Toronto Blue Jays fans voted for Marcus Semien to be their starting second baseman in the American League. They did this without ever seeing Semien play in person.This is unless they have been to Dunedin in Florida or Buffalo, New York this season.Semien has not yet set foot in Toronto since signing a $18 million, one-year deal with the Blue Jays in January. The team was forced to begin the year in Florida, following which they moved to Buffalo's Triple-A stadium. They also had to comply with COVID-19 regulations in Canada.Semien hopes he will see Toronto and his fans before he hits the free agent market again this winter.Semien said that it would be "amazing" to ESPN recently. "We didn't get many cheers when we played in Dunedin. It was a road match when we played Boston."Buffalo can rock [like Toronto] too. It's the largest Triple-A baseball stadium. My wife said she felt chills the first night there. She said, "You guys are getting cheered for one.""It's our home now."Blue Jays fans will be able to see a smooth-fielding defender, who has rebounded from a disappointing 2020 season for the Oakland Athletics. After hitting seven home runs during the shorter 60-game season, his OPS dropped to.679 and he now has 20 home runs in 79 matches.Semien has an OPS+ score of 143. This is the highest OPS+ in his career. It's how that stat gets defined that tells Semien's story for 2021. The metric heavily relies on the home ballpark of each player.Semien never imagined that he would be playing for the Blue Jays. Semien began looking for a team that didn't have a starter in the position after last season. They already had a shortstop, Bo Bichette. His options were limited because of the fact that organizations claimed they had no money.Semien stated that Toronto was definitely a team that looked like they were spending post-COVID. It was Toronto and the Mets."I wanted to be a shortstop player, so Toronto was not on my radar at first. But, Bo is playing short."Semien's return to shortstop would place him in one of the most coveted free-agent classes. Javy Baez, Trevor Story and Javy Baez, as well as Carlos Correa, Trevor Story and Corey Seager, are all set to go free this winter. Semien is a star at second base, but he wants to be back with the star-studded team.MLB on ESPN Watch the 2021 MLB season live on ESPN and the ESPN App. All times Eastern Sunday, July 4.All-Star rosters revealed, 5:30 p.m. ESPNMets-Yankees at 7 p.m. ESPN and Statcast edition ESPN2 Monday, July 5.White Sox-Twins at 7 p.m. ESPNRed Sox-Angels, at 9:30 p.m., ESPN Tuesday, July 6.Brewers-Mets, 7:05 p.m. ESPNYankees-Mariners, 10:05 p.m. ESPNSemien stated, "I wanted another chance at free agency after the 60 game season I put up." "A one-year contract was the best way to go." We are here today, and I am happy with the improvements made at second base."The Blue Jays are also very happy. Semien is in the 96th percentile for outs at his new position, while he provides leadership to Toronto's young offensive core.Ross Atkins, the Blue Jays general manager, stated this week that everything he had heard was extremely positive and that he had far exceeded our expectations. He puts a smile on mine. Marcus is a great player in baseball. Marcus is a steady, calming influence on us.Atkins recalled Semien's interest in more than money and his position on the team as talks became serious.Atkins said that Atkins was "very inquisitive" and "really collaborative" about the subject. "One of the best things about him was when he began to talk about Bo, and his belief in this young group. This speaks volumes about his character and how he views the game.Derby Pick 'Em is a FREE game that offers a chance for you to win $5,000 Make an EntrySemien views the Blue Jays differently to the Oakland teams that he played for.Semien stated that the A's were the building blocks of their team. "We had four closers at the back end in 2018," Semien said. 2019 saw the addition of Liam Hendriks. This team is more focused on offense. We should win certain games, but we are still young. They will come later in the season, I'm sure."Semien is the Blue Jays' leader, as he is one of few position players who understands the thrill of a 162-game pennant. It was only the 60-game 2020 format that Semien had a chance to experience it.Semien may not lead his team to the postseason again, but that won't alter the fact that Semien will likely move on in 2022. The uncertainty of a new CBA will replace the pandemic uncertainty that free agency has created. Semien, who is on the executive board of the players' union, will be able to influence how free agency should look for all players moving forward.He'll be focusing on his All-Star appearance. He'll play a position that he never planned to, and for a team that he didn’t expect.Semien stated, "When I look back at the offseason I didn't know how to expect," Semien. "I have nothing to be unhappy about. Toronto has been kind to me."Even if it was the city's new star.
