Not just Jays eyeing alternatives

Continued from B5

Atkins said he was “confident we will have enough information to work toward something.” OK, then. So long as you’re confident.

It all had the air of a cold blast of reality: if Atkins wasn’t explicitly trying to prepare the fan base for the departure of certain players, it was at least an implication of his comments. There might be a list of things he would like to do this off-season, and then a list of things he can do, and only some over lap.

“If we had carte blanche, we could do anything we wanted, and you can’t, because we have to compete against 29 other teams and people have to decide to come here,” Atkins said. “It’s just not that simple. I wish it were. But we are always navigating and balancing opportunity costs and alternatives.”

For Jays fans hoping to read the tea leaves and reach happy conclusions, Atkins did blow off any suggestion that, if the team lost both of its sluggers, that could signal a return to the years where the Blue Jays were realistically competing for third place in the AL East.

“What I can tell you is that we’re trying to win,” Atkins said. “That’s what drives us, that’s what motivates us.” But then: “We’re really focused on our alternatives, our op- portunities, and doing everything we can to make this team a little bit closer to a world championship.”

Man, those alternatives again. Perhaps Rogers will send down a budget number that allows the management team to potentially keep its stars. Asked if he would value Bautista and Encarnacion more highly, given their his-