Blue Jays General Manager Ross Atkins Explains Why Team Cut Anthony Bass Following His Anti-LGBTQ Post: ‘There Are a Lot of Variables’

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Clearing the air. Toronto Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins spoke out on why the team cut Anthony Bass following the backlash he received from his anti-LGBTQ post.“Like any decision, we’re focused on building the best team possible,” Atkins, 49, told the Toronto Sun on Friday, June 9. “There are a lot of variables.

Like anything, there are times when things get momentum and become a distraction in our clubhouse, and that was a variable.”Bass, 35, was “designated for assignment” just hours before he was set to catch a ceremonial first pitch against the Minnesota Twins on Friday, June 9. “Designated for assignment,” according to MLB’s website, occurs 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 since-deleted video via his Instagram Story that called for boycotts of brands like Bud Light and Target due to their inclusive campaigns ahead of Pride Month.In order to view the video, please allow Manage CookiesOne day later, Bass — who has appeared in 22 games this season — addressed the controversy in front of reporters and apologized for how his post impacted the rest of his team.“I recognize yesterday I made a post that was hurtful to the Pride community, which includes friends of mine and close family members of mine.

I am so truly sorry for that,” he said during a press conference, according to a clip shared via Twitter. “I just spoke with my teammates and shared with them my actions yesterday.

I apologized [to] them, and as of right now I am using the Blue Jays’ resources to better educate myself to make better decisions moving forward.”In a statement to the Toronto Star, a spokesperson for the Blue Jays shared that “individual