GM allergic to examination
Atkins seems averse to discussing his deeply disappointing off-season
To call the Blue Jays off-season sluggish would be to insult slugs.
Slothlike would be a better descriptor — as in hanging around upside-down all the livelong day, scarcely a twitch.
An inquiring-minded correspondent would gladly discuss with Ross Atkins the stasis that has seized this club over the winter and through spring training. But there’s been barely a public glimpse of the general manager ‘round these parts — his only media confab with reporters was on the eve of camp, an MLB-mandated performance for all GMs — and whenever a non-Sportsnet journo has blipped on Atkins’ radar, he has scuttled away like a scared rabbit.
You can understand his aversion to cross-examination. There is so much to pick apart in Atkins’ deeply disappointing (non) moves to improve a roster in desperate need of an offensive jolt, at least on the evidence of 2023.
The trolling net has dredged up: presumptive third baseman Isiah Kiner-Falefa (a career WAR of 3.8 compared to 27.4 for Matt Chapman, who was allowed to walk for nothing); useful free-agent signing Justin Turner; not-getting-anyyounger outfielder Kevin Kiermaier, back on a one-year pact; and veteran Daniel Vogelbach, here on a minor-league contract in the hope he still has some DH swat in his bat.
It is a rather dismal catchment that has dismayed the fan base. While the anemic offence, particularly in the crunch, was the startling defect, Atkins doubled down on defence (though not upgrading defence assets) and versatility. The Jays under Atkins have been gaga for versatility, with a collective that now includes Kiner-Falefa, Santiago Espinal, Cavan Biggio and Davis Schneider. Defence-first did not lift the Jays beyond shaky wild-card inclusion last season and it will likewise provide negligible impact this season, even if the pitching duplicates its yowza excellence.
All this as the team’s projected competitive balance tax payroll inches toward the second level of luxury tax, about $250 million (U.S.), per FanGraphs, from $237 million in 2023, alongside a whammo ticket price increase (twice as much for some season-ticket holders), while president Mark Shapiro remains obsessed with his $300million renovation of Rogers Centre, a legacy project that has turned into a kind of renoviction for those aforementioned season-ticket holders.
There was, of course, the quixotic pursuit of Shohei Ohtani, if you believe that Toronto was ever genuinely in the come-hither consideration rather than acting as a performative shill for the unicorn’s agent, who hauled in a $700-million cornucopia from the Dodgers. The Ohtani derby distracted Toronto brass, leaving Atkins unable to go stride for stride on the (admittedly limited) free-agent derby. The Jays were not a factor for the likes of Cody Bellinger, Jorge Soler, Jordan Montgomery and, yeah, Chapman, who declined a reported $100-million-plus Toronto offer last spring. Chapman, who really should fire his agent, the suddenly cut-downto-size Scott Boras, may always have pined to return to his California roots, but the three-year, $54million contract, with opt-outs, that he recently inked was humbling.
Further mystifying was taking Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to arbitration, risking lingering ill will — both sides deny it — over, what, a difference of $1.65 million? Dumb and dumber.
And Atkins extended nobody. Does this Jays regime, the carpetbaggers from Cleveland, even grasp its own organizational belittlement? Or the botchery that has been committed over the past three seasons, mismanagement and misgeneral-managing that has characterized this waste of generational talent as exemplified by Bo Bichette and, yes, Guerrero, off-form as 2023 may have been, despite putting up 26 homers and 94 RBIs. Not quite Vladian, as management puts its faith in bounceback years up and down the batting lineup, pivoting on the principle that the team’s rejuvenation will be driven by internal betterment.
Fans are restless and leery. Atkins et al have not earned the benefit of doubt. And manager John Schneider — who should have been sacked for his mishandling of Game 2 in the wild-card series last October — can only speak mistruth to power.
“I hope that not many fans think that we didn’t do anything to get better. We definitely made some additions that will make us better. This fan base has supported this group for a lot of years and we hope that they continue to support this group (which) is playing with a bit of a chip on their shoulder.
“Expectations have been high the last couple of years for this team and rightfully so. I think when players can say, in front of the group, that we haven’t lived up to our expectations, yeah, you’re proving people wrong more than proving people right. That’s where we’re at.
“It’s easy to see a team that just loads up on paper and they’re going to automatically win the World Series.” Looking at you, Yankees and Dodgers. “It’s never the case in baseball.”
It can be strongly argued that this has been the lousiest Jays off-season ever, certainly in the Shatkins era.
Payroll was enriched from $136.8 million to $163.4 million in 2016-17, with Atkins at the helm, the wins plunging from 89 (second in the American League East) to 76 (fourth). Free agency was granted to José Bautista (later re-signed), Brett Cecil, R.A. Dickey, Edwin Encarnación and Michael Saunders, among others, while Lourdes Gurriel Jr., Kendrys Morales and Steve Pierce were among the incoming. But there were zero trades the whole winter.
Also submitted here as a nonShatkins bust: 2000-2001, when left-hander Mike Sirotka and a minor-leaguer were obtained from the Chicago White Sox for David Wells and three minor-leaguers. Sirotka had shoulder issues and would never pitch in the majors again.
Also wildly regrettable: 19992000, Shawn Green and infielder Jorge Nuñez dispatched to the Dodgers for Raúl Mondesi and Pedro Borbón Jr.; former Cy Young winner Pat Hentgen and Paul Spoljaric to the Cardinals for catcher Alberto Castillo, right-hander Lance Painter and a minor-leaguer, none of whom amounted to much; and losing Pat Borders and Brian McRae to free agency.
Mistakes were made. That’s a fundamental fact of general-managing. Even mythologized Alex Anthopoulos swung and missed hugely in back-to-back blockbuster trades in late 2012: 11 players moved between the Jays and the Marlins (Mark Buehrle and José Reyes were among the Toronto-bound), and organization-cultivated righty Noah Syndergaard and catcher Travis d’Arnaud went to the Mets for Dickey and catchers Josh Thole and Mike Nickeas.
But it was ballsy and Anthopoulos got better at discerning valuable players, particularly with tradedeadline acquisitions. When has Atkins done anything remotely intrepid? Unless you count the widely vilified routing of Gurriel and blue-chip catcher Gabriel Moreno to the Diamondbacks for Daulton Varsho.
It’s unwise to write the Jays off in March, though many baseball ora- cles have already done so. But it’s quite conceivable that this team could go starkly south, fast. Which would be unforgivable for Atkins and an ugly epitaph for Shapiro.
No tears would be shed.
President Mark Shapiro remains obsessed with his $300-million renovation of Rogers Centre, a legacy project that has turned into a kind of renoviction for some seasonticket holders