TORONTO — Moments after the Seattle Mariners advanced to the American League Championship Series with a thrilling 15-inning victory over the Detroit Tigers, first baseman Josh Naylor of Mississauga, Ont., was asked about the possibility of playing post-season baseball in Toronto.
Naylor said the game against his hometown Blue Jays will be “just another team we have to beat,” but getting to see some of his friends who are on the Toronto roster, guys he met in the Cleveland Guardians organization, is a different story.
“They're a phenomenal group, run by a great manager, they have incredible players,” Naylor told Sportsnet at T-Mobile Park in Seattle. “I’m really excited to see Straw, Jimenez, Sandlin and Ernie. These are my boys.
“I'm glad we're all there. We were all Cleveland kids back in the day and we all got traded and now we're leaving.”
Naylor's list of players included Blue Jays outfielder Myles Straw, relief pitcher Nick Sandlin, and infielders Andres Jimenez and Ernie Clement. Pitcher Shane Bieber, who will start Toronto in Game 3 on Wednesday in Seattle, is also a former member of the Guardians.
“It put a big smile on my face and I'm sure on all the other guys' faces because we love Nails,” Clement said from the Rogers Center home bench Monday. “He's one of the best teammates I've ever had and we always cheer for him, so it's great to share the field with him again.”
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All five former Guardians arrived in Toronto via different routes.
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Clement signed a minor league contract with the Blue Jays in March 2023 after a stint with the then-Oakland Athletics. Jimenez and Sandlin were traded to Toronto in December. A month after that, Stroh was acquired in a separate deal, and Bieber was taken on July 31, before the trade deadline.
“I think the culture there in Cleveland is really, really good, so we've all tried to bring that here,” Clement said, noting that Blue Jays team president Mark Shapiro and general manager Ross Atkins were previously at Guardians.
“Cleveland and Toronto have great people from top to bottom, so it's easy to create a great culture here. It's nice to see familiar faces.”
Bieber, the latest Guardian to move north of the border, said having so many former teammates on the Blue Jays made the transition easier.
“I think when I got the call that I was traded here, I already had a few phone numbers that I contacted and sent a group message to,” Bieber said. “Obviously it was great. But at the same time, even though I didn't have contact information, the minute I walked into the clubhouse, everyone in this organization, especially this club, made the transition really easy and smooth.”
Manager John Schneider said it was something of a joke at the Toronto club.
“We kind of joked that to be here you had to be in Cleveland at some point,” Schneider said, before adding that it made his team more cohesive. “It helps because this game is tough and everyone makes sacrifices. They're away from their family, they're here all day. You know what I mean?”
Despite personnel turnover, the Guardians still made it to the playoffs this year. Cleveland was eliminated from the American League Wild Card series by Detroit in three games.
Bieber laughed when asked what it was like to be in the ALCS when his former team wasn't there.
“I’m focused on where we are and this team,” Bieber said. “I think you understand what business is, so the moment you get traded, you're immersed in the organization you just moved to.
“So that's what I tried to do and that's what my family tried to do.”
The Mariners jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven ALCS with a 3-1 and 10-3 win in Toronto. Seattle will play the next two games and a third if necessary. Games six and seven will be played in Toronto if necessary.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 14, 2025.
© 2025 The Canadian Press
