Schneider asks Ohtani to ‘give us our stuff back’ ahead of World Series

The Toronto Blue Jays aren’t just looking to capture the World Series title from the reigning champs, they also want their swag back.

Los Angeles Dodgers megastar Shohei Ohtani apparently kept Blue Jays merch after the team pitched the then high-profile free agent at their player development complex in Dunedin, Fla. in December 2023.

“I’ll say it again, I hope he brought his hat,” said Blue Jays manager John Schneider during his availability at World Series media day on Thursday. “The Blue Jays hat that he took from us in our meeting, I hope he brought it back, finally. And the jacket for (his dog) Decoy. You know, it’s like ‘give us our stuff back already.’”

For his part, Ohtani told reporters that he still has the hat the Blue Jays gave him in his garage and called Toronto a “top-class” organization.

While Ohtani was a free agent, speculation ran wild about where he would end up.

The saga linked the three-time MVP to Toronto and has caused fans to boo Ohtani whenever he plays at Rogers Centre. He responded to the ire with a home run in his first at-bat in Toronto as a Dodger in 2024.

Ohtani is yet to visit Rogers Centre this season with the teams’ lone series coming in Los Angeles at Dodger Stadium.

The Japanese superstar has a .346/.433/.731 slash line with three home runs in six games against the Blue Jays as a Dodger.

Schneider reflected on the Blue Jays’ pursuit of Ohtani during the press conference.

“You never know. I think when we met with him, you felt good about it,” Schneider said. “You know, and you felt good about the feedback he was giving about our organization and (the) opportunity here. But you never really know what a player’s feeling in free agency and there’s a lot of things that have to line up for them personally, too.

“So, (you) can’t really think about what if. You think about the 26 that we have. He’s a great player.”

Ohtani’s two-way brilliance resumed in June when he took the mound again after a near-two-year absence while recovering from elbow surgery. He started 14 games, pitching to a 2.47 ERA, striking out 62 batters and walking only nine over 47 innings. And he also hit 55 home runs and led the National League with a 1.014 OPS.

The designated hitter/pitcher has hit five home runs in the post-season and owns a .967 OPS while also recording a 2.25 ERA, 19 strikeouts and four walks over two starts.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. doesn’t pitch, but the Blue Jays’ franchise player has six home runs and 1.440 OPS, both post-season bests. Toronto locked up Guerrero Jr. to a long-term deal earlier this year.

“He’s a great player,” Schneider said of Ohtani. “But that aside I think that we have a great team and just an unbelievable cast of characters and players. And I think things worked out the way they (were) meant to work out.”