Toronto Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins says he has expressed his disappointment directly to outfielder Anthony Santander after the player shared anti-Muslim videos on social media, and has told him he should publicly address the posts.

Speaking to reporters Tuesday at Major League Baseball’s general managers’ meetings, Atkins called the posts “concerning” and “deeply disappointing,” according to reporting by The Canadian Press published by CityNews.

“There really aren’t words to express my level of disappointment,” Atkins said. “I’ve expressed that to him. I think anything [exacerbating] some level of hate, anti-Islamic, is just extremely concerning.”

Atkins said his conversation with Santander also covered the responsibility that comes with the reach of a professional athlete’s social media account.

“I also talked to Anthony about his lack of awareness, realizing that he has a very large microphone, what that meant,” he said.

The general manager said Santander’s behaviour conflicted with the club’s values and its efforts to maintain an inclusive environment.

“We’re working exceptionally hard internally to ensure, and we have been, that it’s a safe environment, that baseball is for everyone,” Atkins said. “It’s very important to us. It’s a part of our organizational values, and his behaviour did not align with that.”

Asked whether Santander would address the posts, Atkins said: “I told him that I thought he needed to and that he should.”

Santander shared the videos after the U.S. midterm elections last Tuesday and deleted them two days later. As of the report, he had not apologized or otherwise commented.

The 32-year-old Venezuelan did not play at the major-league level last season because of injuries. He signed a five-year, US$92.5-million contract with Toronto in January 2025.

Sources