BREAKING: John Gibbons will return to manage the Blue Jays in 2017, Edwin says Jays are his first choice in free agency

One down, one to g– OH MY GOD, THEY SHOULD RE-SIGN BAUTISTA TOO! Photo Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports

I’m in the middle of a post-ALCS reaction piece, and by all rights that would be the first thing that I’d publish in the wake of the Jays’ all-too-familiar to muster any offence against an unrecognizable starting pitcher, but the off-season [sad emoji] already has its first piece of news, and its first intriguing free agency tidbit, and they’re both big ones: John Gibbons will return to manage the Blue Jays in 2017, and Edwin Encarnacion told reporters following the game that the Blue Jays are his first choice.

Edwin’s agent may not be thrilled with those words, and they may not ultimately mean anything anyway — he was, according to Benny Fresh’s tweet, caught up in the emotion of the moment, and those Boston dollars will be calling hard, I’m sure. BUT HOLY SHIT MAKE THIS HAPPEN AND THEN SHOVE IT DOWN THE THROATS OF THOSE ENTITLED MASSHOLE FUCKHEADS WHO ARE STONE CERTAIN HE’S GOING TO END UP THERE.

*Ahem*

Which is to say, uh… can we pay to keep Edwin please? The Blue Jays have zero reasons to act like shrinking violets on the free agent market after the cash explosions that were their last two seasons, and it is not often that a top free agent at a position of obvious need (since, y’know, it’s his position) comes along saying that he wants to be here above all else. Make. It. Happen.

Which is to say: pay him!

HEY, AND OL’ GIBBERS IS BACK!

Mark Shapiro told reporters this following the game, as MLB.com’s Alykhan Ravjiani noted via Twitter, and it’s… holy shit, it’s so awesome.

I mean, no, Gibbons’ performance wasn’t exactly spotless over the course of the playoffs, or the season as a whole. But he was way, way, way better than his too-many haters want so desperately to believe. Which is to say: he’s fine. And he’s Gibbers!

He was a good soldier for the front office all year, and clearly worked along side them when it came to the club’s six-man rotation plans and how to appropriately handle Aaron Sanchez, and he was a great first line of defence for the guys in the locker room, a great quote, and just a fun guy to have back there all the time. Again, he’s not perfect. I might have liked to see Pompey in there in the eighth tonight *COUGH*. But he gets himself damn close to being perfect, at least in my book, because of how much the haters truly do hate him, and how Gibbons hate is a perfect way to spot a dope coming from a mile away.

Plus, it’s a practical move for Mark Shapiro and Ross Atkins, as it gives them an added bit of cover in case things go south on the club next season. No sense hiring your first manager when you really don’t have to — ultimately, rightly or wrongly, a new manager would pass a lot more heat onto the front office than Gibbons would if things don’t go well.

But why wouldn’t things go well? And would you bring back Gibbons if you were going to suddenly strip things down and become a much, much younger club? Perhaps not!

So… good news, right here. Good news.

Which is to say: PAY HIM. PAAAAAAAY HIIIIIMMMMMM.