Posts in Canadians in the Minors
Antonacci: From Pirate to Camel to Blue Jay, Arnold starts pro path

“Thirty teams passed on Bryce Arnold during June’s MLB draft, before the Toronto Blue Jays signed the middle infielder from Grimsby, Ont., to a free agent contract and sent him to Low-A Dunedin.

Jimmy Richardson, VP and director of baseball operations with Arnold’s alma mater, the Fieldhouse Pirates, has every confidence Arnold will rise far above Dunedin before his playing days are done.

“After Bryce signed, I said, ‘That guy’s going to be a big leaguer,’” Richardson told Canadian Baseball Network.”

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Elliott: Naylor sign jumps A's to 10th, Pirates No. 1, Jays remain 9th in draft bonuses

All it took was Oakland A’s scout Matt Higginson convincing his bosses on the talents and pedigree of Myles Naylor.

And when Oakland selected Ontario Blue Jays 3B Naylor (Mississauga, Ont.) 39th overall in the July draft, the signing by Higginson (Grimsby, Ont.) vaulted Oakland from 19th in overall TSCT (Team Spending on Canadian Teams) to a solid 10th.

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Left-hander Pilon starts pro career in Rays' system

There may not be a better feeling in the world than hearing your name called on draft day. For Junior National Team alum Jérémy Pilon (Salaberry-De-Valleyfield, Que), it’s an experience he’s had twice. Last year, he was selected in the 18th round by the Toronto Blue Jays but opted not to sign. This year, he was chosen by the Tampa Bay Rays in the 18th round and signed with the club and has since started his pro career in the Florida Complex League.

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Glew: Late-blooming Boucher happy to be a Brave

“Pier-Olivier Boucher is a late bloomer.

That’s how Lance Rhodes, his former coach at Southern Illinois University, describes the Quebec-born outfielder who was selected in the 10th round of this year’s MLB draft by the Atlanta Braves.

And the description seems apt when you consider that Boucher didn’t start playing baseball until he was 12, didn’t make his first elite competitive team until he was 16 and didn’t have a single offer to play college ball after high school.

None of this, however, deterred Boucher from pursuing his dream of playing professional baseball.”

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Glew: From Mississauga Tiger to Detroit Tiger, Cerkownyk begins pro career

Former Richmond Collegiate Institute Saint and Mississauga Tiger, Brady Cerkownyk (Etobicoke, Ont.) recently became a Detroit Tiger when signed with the club after being selected by them in the 15th round of the 2023 MLB draft. Canadian Baseball Network editor Kevin Glew recently spoke with Cerkowynk, who is in Lakeland, Fla., awaiting his first pro assignment.

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