Zimmer Excited to Join Blue Jays' 'Contagious' Offense, Winning Culture

After parts of five seasons in Cleveland, Bradley Zimmer said it was a “shock” to find out he’d been traded to the Blue Jays.

“It was definitely bittersweet,” the outfielder said outside his new locker in the Rogers Centre clubhouse.

On Thursday, before the Guardians’ season opener, Zimmer was called into a meeting with manager Terry Francona, who passed along the got the news. Just like that, Zimmer—Cleveland’s first-round pick in 2014—was gone from the only organization he’d ever known, swapped in a deal for right-hander Anthony Castro.

“A lot of good memories and relationships there, but it's part of the game,” he said. “Most guys don't stay in one place for that long.”

Now the 29-year-old begins a new chapter of his career by joining a Blue Jays squad he’s watched for a while.

“I've played against these guys a few times now,” Zimmer said. “Seeing what they do on the home side, just how much fun they have, I feel like that creates a winning atmosphere. So looking from the outside in, it was cool to see.

“Obviously coming to somewhere like Toronto is very special, and I'm really excited to be here, based on everyone I've met so far and just how good the chemistry and how good the team is.”

And, for the Blue Jays, the feeling is mutual. Zimmer, a left-handed hitter, brings an elite level of speed (97th percentile sprint speed last year) and power that few players in the game possess. 

At 6-foot-4, when Zimmer connects, baseballs fly out of the yard. That was on full display in 2021, where he crushed some tape-measure shots with the Guardians and finished in the 75th percentile in average exit velocity and in the 91st percentile for max exit velo.