Los Angeles Dodgers special advisor Farhan Zaidi didn’t mince words when asked about Anthony Santander’s anti-Muslim social media posts.
Speaking on the “Deep Left Field” podcast in an episode that published Thursday, Zaidi said the Toronto Blue Jays outfielder put himself in a bad spot by sharing the posts on Instagram earlier this month.
“I look at this whole situation and Anthony Santander had a great career in Baltimore, signed a big contract coming to the Blue Jays, obviously didn't play very well his first year, missed all last year," Zaidi told host Mike Wilner of the Toronto Star. "I don't know why he would put himself in this position.
"If I were him, I would shut the hell up. You know, and he should not be in the business of throwing hate grenades.”
Santander’s posts went up on Nov. 4, shortly after the U.S. midterm elections. One was a picture of U.S. Sen.-elect Abdul El-Sayed, a Michigan Democrat who is Muslim, with the message: “America voted for Sharia Last Night!”
The other was a video of a Christian preacher making sweeping claims about Muslims, including: “There is no such thing as kind Muslims.”
After screenshots spread online, Santander deleted both posts and drew criticism from baseball fans and others. The Blue Jays then issued a statement distancing the organization from what he had shared.
“Baseball is for everyone,” the statement read, “and the Blue Jays have created an inclusive experience where all fans feel welcome at our ballpark. Individual comments do not represent our organization’s values and beliefs.”
Zaidi also backed the public response from Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins, who addressed the situation this week at the GM Meetings in Las Vegas.
“There aren’t words to express my level of disappointment with him making those comments,” Atkins said, via Mitch Bannon of The Athletic. “I’ve expressed that to him. I think anything exasperating, some level of hate, anti-Islamic, is just extremely concerning.”
Zaidi said he does not know Santander personally. The native of Canada served as the Dodgers’ GM under Andrew Friedman for four years from 2014-18, then ran baseball operations for the San Francisco Giants for six years before returning to Los Angeles as a special advisor in 2025.
In Other News...
Blue Jays Offseason Aggression May Start With A Big Outfield Swing
The Blue Jays are heading into an offseason that figures to be shaped by urgency, and the outfield looks like one of the first places they could try to make a real splash. With Toronto aiming to improve for the 2027 season, the front office is expected to be active in free agency, and the need is easy to see after an offense that struggled last season. Any upgrade there would carry extra weight if the club has to plan for life without George Springer, whose future remains part of the conversation.
Seiya Suzuki has already surfaced as a possible fit in right field, which tells you the kind of swing Toronto may be willing to take if the right player becomes available. The Blue Jays are not just looking for depth or a minor tweak, but for impact, and that search could define how aggressive this winter becomes. If they are going to reshape the lineup and raise the ceiling of the roster, the outfield is likely where the first major move starts to take shape. [Read more 🡒]
Blue Jays Could Be Eyeing A Bigger Roster Shakeup Than Expected
Following the GM Meetings, the Blue Jays have mostly stuck to the margins so far, making only minor league moves while the bigger roster questions wait in the wings. But with a potential MLB lockout looming in December, Toronto may not have the luxury of a slow build, and the front office could be pushed toward a more aggressive reshaping of the roster before the calendar turns.
That means a few familiar names are suddenly part of the conversation, including pitchers Gage Stanifer, Johnny King and Nolan Perry, along with position players Ernie Clement, Nathan Lukes and Andrs Gimnez. Their recent performances have kept them on the radar, but the Blue Jays are also weighing how any pursuit of free agents might affect those decisions, leaving the picture fluid as the club tries to balance present needs with whatever comes next. [Read more 🡒]
Blue Jays Infield Search Comes Down To One High-Stakes Decision
The Blue Jays have spent the 2026 trade deadline working through a familiar kind of front-office puzzle: how to upgrade the infield without boxing themselves into a move that limits flexibility later. Toronto has reportedly checked in on CJ Abrams and Zach Neto, two younger options with multiple years of team control and enough offensive production to fit into a long-term plan, while also keeping other paths open in free agency and on the trade market.
Willy Adames remains part of the conversation too, even with the size of the contract still attached to him, because the Blue Jays are weighing more than just bat speed and defensive fit. Leadership matters in a room that may soon have to absorb a wave of roster adjustments, and Toronto is trying to make the right call with an impending lockout hanging over the sport. The challenge now is choosing which version of help is worth the cost. [Read more 🡒]