New York City’s top shortstop was at home in Toronto.
Jose Cuas had his own major league locker. He got dressed beside Jose Bautista. He took batting practice with Edwin Encarnacion. He fielded grounders on the Rogers Centre turf.
Cuas, a late-round 2012 draft pick of the Blue Jays, was a recent graduate of Grand Street Campus High School in Brooklyn. For that one day, he felt like a big leaguer. He then chose to go to college because he knew he’d return to the majors.
“I’m in the clubhouse with Bautista and Encarnacion, and I’m talking to them, like, ‘Wow, I really want to sign,’” Cuas said. “But they made sure to let me know, ‘Hey, they’re showing you the beautiful life, the beautiful part of baseball. Once you sign, you don’t see any of this for years.’”
