Toronto Blue Jays: Nikki Huffman’s departure creates big hole to fill

Toronto Blue Jays’ head athletic trainer Nikki Huffman is leaving her position with the team which new creates a tough hole to fill going forward.

The Toronto Blue Jays’ high-performance department will need a new leader with Nikki Huffman leaving to pursue a solo opportunity.

According to Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi, Huffman will partner with former Blue Jays starter Marcus Stroman since 2015 when she helped him rehab from his ACL tear back in 2015. The team is expecting to look at both external and internal candidates to fill the void left by Huffman and

"“Over the past four years, Nikki has contributed significantly to our evolution of providing cutting edge training and care to our players,” said Blue Jays GM Ross Atkins. “We thank her for her tireless work ethic and look forward to seeing her success in the opportunities that lie ahead.”"

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An interesting note about Huffman from Gregor Chisholm’s piece in the Toronto Star examined the friction between Aaron Sanchez and Huffman because of her relationship with Stroman.

Chisholm even cited a tweet that Stroman would later delete suggesting things weren’t exactly on the good terms between Huffman and the Blue Jays.

"“Sometimes you need to remove your people from toxicity in order to see them prosper,” Stroman tweeted. “Crazy excited for the future. Got (Huffman) back in my circle. Super thankful to have her with me every step of the way. She’s the best (physical therapist)/trainer/strength coach in the world and will change the lives of many athletes going forward. Time to climb. Loyalty over everything!”"

It is interesting to hear of Stroman’s involvement in Huffman’s departure considering his relationship with the Blue Jays was strained by the trade that sent him to the New York Mets. You also can’t blame her for making a name on her own and pursue her own opportunities but you wonder if there were lingering problems as well.

This is a very important position considering the number of injuries teams have to deal with during the season. This is not the first trainer to leave after George Poulis left the team to join Alex Anthopoulos and the Atlanta Braves.

Of course, there are many qualified candidates to fill the vacancy and a chance for the Blue Jays to properly evaluate a candidate that will be in charge of arguably the most crucial stage of the team’s future.

What did you make of Huffman’s departure? Was the time right for her to leave? Let us know in the comments below.