After brutal end for Jays, Atkins' explanations prompt more questions

TORONTO – There are many layers to the discussion surrounding the Toronto Blue Jays right now.

There are the indisputable facts: the Blue Jays removed an electric Jose Berrios from a scoreless elimination game only to see Yusei Kikuchi allow two runs to score; their offence didn’t manage any runs; their baserunning – poor all year – was worse in the post-season; their season is now over.

Alongside those facts, there are the explanations for the Berrios decision. Manager John Schneider said: “there are a lot of numbers involved and there are a lot of opinions involved,” while Ross Atkins said it was ultimately Schneider's call. The GM expressed “100 per cent confidence that it's not front office pressure,” adding that “John Schneider made that decision” and that he was personally surprised to see the early hook.

Don’t forget about the emotions in all of this, too. A few days later, there’s still a charge to the Berrios discussion, which has taken on greater significance than it otherwise might for a couple of reasons. One: the Blue Jays didn’t score, magnifying everything else. And two: it comes after the most frustrating season in recent memory, one that left everyone from players to fans seeking answers.

When Atkins says the Blue Jays’ strategy “was effective,” it’s not convincing. Sure, the Blue Jays pitched well over the course of nine innings on Wednesday, but the inning in question here featured Yusei Kikuchi facing Carlos Correa with the bases loaded and ended with two runs across the board.

That’s hardly an “effective” transition from Berrios to the bullpen, even if pitchers who later entered did well. To suggest otherwise is to invite even more anger from a fan base that’s now seven years removed from celebrating its last playoff win. The strategy was surely designed with the best intentions. There were undoubtedly reasons for choosing it. But it didn’t work. That much should be obvious.

But as the conversation unfolded at Rogers Centre Saturday, there was something missing. In conversations with people around the game, no one beyond the Blue Jays has said they liked this move for Toronto given Berrios’ stuff and the fact that Kikuchi hadn’t pitched out of the bullpen all year. But if the Blue Jays made a mistake here, who was accountable for it? 

Speaking after the Game 2 loss, Schneider said: “You can sit here and second-guess me, second-guess the organization, second-guess anybody. I get that.” So blame Schneider then? Or blame the organization? Blame anybody? Asked whether Schneider made a mistake, Atkins said no.

“I’m not going to go into revisionist history and second guessing the outcome of us getting to the end of the game and only allowing two runs,” he said. “We didn't score runs.”

If we zoom out even wider for a moment, it’s clear the Blue Jays have fallen short of the expectations they themselves helped create. Early in 2021, team president Mark Shapiro spoke boldly about the potential of the Toronto Blue Jays. 

"I think there's no limit to what this market can be," Shapiro said that January. "It's a behemoth.”

In the three seasons since, they’ve reached the playoffs twice, going 0-4 in October. Their teams have been good, without a doubt, and let’s not lose sight of the fact that they built one of baseball’s elite pitching staffs. But in no way are the Blue Jays a behemoth right now and any fans expecting clear answers are left wanting.

“We did not reach our goals,” Atkins said. “We share the frustration with the fans. This is as a tough of a moment in my career as I've ever had.”

There’s no shame in saying ‘yes, we made a mistake; we did what we thought was best in the moment, but considering more factors since, we wish we’d let Berrios pitch longer.’ Coaches and front office executives mess up sometimes, just like anyone else. But until a Blue Jays decision maker acknowledges the possibility of a strategic mistake, a disconnect may remain between them and the fanbase that saw the strategy backfire.

By the time Shapiro addresses the media Thursday, the tone around this team may have shifted slightly, but the challenges facing it will remain. They must finalize a 2024 coaching staff, with lots of attention sure to land on the hitting coaches who oversaw an underwhelming offensive season that included regression from Vladimir Guerrero Jr., George Springer and Alejandro Kirk.

“John and I spent some time talking about it yesterday,” Atkins said. “I’ll have more for you the next time we talk.”

One factor for the Blue Jays to consider in this will be distractions created, such as the decision made by hitting strategist Dave Hudgens to engage in a public political Twitter debate four minutes before first pitch on Aug. 18. But with third base coach Luis Rivera retiring, the coaching staff is sure to look at least somewhat different next spring.

The same can be said of the roster, which will see Kevin Kiermaier, Brandon Belt, Matt Chapman, Whit Merrifield, Jordan Hicks and Hyun Jin Ryu hit free agency following the World Series. And look – with money to spend, some legitimately talented position players and most of an elite pitching staff returning, there’s no reason the Blue Jays shouldn’t be one of the American League’s top teams next year.

That’s a long way off, though, and in the meantime, a brutal ending to a frustrating season looms large.