Mark Shapiro says Ross Atkins will return as Blue Jays GM

Ross Atkins will remain general manager of the Toronto Blue Jays, president Mark Shapiro announced on Thursday during a season-ending press conference at Rogers Centre.

There had been questions about the status of Atkins following the team's dispiriting 2-0 sweep at the hands of the Minnesota Twins in the wild-card series last week, but Shapiro offered his support of the GM.

"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," Shapiro said. "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."

"We need to get better," continued Shapiro. "Ross needs to get better but he's done a good job and put us in a good position next year to be a very good team and certainly deserves that opportunity to continue to lead the baseball organization."

Atkins signed a five-year contract extension in 2021 that expires after the 2026 season.

A focal point of the Blue Jays' miserable end to the campaign and of Shapiro's press conference was the team's decision to remove starter Jose Berrios in the fourth inning of Game 2 of the wild-card series against the Twins.

Berrios had been dominant to that point and was replaced by left-hander Yusei Kikuchi as the club sought better platoon advantages against the Twins lineup. Kikuchi subsequently allowed two runs, the Blue Jays lost 2-0, and frustration ensued, both from the fans and players.

Following the loss, several Blue Jays players expressed surprise at manager John Schneider's move to replace Berrios.

Atkins, during a press conference over the weekend, also said he was surprised.

Shapiro noted he's been involved in conversations with Schneider and Atkins as the club attempts to dive deeper into reflection on the season that was.

"We had probably made some assumption that there was a clarity to the people, to the planning and preparation that goes into our games, not just for that game, but for every single one of our games," said the president. "We have to be more clear with our players, more transparent, do a better job of communicating what that process is, and then most importantly, if at all, there's a line of demarcation when it comes into the game that the decisions lie with our staff and with John."

"When something goes wrong, accountability lies at the top," he added. "It lies with me. We're not looking to say that, 'John Schneider made a mistake,' or 'Ross made a mistake,' or 'Who made the mistake.' We made a mistake. It didn't work and we'll need to learn and get better from it."

Shapiro said the club's baseball operations group is currently in its evaluation stage and subsequent feedback and analysis will be offered to him soon. As for the club's payroll for 2024, he's currently involved in discussions with team ownership about that and hopes to have it solidified in the next couple of weeks, but "even in the preliminary conversations, I don't expect a dramatic philosophical shift in payroll next year."

The Blue Jays have now been swept in three straight post-season series, dating back to 2020, and frustration among the team's fanbase has been palpable. Shapiro said he understands that and even felt some of that himself this season.

"It was not ever easy," he said. "It was extremely frustrating and it was challenging. I'm not sure why [however] we still won 89 games. But, I've been in the game 32 years, and I can't remember a season that felt like it was more of an effort."

"I'm not interested in winning over anyone to me or to Ross," added Shapiro. "I just want to do what makes the fans happy, which is win and ultimately win a world championship. So, it's not about me. It never has been. It's about our team and about our players and about our ability to win. Bring a world championship to Canada. I think that is ultimately what will make them happy."