Toronto Blue Jays: Roberto Osuna discusses assault charge

In an interview with USA Today, former Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Roberto Osuna talked about the assault charge which continues to hang over him.

When MLB retroactively suspended Roberto Osuna for 75 games without pay, he didn’t appeal the decision. Similarly, when the Toronto Blue Jays traded him to Houston at the end of July, he accepted the move.

Admittedly, there was nothing Osuna could do about the trade. Regardless, the chain of events since first being put on administrative leave after being charged with assault, didn’t look good for him.

Now though, Osuna has decided to speak up. At least as much as he can do, with the court case still ongoing and a hearing scheduled for Sept. 5.

On Wednesday, USA Today‘s Bob Nightengale published an article after sitting down to speak with the former Toronto Blue Jays pitcher. Understandably, the closer is unsure of who he can trust, while also being weary of the legal implications.

However, Osuna wanted to disclose as much as possible, to at least start to get his side of the story out there. As reported by Nightengale, he said:

"“No one knows what happened but obviously me. Everybody is quick to judge me and say all kinds of things about it. I’m just waiting for everything to come out so people can really wait to see what happened. I would really like the fans, and everybody else, (to) learn what the media says is not true.”"

Certainly, the court of public opinion can often be unreasonable, boarding on savage. In that respect, Osuna understands that’s often par the course for a professional athlete.

What the 2017 All-Star can’t abide though, and this is also sadly part of the mentality among a certain faction of sports fans generally, is when family members are also insulted. One such instance came in Oakland, when a fan shouted slurs about his mom, as he told Nightengale:

"“You can say anything you want to me. None of what you say will hurt me because I know what happened. But don’t talk about my mom. I might lose my mind one day if you try to say something to my mom. She has nothing to do with this.”"

Interestingly, since Osuna was traded by the Blue Jays, he appears to have had a new lease of life, at least on the field. While acknowledging it’s only a small representation — 11 games for the Astros entering Thursday — his ERA of 2.45 is below his career average of 2.85 and a decent drop from the 2.93 he produced during his 15 appearances earlier this year in Toronto.

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In fact, as a whole, the Mexican native seems to be performing better, highlighted in particular by his FIP and strikeout rate per nine innings. Maybe leaving Southern Ontario provided him with a (somewhat) clean slate, given the alleged assault of his girlfriend took place in Toronto.

Which brings us back to what the future may hold for Osuna. If found guilty, he could be fined $5,000; of more significance, however, it’s conceivable he could face six months in jail.

This would explain why Osuna’s lawyer, Domenic Basile, is looking to find a resolution through a peace bond. If successful, it would result in the charge being withdrawn.

However, while this would obviously be a preferred scenario for the right-hander, it wouldn’t necessarily change the public perception of him. As noted by Nightengale, any peace bond could include conditions such as no contact between Osuna and his alleged victim.

From the perspective of Blue Jays fans, you imagine they are extremely interested in how this whole matter plays out, with plenty ready to cast judgement with the benefit of hindsight. As we’ve said before, the team was essentially put in a no-win situation, whether they traded Osuna or not.

As for Osuna himself, all he can do is nervously await the final decision, with him ready to expect the worst if it doesn’t go as planned: “Hey, if I’m guilty, you can say whatever you want.”

Obviously the situation cannot be changed now. However, did you agree with the Toronto Blue Jays’ decision to trade Osuna, or would you have held onto him, at least until the court case was resolved? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.