One-and-done Semien fond of brief Toronto experience

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TORONTO — Marcus Semien’s time in a Toronto Blue Jays uniform was brief.

He spent even less time in the actual city, playing only 36 home games inside Rogers Centre while bashing 11 of his 45 home runs — a new record for MLB second basemen — in front of sparse, pandemic-limited crowds.

His only year with the Jays also ended in heartbreak on the final day of the regular season.

Safe to say, there was a lot for the 31-year-old to unpack when his season ended in the blink of a Rafael Devers blast last October and he quickly went off into free agency seeking the long-term deal he couldn’t find in January of 2021, which forced him to take the one-year prove-it deal that worked out extremely well for both sides.

And prove it Semien did, finishing third in American League MVP voting and generating 6.6 Wins Above Replacement.

“What an experience,” said Semien, who returned as a Texas Ranger on Thursday after signing a massive seven-year, $175-million deal back in November. “Only being two months, it was still a very wholesome experience to come here and play baseball in front of fans who care so much. Of course, we had the most talented team in the major leagues, and we played some really good baseball down the stretch. Came up a little bit short but you see what the organization over there is doing to get better. I’m really happy to be back and it’s a great place to play baseball.”

Before he turned his attention to free agency and where he wanted his family to set down roots for the foreseeable future, he, like every Jays player, lamented some of the losses that left them one win short of the postseason.

“You look back at the games earlier in the season that you want back, but that’s how it goes when you miss