js\" %3E%3C/script%3E") );

$( document ).one( 'ready', function() { $( "#video_container-582502" ).SNPlayer( { bc_account_id: "1704050871", bc_player_id: "JCdte3tMv", //autoplay: true, //is_has_autoplay_switch: false, bc_videos: 6349755359112, is_has_continuous_play: "false", adserverurl: adServerUrl, section: "", thumbnail: "https://www.sportsnet.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/6349755359112-1024x576.jpg", direct_url: "https://www.sportsnet.ca/mlb/video/how-dodgers-can-avoid-distraction-from-ohtanis-interpreter-controversy/" }); });

var adServerUrl = ""; var $el = $( "#video_container-528858" ); var permalink = $el.closest('.snet-single-article').data('permalink'); /* if ( "1" == true && 'undefined' !== typeof window.getIndexAds ) { var so = {preroll:{1:{1:{siteID:191888},2:{siteID:191889}}}}; adServerUrl = window.getIndexAds( 'http://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/ads?sz=640x360&cust_params=domain%3Dsportsnet.ca&iu=%2F7326%2Fen.sportsnet.web%2FVideo&ciu_szs=300x250&impl=s&gdfp_req=1&env=vp&output=vast&unviewed_position_start=1&ad_rule=1&vid=6349755359112&cmsid=384', so, permalink); } else { adServerUrl = "http://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/ads?sz=640x360&cust_params=domain%3Dsportsnet.ca&iu=%2F7326%2Fen.sportsnet.web%2FVideo&ciu_szs=300x250&impl=s&gdfp_req=1&env=vp&output=vast&unviewed_position_start=1&ad_rule=1&vid=6349755359112&cmsid=384"; } */ adServerUrl = "http://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/ads?sz=640x360&cust_params=domain%3Dsportsnet.ca&iu=%2F7326%2Fen.sportsnet.web%2FVideo&ciu_szs=300x250&impl=s&gdfp_req=1&env=vp&output=vast&unviewed_position_start=1&ad_rule=1&vid=6349755359112&cmsid=384"; var adServerUrl_result = adServerUrl.includes("cust_params"); var queryString=''; if(adServerUrl_result){ var gettheDUFI = localStorage.getItem("theRED_loc") if(gettheDUFI){ queryString += "dufiid=" + gettheDUFI + '&'; queryString += "ppid=" + gettheDUFI + '&'; var ppid = "ppid=" + gettheDUFI + '&'; } var DUFI_IP = sessionStorage.getItem("DUFI_IP") if(DUFI_IP){ queryString += "dufiip=" + DUFI_IP + '&'; } adServerUrl = adServerUrl.replace(/cust_params=/, ppid + 'cust_params=' + encodeURIComponent(queryString) ); } $el.after( unescape("%3Cscript src=\"" + (document.location.protocol == "https:" ? "https://sb" : "http://b") + ".scorecardresearch.com/beacon.js\" %3E%3C/script%3E") ); $( document ).one( 'ready', function() { $( "#video_container-528858" ).SNPlayer( { bc_account_id: "1704050871", bc_player_id: "JCdte3tMv", //autoplay: false, //is_has_autoplay_switch: false, bc_videos: 6349755359112, is_has_continuous_play: "false", adserverurl: adServerUrl, section: "", thumbnail: "https://www.sportsnet.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/6349755359112-1024x576.jpg", direct_url: "https://www.sportsnet.ca/mlb/video/how-dodgers-can-avoid-distraction-from-ohtanis-interpreter-controversy/" }); });

DID SHOHEI OHTANI EVER BET ON SPORTS?

That’s the biggest question to be answered in Major League Baseball’s investigation, and the two-time AL MVP emphatically says he has never gambled on sports or asked anybody to bet on sports for him.

Further, Ohtani said Monday he has never knowingly paid a bookie to cover somebody else’s bets. Mizuhara also said Ohtani does not bet, and Bowyer’s attorney said the same.

Mizuhara told ESPN on March 19 that Ohtani paid his gambling debts at the interpreter’s request, saying the bets were on international soccer, the NBA, the NFL and college football. If that were true, Ohtani could face trouble even if he didn’t make the bets himself — but ESPN said Mizuhara dramatically changed his story the following day, claiming Ohtani had no knowledge of the gambling debts and had not transferred any money to bookmakers.

MLB rules prohibit players and team employees from wagering — even legally — on baseball. They also ban betting on other sports with illegal or offshore bookmakers.

WHAT’S NEXT FOR OHTANI?

Ohtani has played in every Dodgers game since the story broke, and is expected to be their designated hitter in most regular-season games this season while baseball’s investigation continues.

Ohtani says his legal team has alerted authorities to the theft by Mizuhara, although his team has repeatedly declined to say which authorities have been told, according to ESPN.

Ohtani’s new interpreter is Will Ireton, a longtime Dodgers employee and fluent Japanese speaker who has filled several jobs with the team in everything from game preparation and analytics to recruiting free-agent pitches. But Ireton won’t be Ohtani’s constant companion, and manager Dave Roberts said Tuesday he’s optimistic that Ohtani will become closer to his teammates without the “buffer” provided for years by Mizuhara.

var adServerUrl = ""; var $el = $( "#video_container-444480" ); var permalink = $el.closest('.snet-single-article').data('permalink');

/* if ( "1" == true && 'undefined' !== typeof window.getIndexAds ) { var so = {preroll:{1:{1:{siteID:191888},2:{siteID:191889}}}}; adServerUrl = window.getIndexAds( 'http://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/ads?sz=640x360&cust_params=domain%3Dsportsnet.ca&iu=%2F7326%2Fen.sportsnet.web%2FVideo&ciu_szs=300x250&impl=s&gdfp_req=1&env=vp&output=vast&unviewed_position_start=1&ad_rule=1&vid=6349743054112&cmsid=384', so, permalink); } else { adServerUrl = "http://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/ads?sz=640x360&cust_params=domain%3Dsportsnet.ca&iu=%2F7326%2Fen.sportsnet.web%2FVideo&ciu_szs=300x250&impl=s&gdfp_req=1&env=vp&output=vast&unviewed_position_start=1&ad_rule=1&vid=6349743054112&cmsid=384"; } */ adServerUrl = "http://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/ads?sz=640x360&cust_params=domain%3Dsportsnet.ca&iu=%2F7326%2Fen.sportsnet.web%2FVideo&ciu_szs=300x250&impl=s&gdfp_req=1&env=vp&output=vast&unviewed_position_start=1&ad_rule=1&vid=6349743054112&cmsid=384"; var adServerUrl_result = adServerUrl.includes("cust_params"); var queryString=''; if(adServerUrl_result){ var gettheDUFI = localStorage.getItem("theRED_loc")

if(gettheDUFI){ queryString += "dufiid=" + gettheDUFI + '&'; queryString += "ppid=" + gettheDUFI + '&'; var ppid = "ppid=" + gettheDUFI + '&'; }

var DUFI_IP = sessionStorage.getItem("DUFI_IP")

if(DUFI_IP){ queryString += "dufiip=" + DUFI_IP + '&'; }

adServerUrl = adServerUrl.replace(/cust_params=/, ppid + 'cust_params=' + encodeURIComponent(queryString) ); }

$el.after( unescape("%3Cscript src=\"" + (document.location.protocol == "https:" ? "https://sb" : "http://b") + ".scorecardresearch.com/beacon.js\" %3E%3C/script%3E") );

$( document ).one( 'ready', function() { $( "#video_container-444480" ).SNPlayer( { bc_account_id: "1704050871", bc_player_id: "JCdte3tMv", //autoplay: true, //is_has_autoplay_switch: false, bc_videos: 6349743054112, is_has_continuous_play: "false", adserverurl: adServerUrl, section: "", thumbnail: "https://www.sportsnet.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/6349743054112-1024x576.jpg", direct_url: "https://www.sportsnet.ca/mlb/video/will-ohtanis-interpreter-controversy-affect-dodgers-odds-or-chances/" }); });

var adServerUrl = ""; var $el = $( "#video_container-749533" ); var permalink = $el.closest('.snet-single-article').data('permalink'); /* if ( "1" == true && 'undefined' !== typeof window.getIndexAds ) { var so = {preroll:{1:{1:{siteID:191888},2:{siteID:191889}}}}; adServerUrl = window.getIndexAds( 'http://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/ads?sz=640x360&cust_params=domain%3Dsportsnet.ca&iu=%2F7326%2Fen.sportsnet.web%2FVideo&ciu_szs=300x250&impl=s&gdfp_req=1&env=vp&output=vast&unviewed_position_start=1&ad_rule=1&vid=6349743054112&cmsid=384', so, permalink); } else { adServerUrl = "http://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/ads?sz=640x360&cust_params=domain%3Dsportsnet.ca&iu=%2F7326%2Fen.sportsnet.web%2FVideo&ciu_szs=300x250&impl=s&gdfp_req=1&env=vp&output=vast&unviewed_position_start=1&ad_rule=1&vid=6349743054112&cmsid=384"; } */ adServerUrl = "http://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/ads?sz=640x360&cust_params=domain%3Dsportsnet.ca&iu=%2F7326%2Fen.sportsnet.web%2FVideo&ciu_szs=300x250&impl=s&gdfp_req=1&env=vp&output=vast&unviewed_position_start=1&ad_rule=1&vid=6349743054112&cmsid=384"; var adServerUrl_result = adServerUrl.includes("cust_params"); var queryString=''; if(adServerUrl_result){ var gettheDUFI = localStorage.getItem("theRED_loc") if(gettheDUFI){ queryString += "dufiid=" + gettheDUFI + '&'; queryString += "ppid=" + gettheDUFI + '&'; var ppid = "ppid=" + gettheDUFI + '&'; } var DUFI_IP = sessionStorage.getItem("DUFI_IP") if(DUFI_IP){ queryString += "dufiip=" + DUFI_IP + '&'; } adServerUrl = adServerUrl.replace(/cust_params=/, ppid + 'cust_params=' + encodeURIComponent(queryString) ); } $el.after( unescape("%3Cscript src=\"" + (document.location.protocol == "https:" ? "https://sb" : "http://b") + ".scorecardresearch.com/beacon.js\" %3E%3C/script%3E") ); $( document ).one( 'ready', function() { $( "#video_container-749533" ).SNPlayer( { bc_account_id: "1704050871", bc_player_id: "JCdte3tMv", //autoplay: false, //is_has_autoplay_switch: false, bc_videos: 6349743054112, is_has_continuous_play: "false", adserverurl: adServerUrl, section: "", thumbnail: "https://www.sportsnet.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/6349743054112-1024x576.jpg", direct_url: "https://www.sportsnet.ca/mlb/video/will-ohtanis-interpreter-controversy-affect-dodgers-odds-or-chances/" }); });

WHAT DON’T WE KNOW?

MLB’s investigation of Ohtani’s role in the events could last weeks or months, and it’s unlikely to be publicized until it’s complete. No one outside of Ohtani’s inner circle knows what it will find or how serious any repercussions could be, and nobody outside the circle is making informed speculation about the process.

One major question looms: How did Mizuhara have enough access to Ohtani’s bank accounts to get the alleged millions without Ohtani knowing? Is the slugger overly trusting, or is he wildly negligent in managing his vast fortune, which includes years of lavish endorsement deals in addition to his baseball salaries? Why didn’t the team around him, including his agent, do more to prevent the possibility of the theft he claims?

Finally, where is Mizuhara? Anybody who knows isn’t saying. He was fired in South Korea and apparently didn’t travel home with the Dodgers. Japanese media have visited his home in Southern California to look for him. Although born in Japan, Mizuhara’s life is in the U.S. — but his life will never be the same.

More from Sportsnet

With Ohtani’s name at stake, MLB has a ready scapegoat


Dodgers’ Ohtani says he never bet on sports, interpreter stole money, told lies

At The Letters: What’s ahead for Blue Jays in 2024?

SportsNets - Wed, 03/27/2024 - 06:26

With the 2024 season about to begin, Arden and Ben start with the latest news out of Blue Jays camp (00:39) before discussing the high stakes for the coming season (38:07) and whether the team has enough bats (53:02).

‘You couldn’t script it any better’: Hockey fans celebrate Josh Doan’s big night

SportsNets - Tue, 03/26/2024 - 22:11

It might be time to give the NHL script writers a raise.

In his first NHL game, with his dad Shane watching on, Josh Doan scored his first NHL goal against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday and brought the Mullett Arena crowd to its feet.

To make the script even more perfect, he did it wearing No. 91, a reference to his father’s No. 19 which is almost certainly the most iconic jersey in Coyotes franchise history.

And if that wasn’t enough for you, while playing with Arizona State, he also scored the first goal in the history of Mullett Arena.

Talk about a guy who knows how to make a debut.

To make it even sweeter, Scottsdale’s favourite son doubled up in the third period with a cheeky tip-in to give the Coyotes the lead and build on a night to remember.

With this score, he also became the first skater in franchise history to record multiple goals in their NHL debut.

var adServerUrl = ""; var $el = $( "#video_container-464086" ); var permalink = $el.closest('.snet-single-article').data('permalink');

/* if ( "1" == true && 'undefined' !== typeof window.getIndexAds ) { var so = {preroll:{1:{1:{siteID:191888},2:{siteID:191889}}}}; adServerUrl = window.getIndexAds( 'http://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/ads?sz=640x360&cust_params=domain%3Dsportsnet.ca&iu=%2F7326%2Fen.sportsnet.web%2FVideo&ciu_szs=300x250&impl=s&gdfp_req=1&env=vp&output=vast&unviewed_position_start=1&ad_rule=1&vid=6349784922112&cmsid=384', so, permalink); } else { adServerUrl = "http://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/ads?sz=640x360&cust_params=domain%3Dsportsnet.ca&iu=%2F7326%2Fen.sportsnet.web%2FVideo&ciu_szs=300x250&impl=s&gdfp_req=1&env=vp&output=vast&unviewed_position_start=1&ad_rule=1&vid=6349784922112&cmsid=384"; } */ adServerUrl = "http://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/ads?sz=640x360&cust_params=domain%3Dsportsnet.ca&iu=%2F7326%2Fen.sportsnet.web%2FVideo&ciu_szs=300x250&impl=s&gdfp_req=1&env=vp&output=vast&unviewed_position_start=1&ad_rule=1&vid=6349784922112&cmsid=384"; var adServerUrl_result = adServerUrl.includes("cust_params"); var queryString=''; if(adServerUrl_result){ var gettheDUFI = localStorage.getItem("theRED_loc")

if(gettheDUFI){ queryString += "dufiid=" + gettheDUFI + '&'; queryString += "ppid=" + gettheDUFI + '&'; var ppid = "ppid=" + gettheDUFI + '&'; }

var DUFI_IP = sessionStorage.getItem("DUFI_IP")

if(DUFI_IP){ queryString += "dufiip=" + DUFI_IP + '&'; }

adServerUrl = adServerUrl.replace(/cust_params=/, ppid + 'cust_params=' + encodeURIComponent(queryString) ); }

$el.after( unescape("%3Cscript src=\"" + (document.location.protocol == "https:" ? "https://sb" : "http://b") + ".scorecardresearch.com/beacon.js\" %3E%3C/script%3E") );

$( document ).one( 'ready', function() { $( "#video_container-464086" ).SNPlayer( { bc_account_id: "1704050871", bc_player_id: "JCdte3tMv", //autoplay: true, //is_has_autoplay_switch: false, bc_videos: 6349784922112, is_has_continuous_play: "false", adserverurl: adServerUrl, section: "", thumbnail: "https://www.sportsnet.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/6349784922112-1024x576.jpg", direct_url: "https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/video/josh-doan-sets-franchise-record-with-second-goal-in-debut/" }); });

var adServerUrl = ""; var $el = $( "#video_container-856176" ); var permalink = $el.closest('.snet-single-article').data('permalink'); /* if ( "1" == true && 'undefined' !== typeof window.getIndexAds ) { var so = {preroll:{1:{1:{siteID:191888},2:{siteID:191889}}}}; adServerUrl = window.getIndexAds( 'http://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/ads?sz=640x360&cust_params=domain%3Dsportsnet.ca&iu=%2F7326%2Fen.sportsnet.web%2FVideo&ciu_szs=300x250&impl=s&gdfp_req=1&env=vp&output=vast&unviewed_position_start=1&ad_rule=1&vid=6349784922112&cmsid=384', so, permalink); } else { adServerUrl = "http://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/ads?sz=640x360&cust_params=domain%3Dsportsnet.ca&iu=%2F7326%2Fen.sportsnet.web%2FVideo&ciu_szs=300x250&impl=s&gdfp_req=1&env=vp&output=vast&unviewed_position_start=1&ad_rule=1&vid=6349784922112&cmsid=384"; } */ adServerUrl = "http://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/ads?sz=640x360&cust_params=domain%3Dsportsnet.ca&iu=%2F7326%2Fen.sportsnet.web%2FVideo&ciu_szs=300x250&impl=s&gdfp_req=1&env=vp&output=vast&unviewed_position_start=1&ad_rule=1&vid=6349784922112&cmsid=384"; var adServerUrl_result = adServerUrl.includes("cust_params"); var queryString=''; if(adServerUrl_result){ var gettheDUFI = localStorage.getItem("theRED_loc") if(gettheDUFI){ queryString += "dufiid=" + gettheDUFI + '&'; queryString += "ppid=" + gettheDUFI + '&'; var ppid = "ppid=" + gettheDUFI + '&'; } var DUFI_IP = sessionStorage.getItem("DUFI_IP") if(DUFI_IP){ queryString += "dufiip=" + DUFI_IP + '&'; } adServerUrl = adServerUrl.replace(/cust_params=/, ppid + 'cust_params=' + encodeURIComponent(queryString) ); } $el.after( unescape("%3Cscript src=\"" + (document.location.protocol == "https:" ? "https://sb" : "http://b") + ".scorecardresearch.com/beacon.js\" %3E%3C/script%3E") ); $( document ).one( 'ready', function() { $( "#video_container-856176" ).SNPlayer( { bc_account_id: "1704050871", bc_player_id: "JCdte3tMv", //autoplay: false, //is_has_autoplay_switch: false, bc_videos: 6349784922112, is_has_continuous_play: "false", adserverurl: adServerUrl, section: "", thumbnail: "https://www.sportsnet.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/6349784922112-1024x576.jpg", direct_url: "https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/video/josh-doan-sets-franchise-record-with-second-goal-in-debut/" }); });

Josh, 22, was selected in the second round (37th overall) of the 2021 NHL Draft by the Coyotes. He then signed a three-year, entry-level contract in March 2023.

With the way his NHL career started, we are sure it won’t be the first time he gives Coyotes fans something to cheer about.

Here are some of the best reactions to the feel-good moment: