Blue Jays President Backs Atkins To Continue As GM For Next Season

Summary

• Blue Jays GM Mark Shapiro confirmed Ross Atkins will continue as GM
• There were rumours that Atkins could get cut after the team 2-0 playoff loss
• Shapiro said the Blue Jays will reflect on their performance last season and make relevant adjustments

Toronto Blue Jay fans were disappointed yet again to see their team lose in the playoffs especially after the Anthony Bass controversy. This was the 3^rd time in the last 4 years that the Blue Jays made it to the playoffs but ended up getting swept 2-0.

There were rumours floating around that GM Ross Atkins could get cut as the Blue Jays look to plan ahead for the new season. However, President Mark Shapiro addressed the fans and outlined his plans for the Blue Jays going forward.

Shapiro Throws Support Behind Atkins

One of the first things that Shapiro did was to confirm that the Blue Jays would not be parting ways with their GM. Atkins signed a new contract in 2021 with the Blue Jays and is contracted till 2026. Ross took on the role back in 2015 (pictured) and has had mixed results over the last 8 years.

Shapiro said that when a team does not perform as expected, accountability has to start at the top and that meant the responsibility fell on him! He said the Blue Jays was not looking to blame Atkins or manager John Schneider for the team’s performance but were looking to take responsibility collectively, learn from those mistakes and get better for the next season.

In a statement, Shapiro said

When evaluating, you’re not evaluating on a series or even a season. And in Ross’s case, the body of work, to me, is undeniable. There’s over eight seasons — whether it’s the last four having the sixth-best record in the American League, whether it’s three of the last four years in the post-season, building out great resources, hiring a great leadership team that’s been successful, both internationally and domestically.

However, he did admit that Ross needs to get better and help the Blue Jays over their setbacks during the next MLB season.

Blue Jays Will Go Through Evaluation Process

The Blue Jays will go through a reflection and re-evaluation process and the results of that analysis will then be shared with Shapiro. The budget for the Blue Jays payroll in 2024 is expected to be similar to 2023.