The Blue Jays have signed general manager Ross Atkins to a contract extension, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet reports. The exact length of the deal is unknown, but it’ll keep Atkins in place through “at least” the 2020 campaign, according to Nicholson-Smith.
Toronto’s in its fourth season with Atkins, a former Indians executive who joined the Blue Jays in December 2015. He assumed his post a few months after the Blue Jays hired Mark Shapiro as their president. Atkins and Shapiro previously worked together in Cleveland, and they were at the helm of a Toronto franchise which earned a playoff berth in their first season at the controls. The Blue Jays, who were coming off an American League Championship Series bid in the prior season, made it back to the ALCS in Atkins’ first year with the franchise. However, they’ve gone into a rebuild since and are all but guaranteed to extend their playoff drought to three years in 2019.
In the Jays’ first four offseasons under their current regime, they made noteworthy free-agent investments in J.A. Happ, Kendrys Morales, Marco Estrada, Lourdes Gurriel Jr., Jose Bautista, Steve Pearce, Jaime Garcia, Curtis Granderson and Freddy Galvis. Each of those players secured at least $5MM in guaranteed money, but as you’d expect with free-agent signings, some of those moves didn’t work out. Gurriel, who was a much-ballyhooed international prospect when the Blue Jays signed him, and Galvis are the only players from that group who are on Toronto’s 2019 roster.
Gurriel’s one of many promising young players whom the Jays have developed during Atkins’ run with the organization. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is the most obvious example, though he signed with the organization shortly before Atkins and Shapiro came aboard. Seven of the team’s other top 10 prospects at MLB.com – including Bo Bichette and Cavan Biggio – have joined the Jays since Atkins did, and the club now boasts one of the majors’ highest-rated farm systems.
Aside from Guerrero and Biggio, all of Toronto’s absolute best prospects are in the minors. It’s anyone’s guess how the team’s big league roster will look when more members of its system start pouring into the majors. Atkins & Co. may ship out key veterans Marcus Stroman, Aaron Sanchez, Justin Smoak and Ken Giles this summer, as all are potentially valuable trade chips with dwindling club control. With the exception of Giles, whom Toronto acquired from Houston last summer for disgraced closer Roberto Osuna, all of those players were in the organization well before Atkins came on the scene. He did help oversee a shrewd extension for Smoak in 2016, though.
In other notable moves under Atkins, the Jays acquired outfielder Randal Grichuk in a January 2018 trade with the Cardinals, picked up righty Trent Thornton in a deal with the Astros last November, and sent third baseman Josh Donaldson to the Indians last August. To this point, the five-year, $52MM extension the Blue Jays gave Grichuk in April ranks as the largest financial commitment they’ve made to a player since Atkins’ hiring.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Not to throw shade, but what has he done to earn this extension? Signing Morales and extending Grichuk definitely doesn’t scream extension to me…
Good drafting and a top tier farm very shortly after AA gutted it. Not all Atkins, of course, but none of it – good or bad – is ever just the GM. Likely letting him see it through if nothing else.
The AA traded the farm rhetoric is over stared, who did he trade away that became anything but Thor. Who he’s on video the day of the trade stating that Thor was a major price and he knew the talent, but he was getting a Cy Young winner. Defendable, no? AA is one of the best GMs in baseball, wake up folks. Braves have a bright future.
Matt Boyd, DeSclafani, Marisnick, Daniel Norris, Jeremy Jeffress DFA’d would all be nice to have
He objectively did trade the farm, regardless of how they may have performed elsewhere. But that logic also hinges on the assumption that those players would have played out exactly the same in Toronto’s system and, very often, it’s as much a matter of where they are. But, that aside, AA also took on massive albatross contracts (Tulo in particular) which dwarves and Morales clunker or the like and was a significant hurdle to proper rebuilding. I have no particular issue with Atkins, nor have I any particular affinity for him. But this ‘AA was awesome, Atkins is awful’ trope is born out of circumstance (when one left and the other entered an organization about to tank) and short memories.
One of those players has played regularly in the MLB and above replacement level.
Joe Musgrove wouldn’t hurt either.
They’re average or worse. AA got this franchise into two straight ALCS appearances. Shatkins will never get that far.
This team started Edwin Jackson last night. They would benefit from average or worse.
How you feel about AA depends I guess on whether you think two mid-round playoff exits after years of rebuilding plus all the years of rebuilding afterwards due to his selling the farm is a success or not. I think any GM can cash in their chips and try to make a run but if it isn’t remotely sustainable you better win it all.
Why don’t we wait until AA actually wins something before we declare him top tier…
He also had yon Gomes
Well said again. I totally agree.
“AA is one of the best GMs in baseball”.
LMFAO!!!!!!
Matt Boyd and Daniel Norris were traded to Detroit for a rental of David Price. A move that finally told the fanbase that “we were going for it in 2015”. However, Price sucked in the playoffs, lost both of his starts to TEX and CLE. But was solid down the stretch and he ensured the club would win its one and only AL East Title since 1993 so I can live with that deal. Norris and Boyd really aren’t much better than Stroman or Sanchez, actually they shouldn’t be in the first place and Toronto has better young arms about to make the jump soon.
Jeremy Jeffress was let go in 2012 because he couldn’t get anyone out, So he joins Milwaukee like 7 seasons later and all of a sudden he is effective. However, he is struggling this year. Plus its the National League, not the American League and definitely not the AL East!
DeSclafani was traded to the Marlins along with Jake Marisnick for Mark Buehrle and Jose Reyes. Buehrle brought some veteran leadeship and stability to the rotation at the time when it wasnt very strong. Reyes was ok for about 1 1/2 seasons then was a complete bum. DeSclafani has had some ups and downs and really doesnt look like a 1-3 starter on any club good or bad and Marisnick at this point isnt any good as Grichuk is out there. Marisnick is actually a decent bench OF, while Grichuk is actually a starter on most MLB clubs, although he is a #7 hitter at best on good or lousy teams like Toronto even.
Make sure you check the facts and do your homework before commenting on these things. Glad you know those guys from the past, but in actuality those guys were sacrificed to help the Jays FINALLY make a playoff push for the first time in over 23 GD seasons and had been the only MLB team to NOT play a single goddamn playoff game since 1993!
Pile of trite genericisms. How does having one or more massive albatross contracts on the books create a significant hurdle to proper rebuilding? What rebuilding things would a team be able to do sans albatross? Nothing: all it would be able to do is sign other generic veterans who would very likely turn into new albatrosses. Or, if signed to one-year deals, would be generic stop gaps, which isn’t quite the essence of rebuilding. Proper rebuilding is done by drafting effectively, international signing effectively (and aggressively when it was allowed,) and drafting highly. None of these things are notably impacted by albatross contracts.
Well said.
Uhhh, all of the top prospects like Vladdy Jr, Biggio and Bichette were either drafted or signed by AA. Nate Pearson was a first rounder, so that’s not skill from Atkins in selecting him. What has Atkins done to deserve this apart from being Shapiro’s designated organizational destroyer? He’s awful. What have we realized from trading Donaldson, Happ, Martin, etc? What will be the return on Stroman, Sanchez, Giles and Smoak? Probably nothing. Please stop apologizing for this Shapkins disaster and saying they’ve built a good farm system. They haven’t. They’ve overseen the worst ever “rebuild” in MLB history at the same time as the Yankees, Brewers, Twins, Braves, Phillies, etc have all been able to reload to contend for World Series. Jays aren’t even three years closer to a playoff team yet!
Don’t forget all the good players that Atkins/Shapiro have either allowed to walk as free agents, waited to long to trade, or lost through bad trades. The Blue Jays had a really good team, and they just let them dwindle down to next to nothing, rather then use the assets they had to facilitate a prompt rebuild, and at the same time put a competitive, entertaining product on the field for the great fans of the Blue Jays!
Who have they lost?
Harold Ramirez and Dwight Smith Jr. for a start.
“but what has he done to earn this extension? ” Great question. – I cannot think of anything other than he is ‘Shapiro’s guy’
Must be the Edwin Jackson signing.
Exactly. WHY???
Justin Smoak extension was good. Found Sogard and he is performing well. Revitalized a poor-mediocre farm system. Thornton looks like a good pick-up from the Astros. Giles is performing well since coming from the Astros. Galvis has been a good signing. Every GM will have some hits and misses.
These two guys, Shapiro/Atkins are jokes and the sooner they’re gone the better in my opinion. They are supposed to be some kind of geniuses, but what have they really ever won??
Nothing.
The team is 23-42 and 2-8 in their last ten. This front office and ownership group is a disaster, please stop apologizing for them.
keeping jr behind was wrong,.clearly jays mngt sees otherwise – players union filing a grievance would be the right course of action. blatant embarrassment
It’s not “wrong” as long as the CBA doesn’t address service time manipulation. Plus, Vlad Jr got hurt. His injury gave the Blue Jays a built in excuse.
Pretty sure that Gurriel Jr was signed under Anthopolous as GM
Never mind. I’m wrong.
AA signed Hechavarria. You may have been thinking of him.
No just no. Someone please tell me that this article is fake news.
So Shapiro quietly extends his buddy and when asked about it, he declined to comment.
Remember folks when Shapiro was in charge of the Indians from 2002-2014. They won nothing!!!!
Common Rogers, please hire back Gillick or another ELITE GM. Enough with this penny pinching, we will be competitive mantra long term. That will never win in the ALEast with Bos and the Yanks.
We want a $200 M budget every year regardless of the standings. Rogers is the richest owner in MLB and the budget should reflect that. Let’s get a GM that can at least stand up to the board.
May be the richest, but he is also paying into the leafs, raptors, FC, Argos, Marlies as well as paying to operate MLSE group as a majority shareholder and to run his other businesses like rogers communications.
Its not like he has nothing but the Jays to spend his $11+ billion on. In fact at this point you could probably assume the Jays are towards the bottom of his list of things to spend his money on as the leafs are sold out regardless how bad they are doing, the raptors are Canada’s darling right now, and there is probably more money being made in phones and cable than any sport right now, especially when your cable company owns the national broadcast rights to majority of the big 4 of north american sports.
Part owners of the Leafs, Raptors etc.
They are making a ton on the Raptors right now, and they’ve improved on the Leafs. The real issue you didn’t mention was the insane hockey TV deal they blundered.
Nonetheless, Jimmer is right. Unfortunately, Rogers does not care about winning. Never have, never will. It’s all about the brand.
So he should turn the money he is making off the raptors, of which he has shared broadcasting rights, to a team that is drawing lower attendance and tv viewership than any of his other avenues?
Fact is simple, the jays have never consistently been a major draw. They draw when they are competitive and in order to be competitive in the ALE they need to stop and rebuild every so often. They cant compete with BRS and NYY year in and year out. If its done within 5 years instead of 20 this time good on them. Rogers has another 10k+ employees they need to look out for, not just the jays fans.
You said Rogers were paying into the other entities and I simply used your bogus argument against you, and now I’ll do it again….
Blue Jays drew over 2-million from 2012-2018. Drew over 2.3 million from 2013-2018. In 2017 when they declined they drew over 3.2 million, good for 4th overall. 3rd overall in 2016. 8th in 2015.
Whenever you draw in the top 5 you are a major draw. Write that down.
TV ratings have been pretty good for Sportsnet over the years ago. And, to go back to your statement over allocating dollars, Rogers did it to cover losses from their hockey contract. That is why they continue to unveil new merchandise at a pace not since prior to the hockey deal, they continue to raise ticket prices, TV/phone bundle prices and cut jobs across Canada. They’ve taken Jays money away when they deserved to have a higher payroll during the 2015-17 years as contenders.
So yes, why not pay them back with other entities since they’ve done so in the past.
The jays also have about the 25th avg price on a ticket.
Trouble bringing in free agents as the income tax in Ontario is worse than any state, including California a far more alluring place to live if being taxed so heavily.
Then adding in fan situations over the years… claims of racism from all sports leagues against toronto games (waffles thrown at Wayne simmonds, beer thrown at players at jays games…), some players dont want to play there.
Rogers has to pay a premium just to interest some guys. Then they have to consider their other entities. TV ratings for NHL has been great over the past couple years. Saying they lost money on that contract is a joke. Add in they are paying a contract for NFL, MLB, NHL to have majority broadcasting rights across Canada then add in the smaller ones like WWE, tennis, f1 racing and curling… they are spending alot back into what they have coming in. They cant just toss extra into 1 team that might make them some more money when they have other options that will make them better money.
Ratings have improved because the Leafs have improved. The bid by Rogers blew the doors off what TSN was going to offer, and Rogers had a tough time selling to clients at the dollars they were asking for. Account Managers didn’t make quota and either left the company or were fired. Some, not all.
I know for a fact Rogers leaked in the red the first couple years into the hockey deal. No Leafs, no ratings, no cash. Add the season where no Canadian teams made the playoffs and it was a total disaster. Some Rogers employees were introduced to the pink slip as a result.
That still does not excuse the Blue Jays for penny-pinching in 2016 after being 2 wins away from the World Series. Nor does it excuse Rogers for not being hungry enough after the 2000 season when the Jays had first place at one time or another. They are fairweather owners with no desire to win. You don’t hire Paul Godfrey if your intent is to be the best at what you do.
Where there is a will there is a way. Rogers has no will, and thus no way of luring free agents. American players might not want to play here, Latin players, Asian players, they are fair game.
Jimmertee comments,
Jimmertee logs out.
TrimReaper logs in.
TrimReaper comments in support of Jimmertee.
Rinse and repeat.
I see mom let you have wifi Terry. She told me your meds are still in the drawer next to the dishwasher. Make sure you hit rinse and repeat before I come home.
Interesting conflict of interest when a company is giving TV contracts to teams it owns. Which side do you milk the profits from?
And your revenue is in CDN dollars, but you pay salaries in American dollars.
He must have done something right if he has signed an extension. But hey maybe I’m wrong. It seems like almost everyone of you think you could be better than him. Yet he is the one with an extension. Y’all need to wake up
The Bluejays have the best faux outrage fan base that’s for sure.
When you do what ownership tells you to do, you will be rewarded. Congratulations Ross Atkins, you’ve done little to deserve this.
For those claiming Atkins has drafted well, the same rhetoric was suggested for JP Ricciardi. We were told he’s making great trades, great low risk signings and drafting smartly. They were lies then and they are lies now.
Did you know he didn’t want to draft Bichette? Did you know he wasn’t employed with the team when they signed Guerrero? Did you know Happ was signed before he was hired? Forget it, you probably don’t care. Whatever Sportsnet feeds you, you will eat up.
The richest owners in baseball are treating this team like one of the poorest. There’s no hunger or fight to be the best from the very top. Because of that, there will be problems ahead.
Those richest owners have also increased payroll 10 fold over the past 10 or so years they owned the team. And have other businesses they need to conduct besides a team that doesnt draw an attendance unless they are in the playoffs. Blue jays fans are fairweather for the most part. They’re only there when their team is succeeding. Just check the average attendance now vs one of their playoff runs.
Sure every team suffers the same fate, but not to the same extreme. Fans should realize attending games during rebuild years can speed up a rebuild generating more funds to get some better young guys who command more. Boycotting while they suck and returning once they are good again isnt being a true fan. Its being fairweather. Unfortunately its what toronto is full of for the most part.
But dont worry, in 2 years when the Raps suck again and the maple leafs are still stuck in cap hell, the jays will become relevant again and rogers corp will start spending more then again.
They had the chance to spend more to put the team over the top in 2016 and 2017 and chose not to. That is a fact. They had a self-imposed payroll target well below the luxury tax, taking themselves out of contention for certain free agents. Then they have the audacity to convey the message of “we’re looking to win” in 2017 and 2018. No, the Red Sox and Yankees clearly wanted to win. Blue Jays were all about a weak, band-aid solution in-hopes of blowing things up. And that’s exactly what’s transpired.
The sales pitch of the “new age” front offices hires are to slash payroll, make the owners tons of cash and replenish the farm system to compete a few years down the road, i.e. the Astros
The Astros drafted 1st, 1st, 1st and 2nd, 4 years in a row. Blue Jays haven’t cracked the Top 10. Big difference.
They haven’t flat out “tanked”, BUT they haven’t been really competitive, so they are stuck in the middle. That’s kinda the worst scenario
Yep. It’s been three seasons of half-measures and wheel-spinning with predictable results.
Perfectly said, Trim.
Troll you are correct. That’s exactly how it was between 2001-2005 with the exception of 2003 where Halladay won a Cy Young, Carlos Delgado should have been MVP and Vernon Wells went all-world.
I would have rather seen the organization in the hands of guys who know how to spend, when and why. People from Oakland or Cleveland aren’t used to it. That is why every Oakland exec has failed leaving Billy Beane’s little nest (heads up, San Fran). Toronto is a big boy city with bean counters. Bad mix.
From Cleveland: Hahahahahahahahaha
You should be laughing at your own FO who let the team these guys built go to shambles.
What has Atkins done to deserve a contract extension… He messed up the Edwin Encarnacion deal, ran away too early from negotiations, settled for the useless awful Morales. Traded Dondaldson so late, that his value was absolutely nothing. Anthopoulos was even the one who signed Vladdy Jr.. Anyone good still on the team is from the old regime, from Sanchez to Stroman. Trades J,A happ in the divison, for Drury and Mckinney.. Teoscar Hernandez can’t get on base to save his life, his defence is awful. Let’s see, what else, oh yeah, gives Randal Grichuck 52 million to hit .220 every season and not get on base. The guy is a joke. He can “build” a farm system, but any one of us can if that’s the goal one is going for. It’s the easiest thing to do, he even messed that up by trading Dondaldson like I said before, way too late. Atkins could’ve fleeced the Cardinals, he decided not to. This is what happens when you let a real g.m go in Anthopoulos and bring in these clowns who are God awful.
I could not agree more !
I’m just curious what you thought about a “real GM like AA” before 2015. It took him what, 6-7 years to make the playoffs? Atkins is in his fourth season. Were you a person saying this exact same thing in 2012-2013 about AA?
I’ve honestly been an Anthopoulos supporter since day one. When Anthopoulos took over, the franchise was in the gutter, no farm, no major league talent. Only reason Atkins is in Toronto, is because of the culture Anthopoulos left behind. Resigned Bautista for less then what Atkins GAVE Grichuck.. Traded Lawrie for Donaldson, acquired David Price at the deadline, Tulo was an upgrade over Reyes, especially defensively. Drafted Stroman, Sanchez, he even drafted Syndergarrd, who’s a Met now obviously. Anthopoulos traded a boatload of prospect, which who not 1 on of them, other then Syndergarrd turned into something. MLB changed a rule because of Anthopoulos, he’d sign relievers to one year, then get draft value for them the next year. And yes, he had some really bad contracts on the books, but they let the man go, Anthopoulos would’ve fixed the situation, and maybe even unloaded some of those contracts, the same way he unloaded Vernon Well’s contract that nobody wanted. But he got the Angels to bite on it. I referred to Anthopoulos as the “wizard”, been a fan of him since day one. Braves are lucky to have him.
Agreed for the most part. I know there’s a lot of people who just don’t support the Cleveland guys though, simply because they aren’t AA. And a lot of those people weren’t AA fans until they were.
Grichuk is going to be one of the other “dead money” guys. On a championship team, Grichuk is a 4th outfielder at best. Me personally, don’t even want him on the team. The contract he gave him, what was it? 4 years 52 mill?, so that goes to show he can’t even evaluate major league talent. If you’re giving a guy, half of a 100 million, you clearly think he’s a core piece, and if Atkins thinks guys like Grichuk is a core piece, we’re in big trouble as Blue Jays fans.
I think it was 5/52. Not terrible money, but maybe slightly overpaid if he doesn’t improve. I don’t really agree that that’s “core money” though. 10 million a year doesn’t get you too much nowadays. Some fourth outfielders are getting five or six million in free agency. Grichuk isn’t at that stage yet. He showed last year he can be an above average player, now they need him to do that consistently. I think it’s unwise to write him off just yet, the Bluejays always seem to have luck in tapping into similar players potential.
I hear you, but considering all the holes we have. And how we’re in a rebuild, why even sign him this early. At least wait another year to see if he’s improving, cut down on the strikeouts and get on base more. The home runs are nice, and the defence is as well. To me I appreciate his defence the most in his game, running into a home run every now and then wont help this team get far at all.. Every team in the majors has a guy who could run into a home run every now and then, very few of them give them 10 million on average for the next 5 years. I think they should’ve saved that money, and reward these guys after they’ve proven who they really are. Right now, with all the dead money they have on the books, paying guys off of potential I don’t think was the right move to make at all. Grichuk has to get better, or this contract will be hard to move as well.
I might be in the minority here of Jays fans but I don’t think Atkins has done that bad of a job.
My biggest fault of Atkins has been his lack of appreciation for PR, and a lack of understanding the Toronto way of life. The management has struggled to be cognitive of the market such as the sitting Vlad on Victoria day game. They tend to make decisions based on their analysis but fail to consider the market realities at times.
Overall I think Atkins took on a really tough position. Jays were a good team when he took over, however it was aging fast with no close to ready assets. To extend the 15/16 window they would have to dip into the prospect pool of players like Bo/Vlad/Pearson….. As well with a high payroll they dint realistically have room to go spend a fortune.
To me it would make sense if this is a 1 or 2 year deal as at lot of Atkins mark will be the next 18 months or so. The payroll has been cleared, the old players are gone, some of the core foundation stones are laid, the farm system is vastly improved. What they do now will be telling…. Stroman, Sanchez, Giles, Smoak….. can they keep some? Will they trade them for core pieces that contribute? Will they add key FA to compliment the new core? Will they make some key trades to take the next step?
It will be telling for sure but I don’t think its been awful effort as many see it…. The Shatkins era started off poorly from a PR standpoint with AA leaving and it has never really recovered from that with most fans.
I think they’ve done a decent job overall. Obviously the way things ended with Donaldson wasn’t ideal, but hindsight is 20/20. There’s really nothing else to be too upset about. Most people who hate these two are just upset that they aren’t AA, even though they hated him until they started winning.
What gets me though is how much of a worse position they’d be in if they listened to the anti Shatkins crowd. Over the past few years all you here is the calling for big signings for this team like Price, Desmond, Encarnacion, Fowler who were “perfect fits”. Add those on top of the already 3-4 dead contracts they are dealing with and this team would’ve been in an even worse position.
I have was in the camp that actually wanted them to rebuild a year earlier and ship JD in the 2017/2018 offseason. So I did find that situation a lost opportunity, however I do think there was pressure from Rogers to keep the product competitive and Atkins added small pieces to please ownership without hurting their longer term plan.
I do think Atkins is a competent GM and I am waiting to see if he can win over some of the fans this next 18 months which will be the time for them to put their signature on the team.
Other than their middle of the road additions like Drury, McKinney and such
So basically they haven’t been mediocre for the Jays but keep their jobs. LOL
Rogers ownership like their communications companies is a total disaster.
Since the Jays hired Shapiro and Atkins they have been on a steady decline. These two did nothing in Cleveland except leave.
The current Jays payroll for active players on the Jays 25 man roster is 48 million. And the Jays are leading the entire mlb in declined attendance.
They talk about rebuild mode , but why is it that teams like the Yankee, and Red Sox and Dodgers have never had to go into these drastic rebuilding schemes.
The days of Gillck and Beeston are gone, AA left and went to the Dodgers and then he got the job to guiding the Braves and look at the progress they’ve made.
Jackson pitched last night 5 starts no wins and an era of of 11.90. And they kept him and released Roscup. They would be better letting Maile pitch at least he has a knuckleball.
Nothing warrants Atkins being extended other then he’s Shapiro pal.
Please stop saying Shapiro and Atkins lead the Jays to the post-season. They had nothing to do with it. They inherited the team AA and Gibby had developed the season before, and they systematically have torn a team that was on the rebuild apart. It’s like building your new house and just when your ready to put the roof on you turn around and say nope tear it down and start over.
Now they announce in the Jays page they want Jansen and Biggio to be the team leaders. And maybe one day they will be, but to be a leader you have to have experience and done something to show the team you are a leader, Doc had it so did Batista and Donaldson and Martin and Pillar.
Agreed. The biggest signing of the 2015-16 offseason was JA Happ, and that was done by LaCava. As was the Estrada re-signing. Shapiro allegedly gave up the baseball operations side, but did he? Which one is it? Is he taking credit for the good and distancing himself from the bad? That’s typical politician crap.
And then they sign Grichuk like he’s a core player for the next time. Spare me….
I am not very impressed with Ross Atkins aside from the fact that the farm system that was temporarily gutted by AA back in 2015 – in the purpose of finally making a serious effort to actually TRY AND WIN SOMETHING and also having been the only MLB to not play a single playoff game since 1993 – has been restocked fairly well.
My only fear right now seeing how the progress on the field has been a disaster, is that Charlie Montoyo and his current staff along with Atkins and Mark Shapiro DO NOT have a good plan for this rebuild, or even have a single clue of what theyre doing about it. I have trouble calling it a rebuild seeing Edwin Jackson continue to make his scheduled starts and get completely lit the F up and still keep his rotation spot over guys like Tommy Pannone, Sean Reid Foley and even Sam Gaviglio who performed well last season both in the rosation and in the pen. Now Montoyo only uses him for mop up duty! Big mistake!
Atkins needs to earn this extension and I am ok giving him the chance to see this through but the following things must happen between now and the official MLB trade deadline:
1- Trading Marcus Stroman (for younger arms and a corner OF with a highly regarded bat and above average defense!…Would look good in Milwaukee but the Crew dont have the OF studs the Jays would/should seek! Maybe San Diego, Atlanta or Philadelphia?)
2- Trading Aaron Sanchez (also, for younger arms and a corner OF with a highly regarded bat and above average defense…To San Diego, Colorado or places with climates that wont affect his blister issues!)
—(Forget Milwaukee in a trade for either these two! I have been reading up on their Top 20 prospects and while the Crew have several good looking OF hitters none of them with above average defense, actually regarded as defensive liabilities and long term DH, that wont help Toronto at all.) — I would look at Colorado first (David Dahl would be an excellent return!) then perhaps Philadelphia, Atlanta, San Diego and maybe Chicago Cubs? Stay away from the AL by all means necessary!
3- Trading Ken Giles (sell as high as possible as an excellent late inning man for any contender…look for more young arms) Throw in Derek Law as well…
4- Trading Teoscar Hernandez (You wont get anything straight up, he must be added to a deal involving either Stroman or Sanchez)
5- Trading Justin Smoak (to a contender who can use a gold glove calibre 1B man and a decent stick while stock up draft picks or perhaps even a young arm?)
6- Trading Freddy Galvis (to a contender as a backup middle infielder for a young arm?)
7- Calling up Bo Bichette when the timing is right to take over at SS (sometime before the end of June or early July).
8- Cut Luke Meile ASAP and bring up Reese McGuire to battle for playing time with Danny Jansen and develop battery mates with the younger Jays rotation and staff.
9- Promote Reid Foley (I dont care if hes struggling at AA or AAA, he beat the Yankees at Yankee Stadium last Setpember, I think hes fine dammit!)
10- Thomas Pannone a full time starter (Do it now!)
11- Try Trent Thornton in the bullpen as a long relief man or even a guy who could perhaps pitch 2 innings every other game with the lead late. I dont see him long term as a starter, but perhaps an excellent set up man or closer.
12- Keep Gurriel in LF the remainder of the season to get a solid enough sample size based on his performance and how he does with the bat.
13- Try and move Anthony Alford, Jonathan Davis, or Dalton Pompey. Go with Billy McKinney as your 4th OF and everyday bench player while looking for a stud corner OF in one of the aforementioned deals.
14- Trade or cut Devon Travis once and for all. With Biggio, Vlad, Bichette, even Sogard as the veteran bench guy, no need for him on this club and was a total waste and disappoinment.
15- Brandon Drury is the Jays super sub. I would actually play him in LF or RF for the time being (over McKinney at least to get a good look) but a good guy to keep around long term if not a starter but as a guy who can play at least 4 positions (2B, 3B, LF, RF) and not miss a beat. Him an McKinney are the super sub bench players but still try and find better everyday players.
I think that is enough for now. But quite a bit of work to be done regarding of the actual everyday roster for next season and beyond. Hope to see something like this by 2020:
3B- Vlad
SS- Bichette
2B- Biggio
1B- Tellez (Someone new?)
LF- Gurriel (trade acquisition)
CF- Grichuk
RF- Trade Acquisition (Solid hitter and great arm and above average arm)
C- Jansen/McGuire
DH- Who cares right now
Bench- Drury, Gurriel, McKinney, Sogard, TDB, TDB
Rotation: Borucki, Pannone, Pearson, Pardinho, Reid-Foley? (New acquisition?), (New Acquisition?)
Bullpen: Thornton, Gaviglio, Mayza, Luciano, Reid-Foley?,
Brad, well done. The mental mistakes have been a bigger on-field issue than the physical, and there have been many. Also have to keep Sanchez for now due to the scare-off with his finger. But I like the thought you put into this. Too many Jays fans on this site buy into the crap and have as little patience as a Leafs fan. Good stuff.
Forgot to mention Matt Shoemaker!! I hope the Jays resign him and bring him back. A real shame that his season ended so abruptly after such a terrific start. He has always looked like a very good 2-3 starter with the Angels but kept getting injured. Looked like he had finally gotten over the hump with Toronto but another horrible ill-timed injury. I like him as the veteran rotation piece to go along with the rest of the youngsters next season.
Also, if Clayton Richard keeps up with 5 decent innings every start like he has been doing through the rest of the month of June, he could be shipped out for future pieces as well.
Shoemaker did look good and the injury was unfortunate. I hope he is able to come back next year, however with ACL injuries especially in pitchers there is a lot of stress on that knee when you plant that foot and can cause the pitcher to alter his delivery.
Please stop referring to Roberto Osuna as being disgraced. He was charged criminally with Domestic Abuse, the charges were dropped. However MLB is suppose to conduct their own investigations. Their idea of investigating is to suspend the player week after week and make it clear to that player if you want to resume your career accept our decision and take the suspension and we will make it retro-active to the first day you were suspended.
Jays being a holier then thou organization dealt him to Astro, where he is having a great career poor Ken Giles is stuck in Toronto on a team going nowhere fast
Well maybe he’ll get lucky like Stroman and Sanchez and Smoak and likely Galvis and he’s get moved to a contender , similar to Donaldson, Tulo, Martin, Pearce and Happ.
At least the GMs of the Yankees, Red Sox, Rays and Orioles all approve of this, great work! Too bad Ed Rogers can’t learn from the majority owners of the Raptors how to build a Championship organization…
How has Josh Donaldson been playing? What did Atkins get for him from his old organization the Indians? Didn’t he build that minor league system? You’d think he’d know which players to ask for in a rebuild?