Baseball transactions often generate unexpected breaking news, be it wetbutt23 and KatyPerrysBootyHole or Brendon Kuhn and Joey Vendetta. But Wednesday provided a notable reversal, with TV presenter Hazel Mae and several US baseball insiders (including Ken Rosenthal of Fox and The Athletic and Jon Heyman of MLB Network) reporting that outfielder Michael Brantley was going to Toronto Blue Jays before the eventual confirmation that he was returning to Houston Astros (where he played last year, as shown above). Here are the initial reports:
Michael Brantley agrees to a 3-year contract with #BlueJays by source.
– Hazel Mae (@thehazelmae) January 20, 2021
Source confirms: Free-agent Michael Brantley in agreement with Blue Jays on a three-year contract, pending physical examination. First: @thehazelmae.
– Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) January 20, 2021
Jays agrees to deal with Michael Brantley @thehazelmae 1st
– Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) January 20, 2021
And here are some of the later corrections and refutations of those who initially did not report that:
There is no deal between outfielder Michael Brantley and Toronto Blue Jays, according to a source. The Blue Jays are among the teams that are still in Brantley, and a deal may eventually close, but it is not yet completed.
– Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) January 20, 2021
The Blue Jays employee refutes my previous tweet about the source re: 3 yr deal. “The team remains interested in Michael Brantley, but there is no agreement currently in place.”
– Hazel Mae (@thehazelmae) January 20, 2021
Now hearing the same as @Feinsand and @JeffPassan: No agreement yet between Blue Jays and Brantley. Two sides remain in discussions. Apologies for being among those who reported treating prematurely.
– Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) January 20, 2021
There is no deal for Michael Brantley. The sides keep talking. Sorry for rushing. https://t.co/2SBHAXJmNE
– Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) January 20, 2021
It looks like Michael Brantley is going to Houston … interest from #BlueJays never materialized in a business https://t.co/GwIZaXfXfm
– Ben Nicholson-Smith (@bnicholsonsmith) January 20, 2021
As noted on Tuesday, baseball is a sport in which local sources can sometimes spread national news before national insiders notice it. But in this case, the initial reports appear to have been premature. And that led to some embarrassing tweets on Wednesday for those who reported that the deal with Brantley was closed in Toronto before the real news broke that the deal was being closed in Houston.
[Photo from Robert Hanashiro/USA Today Sports]