DUNEDIN, Fla. — The Blue Jays’ bullpen wants to rebrand Tim Mayza.
Mayza is already your favorite player’s favorite reliever. But a new marketing department led by Jordan Romano and Eric Swanson wants to introduce him to the masses.
“[Mayza] It needs to be a little more edgy,” Romano said. “Right now he’s a little bit generic. Typical relief pitcher. He’s very good at what he does, but he needs a little more talent. The first thing that comes to mind is tattoos? On his face, neck. Maybe a beard. He has the potential for a goatee. He needs something there. A clean-cropped, slightly shorter beard looks great, but it’s not edgy enough.”
Oddly enough, Beauden Francis also immediately suggested getting a tattoo on his face and perhaps replacing the classic relief pitcher running in from the bullpen with Biggie Smalls. However, the starting point for this rebrand appears to be fashion. Meiza could also forego dressing up for a job interview, since he’s already one of the best left-handed relief pitchers in baseball.
“He has to show up every day without a collared shirt,” Swanson said. “Tim has been wearing a collared shirt every day since he was drafted. It shows respect. But could he wear a tank top and shorts? Swim trunks? Flip-flops? Is he doing something crazy? I have to do it.”
Maiza is beloved by his teammates, which is why Romano and Swanson took up the cause after hearing the latest news over breakfast.
The day before, Mayza and Chris Bassitt were driving to Old Navy with his wife when Mayza was asked by a friend about his reputation. MLB The Show A year ago, Mayza finished with a rating of 71, not high enough to be one of the most reliable left-handers in the game.
Mayza indicated to Bassitt, who brought the news to him at breakfast the next day, that the Blue Jays’ bullpen officially has another project. I’m hoping for a Mayza from the late 70’s.
“What are you doing?” [1.52 ERA] Do you know these days? Swanson asked. “I don’t know if he was the best in the league, but he was pretty close for a left-handed pitcher, giving up 69 points. I think he’s the most underrated reliever in the game.”
The marketing strategy here is clear. Spice up Tim Mayza.
This begins from the moment Mayza arrives at the complex or stadium. The relievers want to see him perform like a dominant pitcher. After Romano finished detailing the makeover he had envisioned for Mayza, the Canadian closer sighed and moved on to his next project.
“One more thing…he drives a Kia,” Romano said, “a Kia Telluride. He needs an old-school muscle car, a Trans Am. I can’t let him drive around in a Kia Telluride.” It doesn’t last.”
Put all this together and Romano has a vision that sounds like Mayza’s next Halloween costume.
“A Trans Am pulled up onto the field with a cigarette hanging out of its mouth and a tattoo on its neck,” Romano said.
What’s at the heart of all this? Meiza’s teammates love him. That’s why he so often finds himself at the center of these incidents, even though he’s the last guy in the clubhouse who doesn’t want to be in the spotlight. That’s what made his early spring debut as a batboy perfect, as he walked back and forth to pick up his teammates’ equipment as punishment for finishing last in a fantasy football league.
“He’s a really great guy,” Swanson said. “He’s great to have around. He comes in every day with the same attitude. He’s a good family man. He says a lot of shit, but he takes it really, really well. Very. I think he’s the one who takes the crap the most on the team because he’s well-liked. But that’s also because he takes it well. He doesn’t get hurt by it. He just takes the crap to you. Just say it back. That’s what everyone loves.”
Romano has grown with Meiza in the organization for more than a decade. And they sit side by side in the clubhouse as two of the best relievers in baseball.
“For me, he’s a great friend. He’s a very reliable person,” Romano said. “Honestly, it’s really great to watch him work. Just seeing what he does in his routine makes me better. I absorb a lot from him and I try to use that in my game. He’s just a really good guy overall.”
That’s Mayza: Reliable. A smart midsize SUV that gets the job done, perfect for the Blue Jays’ bullpen.