Former Cal Baseball and Oakland As player Marcus Semien to leave the Bay Area after signing with theToronto Blue Jays

The As didn’t want to pay up

The 2019 MVP Finalist announced his departure from the Bay Area after living and playing baseball here for 28 years. He signed an $18 million 1-year deal with the Toronto Blue Jays this offseason, after the Oakland As could not agree with him to a long term contract. To put the deal into perspective, the As might have been able to keep him around for another year had they extended the qualifying offer of $18.6 million, but they declined to, only offering $12.5 million with $10 million coming in as an installment over 10 years. Marcus declined and hit the open market.

Scott Ostler @scottostler

Marcus Semien isn't the guy the A's need to lose.

sfchronicle.comA’s loss of Marcus Semien might be final blow to reeling franchise<p>The Oakland A’s lost shortstop Marcus Semien to free agency Tuesday, a low point for the franchise but maybe a sign that change is coming.</p>

The 30-year-old shortstop is originally from San Francisco, playing his high school ball at Saint Mary’s College High School in Berkeley, California. He was drafted in the 34th round of the 2008 MLB draft, but declined the opportunity to sign. Marcus is the son of former Cal Football wide receiver Damien Semien, and with his mom also a graduate of Cal, it was an easy decision for the bay area kid to play baseball up the street from his high school.

Marcus played 3 years for the Bears, before making the jump back into the MLB, where he was once again selected by the Chicago White Sox, but this time in the 6th round in 2011. His first hit in the majors came in 2013 against the Yankees and it came off of another bay area product in CC Sabathia. In 2014, Marcus was traded to the Oakland As as part of the Jeff Samardzija deal. He had his best season for the As in 2019, batting .285/.369/.522 adding on 33 home runs. He finished 3rd in the AL MVP race, a finalist for the Gold Glove, and on the Second Team of the inaugural All-MLB Team at shortstop.

We’ll miss having Marcus here in the Bay Area, but we’ll be supporting him wherever he’s playing since he’s a Cal Bear through and through.