Saturday Bantering: Winter Fest news

Today is the first day of Winter Fest weekend, which means we should be blessed with a trickle of fun and random stories all day long. If you see something you want to share (like Bo Bichette not being able to guess the Titanic), please feel free to do so in the comments.

A few players spent some time with the media yesterday, and thanks to TSN’s video coverage, we are able to hear everything they said.

On being traded for a MVP in Josh Donaldson, new Blue Jay Julian Merryweather joked, “I guess it’s MVP or bust for me.” Merryweather also discussed his pitching arsenal, expressed his excitement to be a part of the Blue Jays’ bright future, and said he does not have a clear date for a return to the mound from his Tommy John surgery yet.

Cavan Biggio spoke about some adjustments he made that he feels contributed to his strong performance this year, including lowering his hands and adjusting his load to help with his timing. He also called Vlad Jr a “special human being” and a “natural phenomenon.”

Lastly, Vlad Jr did a 10 minute interview via a team translator, and he didn’t stray away from his usual interview answers. He stated that he was focused on getting better every day, that he can only control what he can control, and he isn’t thinking about when he will be called up. When asked what specific aspect in his game he was looking to get better at, he answered “absolutely everything”.

When he was asked how he feels stepping into a batter’s box with regards to the pitcher, Vlad answered that he knows he’s the best and he doesn’t let himself be intimidated by anyone. He also said he had fun curling with his teammates.

We also have this bit of news about Nate Pearson:

If you are attending Winter Fest this weekend, we hope you have a blast! Please feel free to tell us all about your experience in the comments or in a fan post so the rest of us can live vicariously through you.