The Blue Jays have secured manager Charlie Montoyo for the 2022 season. GM Ross Atkins announced the move on a Zoom call today, per Scott Mitchell of TSN Sports (via Twitter) and others. Officially, Toronto picked up their option for the 2022 season. Through two seasons, Montoyo’s Blue Jays have a 99-123 record.
The Jays hired Montoyo from the Rays before the 2019 season to a three-year deal with an option for a fourth. With that option now executed, Montoyo heads into a fairly critical season. Expectations are sky high for the Blue Jays for the first time in Montoyo’s tenure. Montoyo helped Toronto end a three-year playoff drought last season. Speaking hypothetically, if the Jays under-perform in 2021 and finish, say, with 85 wins and outside of the money, the Jays would face a difficult decision on Montoyo heading into a lame duck season. If, on the other hand, the Jays are able to sneak past the Rays and Yankees to win the AL East, an extension could be in order for their 55-year-old manager.
Before taking over in Toronto, Montoyo spent 18 seasons managing in the Rays’ system. He spent three seasons with the Major League team as the third base coach before replacing Tom Foley as Kevin Cash’s bench coach for the 2018 season. Montoyo finished third in AL Manager of the Year award voting in 2020. Last April, Montoyo made history with Alex Cora of the Red Sox in the first-ever MLB match-up featuring two Puerto Rican managers.
His name is Charlie Montoyo.
He manages the Blue Jays.
Prepare to die.
His name is Chuckles….the things he does are laughable
I don’t have a problem with Charlie but there were better options they could have pursued, i.e. a Rick Renteria, or a Bruce Bochy who said he wasn’t done managing yet (just throwing names out there)
Bring back Gibby!
Noooo why do this
Not Charlie’s fault that the Blue Jays don’t want to sign or trade for any significant starting pitching, but it’s definitely his problem though. Poor guy. Dunedin right now is looking at 2nd or 3rd place finish in the AL East. Luis Castillo fits this team perfectly.
They should have replaced him last year……he is not a major league manager. Might be fine for the minors but a team that keeps failing in the basic fundamentals department and not knowing defensive alignments to match the pitcher’s pitches, not knowing how to make out a batting order or not playing players that should play everyday “because they might wear down” vs playing guys that are really bad all the time (Brandon Druey). This is not the makings of a major league manager.
I am positive the asking price for Castillo is insane, which is why he hasn’t been traded. They are not great by any means, I probably wouldn’t even consider them “good”, but Shapiro/Atkins have at least tried to bring some talent in finally, after being very conservative for years. It’s not their style to trade all the prospects it would take to get Castillo. Montoyo is just simply not a major league manager. He has shown that (in the PLAYOFFS even). He has cost them MANY games and should have been replaced after the past year, not had his option picked up.
Is Charlie Montoyo an elite manger? No. Mind you neither is Atkins or Shapiro, so I guess he fits.
When he pulled his starter after 3 scoreless innings and 35 pitches in a playoff game for Wild Robby Ray that was kind of the last straw for me.
I think it was 28 or 29 pitches but hey who’s counting?
my understanding was that wasn’t even his call… my understanding was shatkins was pulling a few strings there… I could be wrong, but that seems to be what I got from it.
Seems to be the case. Either way, not good.
Willing to be a puppet, got the job.
Did everything management asked of him, got extended.
Seems pretty straightforward.
Stupidity.