The Glone and Mail - 01.08.2019

THURSDAY, AUGUST 1, 2019 | THEGLOBEANDMAILO B11

Canada’sClaudiaHolznerandJacquelineSimoneaucompeteatthePanAmericanGamesinLimaonWednesday.

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SPORTS

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[PHOTO OF THE DAY]

REPORTONBUSINESS |

A

few minutes before
Wednesday’s trade dead-
line, the Blue Jays dealt the
man who was once their bright,
shining hope.
Starter Aaron Sanchez, reliever
Joe Biagini and a minor-league
prospect are off to the Houston

Astros. In return, Toronto re-

ceives Derek Fisher. That’s the

end of that paragraph.

Odds are you haven’t heard of

Fisher, nor are you likely to in the

future. He is a nearly 26-year-old

fourth-outfielder type who has

nevercausedtheheartofeventhe

most optimistic scout to race.

Jays general manager Ross At-

kins on the deal: “[Fisher]

couldn’t fit better with our young

corerightnow,with...thesuccess

he’s had in the minor leagues.”

Fisher has been in the major

leagues for three years.

We may have misjudged the

Blue Jays management these past

couple of years. Perhaps this isn’t

incompetence. Maybe it’s sabo-

tage. If that’s the case, everyone

deservesraises.Theyaredoingan

incredible job.

It’s becoming old hat to go in

on Atkins and Jays president

Mark Shapiro any time they do

anything. They’re easy targets.

Most of Atkins’s public pronoun-

cementsaresomiredinshiftybu-

reaucratese that you never know

what the hell he’s saying. Shapiro

never says anything at all. The re-

sult is a general disdain that fol-

lows them around like an odour.

But the past few days have

been a red line in their tenure.

There is no explaining what

they’re up to.

WedohearalotaboutThePlan

(TM). There may even be one. If

so, the pair on top has never been

able to clarify it to anyone, which

would seem to me the primary

job of a business executive.

They have two signal achieve-

ments this year – they bought

VladGuerrero,Jr.abusticket;and

they have turned a bad major-

leagueteamintoagoodDouble-A

one.

Guerrero and his Athos and

Aramis, Bo Bichette and Cavan

Biggio, may one day become

stars. But that is years off.

When and if it happens, some-

one will need to pitch. After all

this flurried movement, the Jays

still don’t have any truly elite

pitching prospects.

It’s considered optimal that

there be a few veterans with ten-

ure on a team, to give it stability

and emotional ballast.

KELLY, B13

BlueJaysmanagementisdoingagreatjob–ofwhittlingitsteamdown

CATHAL
KELLY

OPINION

TORONTO

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