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Mark Shapiro confirms Ross Atkins and John Schneider will be back with Blue Jays in 2025
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Photo credit: Nathan Denette / THE CANADIAN PRESS
Ryley Delaney
Oct 2, 2024, 15:00 EDTUpdated: Oct 2, 2024, 15:36 EDT
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Toronto Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins and manager John Schneider will return for the 2025 season.
Blue Jays president and CEO Mark Shapiro held an end-of-season press conference on Wednesday afternoon. Among other notable tidbits, such as pointing to injuries for the team’s regression, he noted that Atkins and Schneider will remain in their roles.
Regarding Atkins, he said: “If I felt there was a better alternative to run our baseball operation, I’d make that change.”
When speaking about manager John Schneider, Mark Shapiro said: “[Schneider] did a good job. He keeps getting better and will continue to get better.”
Honestly, there’s some merit in Ross Atkins keeping his position. Shapiro and Atkins joined the organization before the start of the 2016 postseason, leading the team to the American League Championship Series for the second consecutive season. While they acquired a core that featured Edwin Encarnacion, José Bautista, Josh Donaldson, and others, the team added J.A. Happ, Francisco Liriano, and others who helped the team mightily.
The Jays were around a postseason spot in mid-August 2017 but were swept by the Chicago Cubs, while 2018 and 2019 were definite rebuild years. Thanks to a pandemic-impacted 2020, the Blue Jays returned to the postseason in 2020 and were swept by the Rays. Toronto was eliminated on the final day of the 2021 regular season and was swept in two games during the 2022 and 2023 postseason.
Heading into 2024, the team was expected to be contenders again, but after a slow start, they never got going like the years prior. Atkins showed he was still a savvy general manager, moving all soon-to-be free agents (and Isiah Kiner-Falefa).
Even heading into the season, the additions Atkins made weren’t bad. Kiner-Falefa exceeded expectations and was traded for a good prospect, Yariel Rodríguez showed he’s a capable big-league pitcher, Justin Turner had a good season with the Jays and was moved for a solid prospect, and there was merit to re-signing Kevin Kiermaier, even if he struggled.
You can point to not making the right pivot after missing out on Shohei Ohtani (they absolutely should’ve signed Teoscar Hernández). Still, the biggest issue was the regression to their bullpen due to injury and poor performance. How do you replace the regression of Erik Swanson, Jordan Romano, and Tim Mayza?
All three relievers were key in the Jays’ bullpen in 2023 but either suffered injuries or poor play (or both) in 2024. This led to a revolving door of relievers from the trade deadline onward. That said, Atkins will need to add that power bat to the lineup and significantly improve the bullpen for the 2025 season.
As for Schneider, the 2025 season will be the final year of his contract. Since taking over as the manager of the Jays partway through the 2022 season, he has a 209-189 record (.525 win percentage). It’s hard to pin all the blame on him, as players didn’t perform in 2024 and the team was subpar.
When it’s all said and done, the 2025 season may be the final straw for John Schneider, Ross Atkins, and perhaps even Mark Shapiro. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette are each set to become free agents, and the team’s farm system is currently in the middle of the pack, at best. The Jays need to have a great off-season and make a run in the postseason.
As always, you can follow me on Twitter @Ryley_L_D.

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