April 10, 2023

By Bob Elliott

Canadian Baseball Network

The ad campaign began in 2015.

And it is still around.

Whether it be on a Rogers Communications outlet or Sportsnet, home of the Toronto Blue Jays, the campaign is the same:

“One nation. One team.”

The ad campaign is a good one since the Montreal Expos moved to Washington DC for the 2005 season.

Yet, as we move within less than three months of the 2023 draft, when it comes to Canadian clubs drafting Canadian high schoolers or collegians, there should be a different slogan: “One nation. Eight teams spend more than the Blue Jays. On amateur talent.”

Wowser.

We do not have the exact numbers, but we think we are batting about .989 on players who were given six-figure signing bonuses.

Since Canadians were made eligible for the draft (collegians in 1985, high schoolers in 1991) the highest spending team north of the border is ... ta da ... the San Diego Padres, led by Chris Kemlo (Clarington, Ont.) and Murray Zuk (Souris, Man.) and other US based scouts. San Diego has combined to spend $7,164,449 US on Canucks. The Pittsburgh Pirates are not far behind at $7,030,000.

The Padres signed RHP Cal Quantrill (Port Hope, Ont.), the former Terrier, from Stanford University for a bonus of $3,963,045. He was later dealt to the Cleveland Guardians. The other big-ticket is former Fieldhouse Pirate OF Owen Caissie (Burlington, Ont.) who signed for $1.2 million.

The rest of the six-figure crew includes Stetson grad Kevin Nicholson (Surrey, BC), given $830,000, ex-Kingston Thunder Matt Brash (Kingston, Ont.) given $512,000 from Niagara University; former Ontario Blue Jays C George Kottaras (Markham, Ont.) of Connors State, given $300,000; ex-Ottawa-Nepen Canadian Chris Bisson (Orleans, Ont.), of the University of Kentucky, given $234,000 and former Edmonton Prospect Erik Sabrowski (Edmonton, Alta.), Cloud County, given $125,000.

After the Pirates -- led by Jameson Taillon of The Woodlands, Tex. but WBC eligible -- sit the Atlanta Braves having spent $5.9 million. Receiving the most from the Bravos were former Calgary PBF Redbird Michael Soroka (Calgary, Alta.), Team Ontario grad Scott Thorman (Cambridge, Ont.) and UBC Thunderbird Adam Maier (North Vancouver BC).

Former Ontario Blue Jays OF Gareth Morgan (North York, Ont.) received a big pay day from the Mariners.

In fourth spot are the Seattle Mariners -- led by former Ontario Blue Jay Gareth Morgan (North York, Ont.) and Academie Baseball Canada’s Phillippe Aumont (Gatineau, Que.) with $5.807 million spent.

Sitting fifth are the Milwaukee Brewers having dished out $5.804 million with Tyler Black (Stouffville, Ont.) and Brett Lawrie (Langley, BC) getting the highest from the Brew Crew.

In sixth are the Baltimore Orioles having spent $5.4 million with ex-Whalley Chiefs Adam Loewen (Surrey, BC) and Great Lake Canadians Adam Hall (London, Ont.) getting the biggest bumps.

In the seventh spot are the Cleveland Guardians at $3.3 million, led by ex-Ontario Blue Jays Bo Naylor (Mississauga, Ont.) and former Langley Blaze Jacob Zibin (Langley BC) .

Eighth in spending are the Minnesota Twins at $4.3 million. The Twins paid the most to former Toronto Met Landon Leach (Pickering, Ont.), Jesse Crain, who was born in Toronto, and Justin Morneau (New Westminster, BC).

And ninth are Canada’s team having spent $3,457,500 on Canadians since 1985.

To date, there have been 21 players who received life-changing money on draft day seeing all their hard work in the off-season pay off in a million-dollar or more pay out. None were drafted by the Jays.

The most the Jays have handed out to a home grown product-- by various general manager regimes and scouting directors -- is ex-Ontario Blue Jay Dasan Brown (Oakville, Ont.) who received $800,000.