Blue Jays Ernie Clement Shares Honest Reaction to Being Let Go By the A's

The A's third base issue could have been solved back in 2022 if they'd held onto Ernie Clement

Oct 27, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Toronto Blue Jays third baseman Ernie Clement (22) speaks in a press conference before game three of the 2025 MLB World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Toronto Blue Jays star Ernie Clement has become a cult hero in Canada, and his postseason success shows you why. He came into Monday's Game 3 of the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers having gone 3-for-7 with an RBI, and even after he managed to go 1-for-8 in last night's 18-inning thriller, his average dropped to .386 in the Series. He's also struck out just once in those 15 at-bats.

Clement was briefly a member of the A's back in 2022—a team that was on its way to losing 102 games that year. He was claimed off waivers from the Cleveland Guardians, and made his way into a total of six games for the A's, racking up 18 at-bats.

He went just 1-for-18 (.056) with a double, and looked overmatched in the batter's box at times. He ended up making it to camp with the A's, but the club decided to release him in the middle of March in 2023 after going 2-for-11 to begin his spring. That A's team went just 50-112.

The Blue Jays swooped him up on a minor-league deal two days later, and he initially worked his way back to the big leagues with the franchise, and has now become a huge piece of their team. It hasn't been a straightforward path for Clement, but he's certainly made the most of it.

Ahead of Game 3 of the World Series, the Jays' third baseman was asked about being released by the A's back in 2023, and he took the high road.

"I can't blame them. I didn't play great."

Clement is just the latest former A's third baseman to find success with the Toronto Blue Jays. The guy who kicked off their recent runs of postseason successes was Josh Donaldson, whom the A's traded to Toronto following the 2014 season.

The A's received Franklin Barreto, a highly rated prospect that never panned out; Kendall Graveman, who found more success in relief once leaving the A's; Brett Lawrie, who was traded to the Chicago White Sox a year later and played just one more year in the big leagues. The A's also received Sean Nolin in the deal, and he'd bounce around baseball for the next decade.

Donaldson went on to win the AL MVP award in 2015 while the Jays made it to the ALCS.

The A's also traded Matt Chapman up North ahead of the 2022 campaign, and he ended up tying his career-high with 27 home runs and then won a Gold Glove the following season before departing via free agency ahead of the 2024 campaign.

That trade hasn't worked out well for the A's either, as Zach Logue, Kevin Smith and Kirby Snead were all out of the big leagues in 2025, with Logue and Smith not even in affiliated ball. Snead spent the season in the minors with the Seattle Mariners, but was granted his release after the season ended.

Gunnar Hoglund is still on the A's 40-man roster and could be in the team's starting mix in 2026, so there is a chance that the A's may get something in return from one of these trades.