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Anthony Santander left many people in Toronto and the United States scratching their heads at his anti-Muslim social media posts. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
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On Tuesday night there was a blue wave in the United States. Apparently that didn’t sit right with a Blue Jay. By all accounts, Anthony Santander, the oft-injured and underperforming right fielder for the Toronto baseball club, was none-too-pleased with the results in Michigan’s Senate race. So he took to social media and posted the following:
Anthony Santander thought it was a good idea to repost this anti-Muslim Instagram post.
He then posted another video that proclaimed that “Islam is not peaceful.” Luckily for Santander, the people of the United States and Canada have the freedom of speech, so nothing he said or posted was against the law. Luckily for the roughly four and half million Muslims in the United States and the nearly two million in Canada, they all have the freedom of religion.
Santander is certainly not the first athlete to espouse his political (and/or religious) opinions in an open forum, and most certainly will not be the last. But he clearly recognized the error of his ways, as both posts were quickly deleted.
The Blue Jays immediately distanced themselves from their right fielder, putting out a statement that read:
“Baseball is for everyone, and the Blue Jays have created an inclusive experience where all fans feel welcome at our ballpark. Individual comments do not represent our organization’s values and beliefs.”
Toronto signed Santander to a five year, $92.5 million contract prior to the 2025 season. Multiple shoulder injuries limited him to 54 games in his first year north of the border. He did go 3-for-16 in the 2025 post-season, but did not play after Game 3 of the American League Championship Series. The Blue Jays were able to win the pennant and come within the width of a spike of winning the World Series without his services, so maybe they don’t need him. That said, with Santander out for the entire season with a torn labrum, Toronto went 79-83 and came in in last place, so maybe they do. Santander still has three years and about $55 million left on his contract.
Because what Santander posted is constitutionally protected and very difficult to categorize as “hate speech,” there is a real chance that he avoids punishment from either the club or the league.
In 2017, then-Oakland Athletics outfielder Matt Joyce directed an anti-gay slur at a fan while playing the Angels in Anaheim. He was suspended two games without pay. The Athletics donated his forfeited salary to PFLAG National, the United States’ largest organization dedicated to supporting, educating, and advocating for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people.
Two years ago, Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran – who has been open about his mental health struggles – lashed out at a fan while standing in the batter’s box. His anti-gay slur was caught on the broadcast mic for the world to hear. Immediately, and in conjunction with the the league, Boston suspended Duran for two games. They too donated his salary to PFLAG.
Santander’s future with the Blue Jays is unknown. In 2023, Toronto reliever Anthony Bass shared a social media post that supported anti-LGBTQ boycotts. He was not suspended by the league or the team, but he was released two weeks later. At the time, Toronto said the move was a “baseball decision.” That happened during the season. In this case, Santander may be saved by the upcoming lockout, as teams will not be able to trade players, and this mess may have blown over by the time the league is back up and running.
When I reached out the MLBPA about the situation, they offered a “no comment.”
This article was originally published on Forbes.com
https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/anthony-santander-deletes-anti-muslim-201126481.html
