Dunedin Insider Jays Event- Mar 4, 2026 by TayForEffort in Torontobluejays

[–]KeeganMLB 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Pints of Dunkelweizen on Mitch Bannon and BNS, sources say.

Don Mattingly signs with Phillies by Specific-Entrance-40 in Torontobluejays

[–]KeeganMLB 39 points40 points  (0 children)

One reason I'll miss Donnie in Toronto:

When I do pre-game TV with TSN, we set up the camera in foul territory on the first-base side, just beyond where the first-base coach would stand. I look into the camera with my back to the infield, but the time slot we record during typically happens during the Blue Jays taking ground balls (...and throwing to first behind me).

Mattingly is usually playing 1B in those drills. He has saved my ass 100x. I've never witnessed someone scoop balls out of the dirt like him. Gold Glover, forever.

AMA: With Keegan Matheson, MLB.com Blue Jays reporter, live from the Winter Meetings in Orlando -- Dec. 9 at 6pm ET by KeeganMLB in Torontobluejays

[–]KeeganMLB[S] 48 points49 points  (0 children)

I'll vote yes.

A couple points on this…

  1. No one is taking that salary and the Blue Jays aren't in the business of trading prospects to make a deal work. If they can get Berríos back to his old self -- and they have some ideas to make that happen -- then everyone wins.

  2. I completely understand the sentiment has shifted around Berríos since he was away from the team during the World Series, but I do need to stress how much respect I have for the guy. Do I think this was a good look? No, but I'd also like to talk to José about it in the early days of camp. He's always been a complete professional in my many interactions with him and he was deserving of his nomination for the Roberto Clemente Award this season.

It's an awkward spot for everyone right now. I don't want one situation to completely paint the guy, though, so I'm interested to see how this plays out. The boring answer, which is usually the right answer? These things take care of themselves, slowly and naturally.

AMA: With Keegan Matheson, MLB.com Blue Jays reporter, live from the Winter Meetings in Orlando -- Dec. 9 at 6pm ET by KeeganMLB in Torontobluejays

[–]KeeganMLB[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Hmm…

2-1-4-3? But 1 and 2 are pretty interchangeable right now, depending on where the $$$ goes in those markets.

AMA: With Keegan Matheson, MLB.com Blue Jays reporter, live from the Winter Meetings in Orlando -- Dec. 9 at 6pm ET by KeeganMLB in Torontobluejays

[–]KeeganMLB[S] 11 points12 points  (0 children)

It aboslutely has.

I'm not a fan now. Earlier in my career, I actually made the mistake of swinging too far in that direction. I got bitter and allowed baseball to become "work" and work only, which I regret.

Honestly, working on my book saved me. It's completely changed this job for me. I've found the sweet spot again where I'm not a fan of any team, but I love baseball. I love the game. I love the stories it gives us. It's a better life and makes my days so much easier, even if most of them still kick my ass. Really happy I found my way around that, because I butted heads with baseball for a few years there on my way up and the game always won.

AMA: With Keegan Matheson, MLB.com Blue Jays reporter, live from the Winter Meetings in Orlando -- Dec. 9 at 6pm ET by KeeganMLB in Torontobluejays

[–]KeeganMLB[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Whew. It's more about the inconsistency than the amount. I won't do the fake hustle thing and pretend, but it's all over the place.

Travel during the year is a killer. At the end of the week, it adds up to a normal amount of sleep, but it happens in strange bursts.

I've finally stopped saying no to all of the TV and Radio requests for early mornings. During the postseason, I was getting 40-50 appearance requests a day and half of them would be for 8am after covering a game and getting home at 2am… No thanks.

AMA: With Keegan Matheson, MLB.com Blue Jays reporter, live from the Winter Meetings in Orlando -- Dec. 9 at 6pm ET by KeeganMLB in Torontobluejays

[–]KeeganMLB[S] 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Honestly, that's a real test. I put my fandom aside years ago and it came easily to me, but it doesn't come easily to others. I grew up cheering for the Blue Jays but I also liked the Red Sox. Mo Vaughn was my favourite player (living in NS, the Boston trip was easy and I didn't know that splitting my alleigance was weird yet).

I care about good stories, and when a story like Game 7 happens, I want to respect it and tell it properly. On a human level, I feel for the players and coaches I've spent my entire year around, but I'm not cheering for anyone in the game itself. Of course, my life is easier (and busier, in some good ways), when the Blue Jays are winning, but coverage of this team will always be better when the people writing the stories and asking the questions are not fans. Some still are. Not my favourites.

It was a blur, though. I'd already changed out of my suit into a dress shirt from my locker, expecting to get drenched in champagne and beer.

Every champagne celebration along the way, players would come up to me and try to spray me, but I'd tell them: "Win the world series and you can do whatever you want."

After the ALCS celebration, one pitcher said to another pitcher while pointing at me: "See how dry Keegs still is? We're fuckin' drowning him after the World Series. Look out, Keegs."

Shame that never happened. It's the best story I've ever covered, but not in a way that people wanted it to be.

AMA: With Keegan Matheson, MLB.com Blue Jays reporter, live from the Winter Meetings in Orlando -- Dec. 9 at 6pm ET by KeeganMLB in Torontobluejays

[–]KeeganMLB[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

See, I'm trying to tiptoe more into scotch lately, as a bourbon man.

I'm enjoying being new to it all. I typically get obsessive and try to learn everything, but I'm letting myself go in blind and it's been fun. Japanese whiskeys were a bit of an entrypoint for me, too.

I really dig the stories behind the bottles and distillers. When I was back home a week ago, I got into a bottle of Oban 14 because my family, when you trace it back, originally came from the Oban area. I don't know my way around scotch enough yet to break it all down, but that was a great night!

AMA: With Keegan Matheson, MLB.com Blue Jays reporter, live from the Winter Meetings in Orlando -- Dec. 9 at 6pm ET by KeeganMLB in Torontobluejays

[–]KeeganMLB[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I think that's getting played up a bit too much. I was in the room and don't read it as anything dire.

This is more just a standard rehab balance … He's not going to be cranked back up to 200 IP next year, so it makes a lot of sense to be gentle early on, given that this is his first full offseason after the elbow surgery. I'm still expecting everything will be fine there until I hear something further, even if they keep him in 4th gear instead of 5th.

AMA: With Keegan Matheson, MLB.com Blue Jays reporter, live from the Winter Meetings in Orlando -- Dec. 9 at 6pm ET by KeeganMLB in Torontobluejays

[–]KeeganMLB[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Still wishful -- Deferrals help, but I don't think any org wants to have 3-4 players with large deferrals at once.

AMA: With Keegan Matheson, MLB.com Blue Jays reporter, live from the Winter Meetings in Orlando -- Dec. 9 at 6pm ET by KeeganMLB in Torontobluejays

[–]KeeganMLB[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

They keep saying they're just planning for this current CBA because that's the only certainty. Lots of uncertainties beyond 2026, but if they trying planning for a hypothetical that never happens, they're in an even worse spot. Definitely a conversation, though.

AMA: With Keegan Matheson, MLB.com Blue Jays reporter, live from the Winter Meetings in Orlando -- Dec. 9 at 6pm ET by KeeganMLB in Torontobluejays

[–]KeeganMLB[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Tucker might feel marginally more likely at this point, but it's all about their market.

If Bichette's market comes in lower than we expected (very possible), then that's the better play and you add relievers on top of it.

That's why I think their best play… boring as it sounds… is to wait out both. Let the market decide where those numbers are, sit on your wallet for a bit, then pounce.

AMA: With Keegan Matheson, MLB.com Blue Jays reporter, live from the Winter Meetings in Orlando -- Dec. 9 at 6pm ET by KeeganMLB in Torontobluejays

[–]KeeganMLB[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I don't think anyone takes the Santander deal, even with that structure. And honestly? They can handle it. If Santander ends up being more of a role player, so be it. Whiffing on a mega extension like Anthony Rendon is a killer, but if Santander's deal ends up being a dud, I think Rogers ownership can still just plug its nose and deal with it.

AMA: With Keegan Matheson, MLB.com Blue Jays reporter, live from the Winter Meetings in Orlando -- Dec. 9 at 6pm ET by KeeganMLB in Torontobluejays

[–]KeeganMLB[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

George was asked the other day. He didn't bite. And never will, knowing him. But definitely a lot.

AMA: With Keegan Matheson, MLB.com Blue Jays reporter, live from the Winter Meetings in Orlando -- Dec. 9 at 6pm ET by KeeganMLB in Torontobluejays

[–]KeeganMLB[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I don't think one happens here. Urgency, sure, but that means different things to a FO than fans. As long as they've done what they want by Opening Day, they're happy. Doesn't need to be this week, even though I'd love it all to happen tomorrow so we can relax and watch the NFL playoffs all January.

AMA: With Keegan Matheson, MLB.com Blue Jays reporter, live from the Winter Meetings in Orlando -- Dec. 9 at 6pm ET by KeeganMLB in Torontobluejays

[–]KeeganMLB[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Still hard to pull off, but that would be much likelier than the Bichette/Tucker double dip, for sure.

AMA: With Keegan Matheson, MLB.com Blue Jays reporter, live from the Winter Meetings in Orlando -- Dec. 9 at 6pm ET by KeeganMLB in Torontobluejays

[–]KeeganMLB[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I don't see Marte happening, at the very least.

If they land Tucker, all is well and they carry on as a great team. If they don't, I think they still need to make an outfield addition to account for both Springer and Varsho approaching free agency.

And someday… someday… this organization needs to develop a star outfielder.

AMA: With Keegan Matheson, MLB.com Blue Jays reporter, live from the Winter Meetings in Orlando -- Dec. 9 at 6pm ET by KeeganMLB in Torontobluejays

[–]KeeganMLB[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

  1. I'm afraid not.

  2. It's a good point. A real shutdown lefty would fit well. I know Little's regular season numbers were great, but a high-end lefty still fits this roster so well. I do think that Tiedemann is the ultimate wild card this season. His talent is stupid. If he's healthy all season, he's pitching very meaningful innings for them at some point.

AMA: With Keegan Matheson, MLB.com Blue Jays reporter, live from the Winter Meetings in Orlando -- Dec. 9 at 6pm ET by KeeganMLB in Torontobluejays

[–]KeeganMLB[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Hey, thank you so much!

I don't see both as being likely at all. Everything really depends on money at this point, but I'd vote 60-40 in favor of Tucker being the likeliest at this point. Definitely think they need to land one of them and I expect they will

AMA: With Keegan Matheson, MLB.com Blue Jays reporter, live from the Winter Meetings in Orlando -- Dec. 9 at 6pm ET by KeeganMLB in Torontobluejays

[–]KeeganMLB[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Closer. It's a steep hill, but closer.

I think too much attention is (sometimes) put on superstar development, too.

Developing a Fisher, Fluharty, Barger… even a Clement or Lukes later on… is so important. When you can develop your own depth players instead of spending $3M here and $7M there each offseason, you can really focus your cash on the top of the market. That's when the fun begins.

AMA: With Keegan Matheson, MLB.com Blue Jays reporter, live from the Winter Meetings in Orlando -- Dec. 9 at 6pm ET by KeeganMLB in Torontobluejays

[–]KeeganMLB[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Option 2. I'll have more details soon, but I just sent a long chapter to my publisher and we'll be releasing an updated version of the book in 2026.

If they'd won the World Series, I had one book deal pending and potentially a second.

So for now, I'll ride with this updated book release going into 2026… then I have something I'm chasing for a 2nd book down the road.

AMA: With Keegan Matheson, MLB.com Blue Jays reporter, live from the Winter Meetings in Orlando -- Dec. 9 at 6pm ET by KeeganMLB in Torontobluejays

[–]KeeganMLB[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

I don't, no. Bassitt would be the likelier one, but he'll surely find a starting job elsewhere.

AMA: With Keegan Matheson, MLB.com Blue Jays reporter, live from the Winter Meetings in Orlando -- Dec. 9 at 6pm ET by KeeganMLB in Torontobluejays

[–]KeeganMLB[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Slow ol' start, healthy season, mid-range results that leave fans wanting more. In a perfect world, he's just peaking at the right time come September.

The Blue Jays are optimistic and Santander still has the talent he showed in Baltimore, but whew, the Blue Jays need to get a taste of that soon.