Former Blue Jays All-Star blasts MLB media for unnecessary shots at Toronto

By Friday of last week, the Shohei Ohtani sweepstakes were down to two suitors, those being the Los Angeles Dodgers and Toronto Blue Jays.

In the end, Ohtani chose the Dodgers, signing with them on a 10-year, $700 million deal, the largest contract in North American sports history. But after the decision was made, a popular sentiment among MLB media members was that Ohtani choosing Los Angeles was better for the game than if he had chosen Toronto.

This didn't sit well with former Blue Jays pitcher and All-Star Ricky Romero, who took to Twitter to share his thoughts on this common sentiment.

Former Blue Jays All-Star Ricky Romero calls out MLB media

The left-hander criticized MLB media members for essentially painting an incorrect picture of Toronto, calling them out for acting as if the country of Canada is "an outer space type of place."

He then lauded Toronto fans for being passionate and loving their teams.

The Blue Jays were never successful while Romero was on the team, but they rose to contention in 2015 after he had retired. Toronto has been to the postseason four times since their run to the ALCS in 2015. Romero was with the team from 2009-13.

But it's clear that this narrative did not sit well with Romero, who had nothing but good things to say about Toronto and their passionate fans.

A false report spread like wildfire on Friday when several unverified sources stated that Ohtani was on a plane bound for Toronto. The report captivated the baseball world, from fans, executives, and media members alike.

Based on Romero's comments and the narrative being pushed by MLB media members, some may feel as if Los Angeles is a better market due to the fact that it is in the United States, like all MLB cities aside from Toronto and attracts a massive fanbase. Granted, Los Angeles would likely generate more national coverage.

However, Romero made sure to get his money's worth and explain why Toronto is not a remote place, but rather a very big market for sports in all major associations. Ohtani would certainly have been very popular in Canada and would have also helped the Blue Jays receive a little more recognition from baseball writers and reporters.