DUNEDIN, Fla. -- The Blue Jays have developed a powerful new recruiting group: players’ daughters.
Thursday morning, soon after news broke that Max Scherzer reportedly would be returning to the Blue Jays on a one-year deal, his wife, Erica, shared a letter that their daughter, Brooke, had written to the Blue Jays after last season.
“Dear Blue Jays,
I am so sorry that you didn’t win the World Series. I hope that you win next time. I hope my dad is back on the team. My whole family loves spending time in Toronto with our dad. We loved the aquarium, CN Tower and of course, the stadium. I am looking forward to coming back next season.
Love,
Max Scherzer’s daughter”
Earlier this offseason Kazuma Okamoto shared at his introductory press conference that at one point during his decision, he laid all 30 MLB logos in front of his daughter and she pointed at the Blue Jays’ logo right away.
Then we have Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who said that one of the hardest moments of his contract negotiation was when his daughter, Vlaimel, came to him and asked, “Daddy, are we going to stay in Toronto?” The $500 million probably helped, too, but the Blue Jays will take all the assists they can get.
The Blue Jays have pumped resources into their family facilities, especially at Rogers Centre in Toronto, which has resonated particularly with players who have young families. Chris Bassitt spoke highly of this in his years with the Blue Jays and so has Kevin Gausman, whose two young daughters spend plenty of time at the ballpark with him.
Now, the Scherzers -- and their kids -- are coming back for more.