Quebecer Abraham Toro can play second, third or even the outfield, he doesn’t care. All he wants is to see some action on a regular basis with the Seattle Mariners and it is with his stick that he intends to achieve his ends.
“The priority is always the stick. If you hit, the team will find you a place to play on the defense, ”Toro pleaded, Saturday, in Laval, during an interview conducted on the sidelines of an autograph session at the L’Anti- collector’s fair. Expo.
Things have changed a bit for the Mariners in the past week, as the team acquired second-base Adam Frazier, a position Toro seemed to have niche in Seattle in 2021. Gold , the Quebecer is not worried, having also received a call from the general manager of the Mariners, Jerry Dipoto, even before the hiring of Frazier.
“Jerry Dipoto called me and we talked before the exchange,” Toro said. He asked me if I was more comfortable at second or third. I told him I just wanted to play, whatever the defensive position and whoever the Mariners wanted to acquire. ”
What if rumors sending third baseman Kris Bryant to Seattle were to materialize when the current major baseball lockout returns, would Toro get more nervous?
“Honestly, I like it, the goal is to win and the club is only getting better,” replied the person concerned. When the GM called me he assured me that I was in the plans and he even told me that I was going to take rehearsals in the outfield during the camp. [d’entraînement]. I don’t know if I’m really going to play as a fielder, but we will also see this possibility. “
Learn the hard way
As Toro repeats, the most important thing is to hit “the ball”. At this level, the Quebecer did very well after the transaction that took him from the Houston Astros to the Mariners on July 27. In 60 games with his new team, he has maintained a .252 batting average, hitting 11 doubles and five homers.
Toro was one of the contributors to the Mariners’ incredible late-season push, where they had a 10-game winning streak to wrap up September. Like the Toronto Blue Jays, they ended up narrowly missing the playoffs after spicing up the race for drafted teams.
“I see it as an apprenticeship, we were very close to making the playoffs,” said Toro, who is spending the offseason in Quebec. It is certainly disappointing, but I see it in a positive light because we are a young team and we are even better with the last transactions that we have made. In 2022, that’s really where we’ll be able to reach our full potential and finally make it to the playoffs. ”
If the Mariners lost the services of Kyle Seager, turned free agent, they recently acquired Frazier, but also pitcher Robbie Ray, last recipient of the Cy Young trophy in the American.
A Lockout Beneficial for Toro?
Abraham Toro will not make it a personal crusade, but the Quebecer is one of those young players who could take advantage of the new conditions that will be in effect following the current lockout in major baseball.
At 24, soon to be 25, Toro has now tasted the big leagues in three different seasons, appearing in a total of 153 games with the Houston Astros and Seattle Mariners. Right now, players like him are penalized by not being eligible for refereeing for three full seasons. To benefit from the status of free agent, they must also play six campaigns.
“Obviously I’m always going to take the edge of the players,” Toro said with a smirk. I think there might have been an agreement to avoid the lockout … I hope everything will be sorted out and everything will be back to normal before the start of the next season. “
No surprise
For the moment, the owners cannot agree with the Association of players on many points, including the payroll allowed before paying a luxury tax. A new collective agreement is to be established after the one which expired on 1is December.
“Even before the 2021 season started, we all knew it was a possibility,” Toro said of the conflict. We were prepared for it. It’s not ideal, but it’s not a lockout that takes us by surprise. ”
No pain for the Astros
Asked about the last World Series, where his former team lost in the final, Toro was rather transparent about his moods.
“Honestly, I didn’t necessarily want the Astros to win, but sure enough I wanted some guys I know in my old teammates to perform well,” he said. The Astros didn’t play badly, but the Braves [d’Atlanta] have been good at important times. ”
