'A Lot Of Emotions': Teoscar Hernández Reflects on Return to Toronto

Former Blue Jays outfielder Teoscar Hernández reflects on his time with Toronto and his trade to the Mariners.

When Teoscar Hernández's Mariners teammates talk about the 2022 wild card series, they apologize to him first.

Before they reminisce about Luis Castillo carving, Cal Raleigh mashing, or the Game 2 comeback, they remember Hernández was on the other side. Seattle's clinching win was the last time Hernández played for the Blue Jays before he was shipped to the Mariners 39 days later. On Friday, the former All-Star returned to Toronto, met with old teammates, and reflected on his time with the Jays.

"A lot of emotions—good ones and bad ones—but it's definitely good to be back, [to] see the boys, see the new stadium."

Hernández, traded for reliever Erik Swanson and prospect Adam Macko in November, wasn't caught completely off guard by the swap. He'd seen rumblings of a trade on social media and understood the business of baseball. But, he still wasn't fully prepared. There were points in his six years in Toronto where the outfielder thought he'd be a Blue Jay for life, Hernández said, and even with the potential trade on his radar, he didn't expect it to happen so fast.

"It was a lot of emotions, you know, with all the guys," Hernández said. "But like I always say, at the end of the day, it's just the way of the business and you have to go with it, just keep going."

Hernández remains "really close" with his former Toronto teammates, including Vladimir Guerrero Jr., watching Jays games when he gets the chance. The 30-year-old achieved plenty during his Toronto stint, winning two Silver Sluggers, making the postseason twice, and representing the Jays at the 2021 All-Star Game. But, his favorite memory with the Jays is the 2022 wild card series, he said, despite the outcome. In Toronto's 10-9 defeat in Game 2, Hernández hit two homers, drove in four runs, and received a curtain call from the fans... before the Mariners' comeback.

"At the end of the end of the day we didn't win," he said. "But that was definitely one of me biggest times that I had here."

Hernández's first series back in Toronto has plenty of parallels to his last. Same teams, same sell-out crowd, and Luis Castillo and Alek Manoah back on the mound to rematch their wild card duel. The only difference is the shade of blue he's wearing.