Tuesday afternoon the Toronto Blue Jays bolstered their infield with the acquisition of former St. Louis Cardinal Paul DeJong, and the shortstop (with the help of his new squad's social media team) wasted no time endearing himself to the Toronto faithful.
The Blue Jays are in need of insurance in the infield following Bo Bichette's injury-related exit from the team's game on Monday, and DeJong is a reliable player with a consistent track record.
The deal got done without much hassle, and that seemed to be that.
That is, until the Blue Jays social media team found an old post by DeJong in 2011 discussing one of Toronto's divisional foes, the New York Yankees.
I hate the yankees
— Paul DeJong (@RealPaulDeJong) October 5, 2011
Speaking for their fans everywhere, the Blue Jays' account responded, officially welcoming DeJong to the squad for the second half of the season.
— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) August 1, 2023
Toronto will face the Yankees six times in the final month of the 2023 season, and Blue Jays faithful will no doubt hope DeJong's prior fighting words will lead to inspired performances against their rival as the team looks to secure a playoff berth.