Blue Jays Infuriate Fans, Confirming No Management Changes for 2025

And there it is. The moment that all Toronto Blue Jays fans were dreading, though fully expecting. After nine consecutive years of disappointment and failure, team president Mark Shapiro has confirmed that much-vilified GM Ross Atkins will be back next season (and so will he).

Mark Shapiro says that GM Ross Atkins will stay in his role.

“If I felt there was a better alternative to run our baseball operation, I’d make that change.” #BlueJays
— Keegan Matheson (@KeeganMatheson) October 2, 2024

“If I felt there was a better alternative to run our baseball operation," said Shapiro in his media conference, "I’d make that change.”

Hmm. If there is no better alternative to Ross Atkins, then the world of baseball is in a heap of trouble.

The management pair of Shapiro & Atkins have turned what was a Jays juggernaut in 2015 and 2016 into a laughing stock around the sport. Even respected insider Ken Rosenthal mocked the team's supposed plan to try to contend for a World Series next season: "I'm not buying this idea that the Blue Jays seem to be perpetuating that, 'Ya, we'll come back in 2025 and we'll be really good.' Why would they think that?!"

The Jays are 0-6 in their three brief forays into the playoffs during the Atkins reign, being eliminated in utterly embarrassing fashion the last two times.

As Rosenthal says, "What more do we need to see?"

But Shapiro is doubling down—again. And Toronto fans are fuming.

STOP BUYING TICKETS
ROSS MUST GO
— Joseph Alviano (@JosephAlviano) October 2, 2024

What does this guy have to do to be fired? A decade in the job, no division titles, no playoff wins, bottom 10 team and prospect pool with a top 10 payroll. Can we have some accountability
— Izzy Mandelbaum (@ImTheIzz) October 2, 2024

I mean, who could be better than the guy who has dismantled a 92-win team and did it while trying to improve the team?
— Jordan MacKinnon (@jordanmackinnon) October 2, 2024

ARE YOU KIDDING ME pic.twitter.com/hJQQpwObT1
— 𝓔𝓻𝓲𝓬 || AKA Swipa/ ETN (@ETNWRLD) October 2, 2024

As a side note, Shapiro stopped short of heaping all-out plaudits on Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who will be heading into his final year of team control before free agency.

Asked John Schneider last week whether Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was a generational player:

Schneider: "Absolutely.. yea."

Mark Shapiro was asked the same question today:

"He's one of the better offensive players... he's a great player."

Also said Guerrero can turn into one.
— Hazel Mae (@thehazelmae) October 2, 2024

It's going to be another long year for Blue Jays fans.