Kevin Kiermaier drops witty Shohei Ohtani reference amid potential Blue Jays exit - "I'm going to let Ohtani set the market"

After being swept by the Minnesota Twins, Toronto Blue Jays centerfielder Kevin Kiermaier is headed for free agency. The Blue Jays' lackluster offense was one of the main reasons for their early playoff exit and now they will need to shift their focus to the offseason to address key concerns.

As for Kevin Kiermaier, he was direct in his post-game interview about his thoughts on free agency:

"I'm going to let Ohtani set the market and then maybe I'll let the cards fall after that, regarding me. I'll listen to whoever has interest and go from there."[via Mitch Bannon]

He quipped that he would let LA Angels two-way phenom Shohei Ohtani dictate the market and see who's interested in his services for the right deal. Prior to the 2023 season, he signed a one-year, $9 million contract with the Toronto Blue Jays. However, it seems the Blue Jays may not bring him back and he will have to explore the market in free agency.

Kevin Kiermaier's MLB career

The Tampa Bay Rays selected Kiermaier in the 31st round of the 2010 MLB draft. On September 30, 2013, he made his debut in the Wild Card tie-breaker game against the Texas Rangers, coming on as a defensive replacement in the ninth innings.

During his career, the 33-year-old was considered an exceptional center fielder and robbed a lot of home runs in the outfield for the Tampa Bay Rays from 2013-22. He won three Gold Glove awards in 2015, 2016 and 2019, and one Platinum Glove award in 2015.

Prior to the 2023 season, he signed with the Blue Jays for a one-year deal. In his career, he had a .249 career batting average, blasted 90 home runs, 352 RBIs and 126 stolen bases.

Apart from this, Kiermaier tied the knot with Marisa Moralobo in November 2017 in St. Petersburgh, Florida. The couple are parents to two sons born in 2018 and 2021, respectively. Interestingly, his brother, Dan, serves as the head groundskeeper for the Chicago Cubs.