"I still hold a grudge": Winckowski remains upset at Blue Jays trade two years later

Over two and a half years later, Boston Red Sox pitcher Josh Winckowski is still sour with the Toronto Blue Jays.

The Blue Jays drafted Winckowski in the 15th round of the 2016 MLB Draft. He went on to make 54 appearances in the Jays organization over four seasons but never appeared in the major leagues. Through those 54 appearances, he owned an impressive 3.35 ERA but was dealt to the New York Mets in January of 2021.

Sean Reid-Foley and Yennsy Diaz were also moved to the Mets in the same deal, with the Blue Jays receiving starting pitcher Steven Matz in return. Despite only ever playing for their minor league teams, the deal still continues to bother Winckowski.

“I’ve always been a big chip-on-my-shoulder guy, and sometimes I do the ‘fake fire’ stuff, so I still hold a grudge against them, to this day, even though it’s probably not warranted,” Winckowski said. “I just fake it. Anytime I play them, I just want to do extremely well. Even just giving up a hit to them drives me crazy.”

Shortly after being acquired by the Mets, Winckowski was moved again, this time to the Red Sox, in a deal that saw outfielder Andrew Benintendi head the other way.

Winckowski has been used in a reliever role for the Red Sox this season, owning a 2.95 ERA in 54 appearances. He and his teammates began their three-game series versus the Blue Jays on Friday, falling by a 3-0 final.

Winckowski didn’t appear in yesterday’s game versus the Jays but will have an opportunity to do so this afternoon. Today’s game is set to get underway at 3:07 pm ET, with Chris Bassitt taking the ball for the Blue Jays, while Chris Sale will go for the Red Sox. The two sides will also meet tomorrow afternoon, with game time set for 1:37 pm PT.

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