The Toronto Blue Jays apologized Thursday to the Muslim community and to the team's fans for outfielder Anthony Santander's social media posts. In a statement, team president and CEO Mark Shapiro said the club met with leaders of Toronto's Muslim communities. "The Blue Jays are deeply sorry to the Muslim community and our fans for the pain and harm these Islamophobic posts have caused," the statement said. After the Nov. 3 midterms, Santander reposted two videos on Instagram and deleted them two days after posting. One paired Michigan Senator-elect Abdul El-Sayed with the caption "America Voted For Sharia Last Night!" The other was captioned "Islam Is Not Peaceful." El-Sayed will be the first Muslim American in the Senate. Santander hasn't commented or apologized. The Jays owe him $62.5 million over the next three seasons.

The Jays Need to Do More Than Apologize

Critics said the team's response was too weak while the player stays silent and faces no penalty.

Every quiet day makes the team look worse. Yahoo Sports Canada columnist Vivek Jacob wrote that "the longer Anthony Santander stays silent without punishment, the worse the Blue Jays look." He pointed to the team's own history. Toronto suspended outfielder Kevin Pillar two games in 2017 for shouting a homophobic slur at an opposing pitcher. In 2023, the team cut reliever Anthony Bass after he shared a post urging boycotts of Target and Bud Light over their LGBTQ support.

The Jays' first response fell short. The first statement didn't name Santander. Morgan McLellan, managing partner at the crisis communications firm Sovereign, called it "the bare minimum." He said, "I think the Muslim community deserves a fulsome response and a clear action plan from the organization."

The team has the power to discipline him. MLB's social media policy says a player who breaks it "may be subject to discipline for just cause by either his club or the commissioner." Elliot Saccucci, who heads the sports law group at Toronto's Loopstra Nixon, said, "It would not surprise me to see discipline of some kind." He doubted the team would cut him, though. "I don't know if Rogers has the appetite to spend (about 63) million dollars to release this player," he said. Jacob agreed that with that money still owed, "getting rid of him won't be straightforward."

Santander Owes Muslim Fans an Apology and a Conversation

A national Muslim advocacy group says it wants an apology, a meeting and education.

Most of the community wants an apology and education. Steven Zhou, media and communications lead at the National Council of Canadian Muslims, called the posts "very disconcerting." He said, "Generally I think the majority of our community wants to see a strengthened relationship basically — and education." He added, "And above all, I think everybody wants to see an apology from him."

Many Jays fans are Muslim, and they're hurt. Zhou said "people are very, very upset" and that "some people might be surprised at just how many Muslims are fans of baseball and the Blue Jays." About 10 percent of Toronto's residents identify as Muslim. "Our doors are absolutely open," Zhou said. "We want to meet the player. We want to meet the ownership."

The team is pushing him to speak. General manager Ross Atkins said Tuesday he'd talked with Santander and told him to address the posts publicly. "There really aren't words to express my level of disappointment," Atkins said. Shapiro's statement says the club will work with Muslim community leaders "to fight against all forms of hate."

But the Backlash Targets Him for an Opinion

Defenders say Santander raised a political question and is being shamed into silence for it.

Sharing a view isn't a firing offense. FrontPage Magazine writer Robert Spencer wrote that Santander "has committed thoughtcrime." He wrote that Santander could be fined, suspended or released, "but no one is asking one simple question: was he right?" "Even simply stating these things is now an unacceptable level of 'Islamophobia' that can mean professional ruin," Spencer wrote.

Players shouldn't have to go quiet about politicians. Liberty One News, a conservative opinion site, wrote that the episode "shows how fast a player can be pressured into silence simply for raising a question about a newly elected official."

Where This Lands

The Blue Jays have apologized for Santander's posts, and Santander still hasn't spoken. Before the apology, Jacob wrote that every day Santander stays silent without punishment makes the team look worse. He pointed to how it handled Pillar and Bass. McLellan called the team's first response "the bare minimum." The National Council of Canadian Muslims wants an apology and a meeting. Spencer says Santander is under fire for an opinion. The team hasn't said whether it will discipline him. Its owner, Rogers, didn't respond to questions.

Sources