Toronto Blue Jays Bringing Back General Manager Ross Atkins For 2025

After speculation that Toronto Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins was on the hot seat, Mark Shapiro confirmed he would be back for his 10th season in the position.

May 18, 2024; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins addresses the media before a game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Rogers Centre. / Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images

Toronto Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins will return in 2025, president and CEO Mark Shapiro told reporters Wednesday morning.

Atkins oversaw a 74-88 team in 2024, despite entering the year with legitimate postseason aspirations. It marked the Blue Jays' first time missing the playoffs since 2019, and their first last-place finish since 2013.

Still, Shaprio said there "won't be a change" in regards to Atkins' role.

"If I felt there was a better alternative to run our baseball operation, I'd make that change," Shapiro said.

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

Atkins got his first MLB front office gig as an assistant director of player development for the Cleveland Indians in 2001 – the same year Shapiro was promoted to become Cleveland's GM. When Shapiro left to take over the Blue Jays in 2015, he brought Atkins along with him and has yet to move off of his longtime colleague.

Despite limping to the finish line with their fourth-worst September record in franchise history, there were some bright spots in Toronto this season.

First baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. reestablished himself as one of the top sluggers in baseball, and it seems like he is open to staying in Toronto long term. The Blue Jays also ranked seventh in quality starts, with their starting pitchers putting up the seventh-highest average Game Score in the league.

The negatives far outweighed the positives in 2024, though, which is what led to speculation around Atkins' job security to begin with.

Two-time All-Star shortstop Bo Bichette had the worst season of his career, missing 81 games due to injury and posting a -0.3 WAR without making any progress on an extension. The Blue Jays' bullpen, meanwhile, had the worst ERA in the American League.

Virtually all of last offseason's major additions – namely Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Justin Turner, Daniel Vogelbach and Joey Votto – were either shipped off or failed to contribute entirely. Yariel Rodríguez is still under team control heading into next season, but his rookie campaign didn't inspire a ton of confidence.

Manager John Schneider is coming back for a third season at the helm, although his contract is set to expire at the end of 2025. So is Shapiro's, for that matter.

That puts the Blue Jays in a do-or-die scenario heading into next year, with Shapiro, Schneider, Guerrero, Bichette, veteran starting pitcher Chris Bassitt and All-Star closer Jordan Romano all on expiring deals. It will be up to Atkins to make the right moves and lead that core back to October, or else he might meet a different fate this time next year.

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