Toronto Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins says it’s “concerning” and “deeply disappointing” that outfielder Anthony Santander posted anti-Muslim videos on his social media feed.
Speaking to reporters Tuesday at the Major League Baseball GM meetings, Atkins said “there really aren’t words to express my level of disappointment.”
“I’ve expressed that to him. I think anything [exacerbating] some level of hate, anti-Islamic, is just extremely concerning,” Atkins said.
“I also talked to Anthony about his lack of awareness, realizing that he has a very large microphone, what that meant,” Atkins added. “We’re working exceptionally hard internally to ensure, and we have been, that it’s a safe environment, that baseball is for everyone. It’s very important to us. It’s a part of our organizational values, and his behaviour did not align with that.”
Santander posted the videos in the aftermath of the U.S. midterm elections last Tuesday. He deleted them two days later but so far has not apologized or otherwise commented.
Santander, a 32-year-old from Venezuela, didn’t play at the big-league level last season due to injuries.
He signed a five-year, US$92.5-million deal with the Blue Jays in January 2025.
