Clearing the air Toronto Blue Jays General Manager Ross Atkins The team talks about why they made the cut Anthony Bass Following the backlash he received from his anti-LGBTQ posts.

“Like any decision, we’re focused on building the best team possible,” Atkins, 49, told toronto sun On Friday, June 9th. “There are too many variables. Like anything, there are times when things gain momentum and become a distraction in our clubhouse, and this one was transformative.

Bass, 35, was “designated for assignment” on Friday, June 9, just hours before he was scheduled to throw a ceremonial first pitch against the Minnesota Twins. According to “designated for assignment,” MLB websiteOccurs when a player is removed from his club’s 40-man roster.

The professional baseball player, 35, came under fire in May for uploading a now-deleted video via his Instagram Story calling for a boycott of brands like Bud Light and Target because of their inclusiveness campaigns ahead of Pride Month it was done.

A day later, Bass – who appeared in 22 games this season – addressed the controversy in front of reporters and apologized for how his post had affected the rest of his team.

“I know that yesterday I made a post that was hurtful to the Pride community, which includes my friends and my closest family members. I am truly sorry for that,” he said during a press conference, clipped shared via Twitter, “I just spoke to my teammates and shared with them my actions of yesterday. I apologized [to] them, and right now I’m using the Blue Jays’ resources to better educate myself to make better decisions going forward.

in a statement to toronto starA Blue Jays spokesperson shared that “individual player sentiments do not represent the club’s beliefs” while assuring the public of the club’s commitment to diversity.

The team explained at the time, “The Blue Jays bring together millions of fans across Canada and are committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming experience for all.”

according to team manager John SchneiderBass’ apology was the “first step” in learning how to be accountable to others for his actions.

“It’s not a 15 or 30-second apology and say, ‘Okay, I did my part,'” Schneider, 43, told reporters at the time. “With the resources the job will continue, we have to try to show that he understands he made a mistake.”

About a week later, however, the Michigan native told reporters that the video “reflected [his] Faith” even though he deleted the video.

“I just felt like [the video] Too much distraction, isn’t it? But I stick to my personal beliefs and everyone has a right to their personal beliefs, right?” Bass admitted, according to athletic, “But I also mean no harm toward any group of people. And I felt like taking him down a second time was the right thing to do and not a distraction. Our job as a team is to win baseball games.” And that’s my focus.

The MLB player – who made his debut on the San Diego Padres in 2008 – has also made headlines over the years for his personal life. He married Jesse James Decker Sister, Sydney Rae Bassin August 2016 and welcomed daughter Brooklyn in September 2017. After adopting a second daughter in 2020, the couple revealed in March 2023 that they were expecting a child.

In April, Anthony made headlines when he came to his wife’s defense after an alleged incident on a United Airlines flight.

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“Flight attendant @united got my 22-week pregnant wife on her hands and knees to pick up a mess of popcorn by our youngest daughter while traveling with a 5 year old and 2 year old,” he wrote Tweeted those days. “are you kidding with me?!?!”