Athletics upset about Marcus Semien's departure to Blue Jays

When Marcus Semien signed a one-year deal with the Toronto Blue Jays, his Oakland Athletics teammates were sad to see him go. In a recent interview with The Athletic's Alex Coffey, Semien's former teammates lamented his departure, saying he was the ultimate teammate and leader.

Utility man Chad Pinder told Coffey:

"I mean, he was our leader. Leader of the whole team, not just position players. Everybody looked up to him. The way he went about his business, how hard he worked. Nobody outworked that guy. In four and a half years, I had never seen him miss a warmup, a workout, cage session, groundballs.

"I learned so many things from him about work ethic and routine, and how to be a professional because, I mean, Marcus is the definition of professional."

The Blue Jays hope Semien can return the player he was in 2019 when he finished third in American League MVP voting. Even if he doesn't play to that standard, Toronto knows Semien brings more than just his baseball talent to the club. 

Semien spent the last six seasons with the Athletics, helping the team become a playoff contender over the last few years. The Blue Jays, who have a young roster, hope the 30-year-old can bring a strong veteran presence to the locker room alongside George Springer, who also recently signed with Toronto. 

During the pandemic-shortened season, Semien slashed .223/.305/.374 with seven home runs and 23 RBI. He had the best season of his career in 2019, slashing .285/.369/.522 with a career-high 33 home runs and 92 RBI. 

Semien will likely share time at shortstop with Bo Bichette and could also play at third base.