• Moderators, please send me a PM if you are unable to access mod permissions. Thanks, Habsy.

OT: The Toronto Blue Jays

manny said:
Atkins is so awful at talking about the Blue Jays to the media. He is like a more measured, less confident, equally clueless version of JP Ricciardi.

Funny that 2 of the last 3 GMs have been up-and-coming management prospects from other organizations, and they have both been awful in the spotlight. Meanwhile, the home grown whiz kid, and the only one with any actual success, gets forced out. Sad.
Click to expand...

Is Atkins seen as an "up-and-coming management prospect" or is he just inconsequential and non-threatening body that Shapiro hired so he (Shapiro) would have no issues bossing him around?

It's pretty clear that AA left because Shapiro is now calling nearly all the shots and the GM position has become less important.
 
CaptainBolduke said:
Is Atkins seen as an "up-and-coming management prospect" or is he just inconsequential and non-threatening body that Shapiro hired so he (Shapiro) would have no issues bossing him around?

It's pretty clear that AA left because Shapiro is now calling nearly all the shots and the GM position has become less important.
Click to expand...

No, you're right, Shapiro is the decision maker when it comes to baseball ops. Atkins is there to talk things over and then put certain aspects of the strategy into effect. AA did not fit into that structure, because he was talented and capable in his own right.

I think Atkins will gradually take the reigns on what is normally GM-type of work and Shapiro will start to focus more on the business side. AA was already autonomous in his GM position. In essence, hiring Shapiro was constructive dismissal of Anthopoulos.

Water under the bridge though. They need to scrap this team and hire competent replacements. Unfortunately, it probably isn't going to happen inside of a decade. Most likely outcome is that Shapiro fires Atkins in 4-5 years, brings in someone with a bit more experience, and then another 5 years down the line they start over.
 
Last edited:
manny said:
No, you're right, Shapiro is the decision maker when it comes to baseball ops. Atkins is there to talk things over and then put certain aspects of the strategy into effect. AA did not fit into that structure, because he was talented and capable in his own right.

I think Atkins will gradually take the reigns on what is normally GM-type of work and Shapiro will start to focus more on the business side. AA was already autonomous in his GM position. In essence, hiring Shapiro was constructive dismissal of Anthopoulos.

Water under the bridge though. They need to scrap this team and hire competent replacements. Unfortunately, it probably isn't going to happen inside of a decade. Most likely outcome is that Shapiro fires Atkins in 4-5 years, brings in someone with a bit more experience, and then another 5 years down the line they start over.
Click to expand...

This is already Atkins' 4th year as the GM. Not sure how more "gradual" you can get....

It is what it is at this point.

People are having a hard time recognizing (not you) that Shatkins has already been here for a significant amount of time.
 
Let's hope Shatkins get it right and build us a good team.

This thread has turned into a cesspool of negativity. Brutal to read how far this team has fallen in the eyes of some of you. There are some bright spots guys. Some really good prospects coming up.
 
I had Jays seasons tickets during some lean years (2006 - 2011), but this current (2017 and 2018) and pending lengthy (2019 -- ????) new batch of lean years is just too depressing to spend money on.
 
MapleLeafBlueJayBoy said:
Vlad is the only reason I would watch a TV broadcast or spend money on a ticket this season. Other than that, I will not spend a dime.
Click to expand...

I'd think of going to a game if they're playing against an interesting opponent, but doubt I really want to spend more than about 10 bucks on a ticket. I think I made it to like 3 games all last year, and I stare at the stadium from home.
 
Leafin' said:
Let's hope Shatkins get it right and build us a good team.

This thread has turned into a cesspool of negativity. Brutal to read how far this team has fallen in the eyes of some of you. There are some bright spots guys. Some really good prospects coming up.
Click to expand...

I'm hopeful because it makes following the team more interesting. Being realistic though, this management team has not shown any signs that they are capable of building a competitor.

They drafted Bichette. That was good. Otherwise what "really good prospects" or first division regulars have Shapiro/Atkins brought into the org in 3+ years?
 
manny said:
I'm hopeful because it makes following the team more interesting. Being realistic though, this management team has not shown any signs that they are capable of building a competitor.

They drafted Bichette. That was good. Otherwise what "really good prospects" or first division regulars have Shapiro/Atkins brought into the org in 3+ years?
Click to expand...

Don't forget about the big impact, 27 year old prospect, Julian Merryweather is supposed to make this upcoming season and beyond. :lol

A healthy Donaldson helping the Braves in the playoffs, now that's what I call an impact.
 
CaptainBolduke said:
I will go that game and I will watch nearly every game like I have for 30 years.

But seasons' tickets again? Nope.
Click to expand...

That, except for actually going to any game, is pretty much the same for me.

I've given up expecting much from any batch of prospects. It took a long time for me to become really jaded but I'm fearing this will be just another Riccardi type era. That is a couple impact players surround by dumpster dive, catch lightning in a bottle types.

I'll watch as I have for decades hoping to be proven wrong.
 
Leafin' said:
Let's hope Shatkins get it right and build us a good team.

This thread has turned into a cesspool of negativity. Brutal to read how far this team has fallen in the eyes of some of you. There are some bright spots guys. Some really good prospects coming up.
Click to expand...


it's not just in 'the eyes of some of you'. shatkins inherited a roster that went to back to back ALCS's. a couple years later, here we are. we've been sitting on a generational prospect who gives us a window of cost-controlled years, and in preparation for his arrival we have... waited until AA's team fell apart and then started jettisoning the vets at their lowest value.

and it's not like we haven't seen these bozos in action before. we know their MO from their Cleveland days.

I don't know why or how but my support never wavered during the Ash and JP years. but chasing out Anthopolous in favour of double talking bean counters determined to prevent our championship calibre roster from taking the next step, that was a step too far. especially given the state of Toronto sports in general.
 
I may need to be fact checked, but if I am correct the Blue Jays actual on field payroll right now is around 65 million. That's hilarious.

This takes into account that 36 million is being to paid to players that don't play for us.
 
Our veteran laden roster was falling apart whether we liked it or not the last couple years. I for one am thankful we don't have Bautista, EE, Price, Donaldson signed for the next few seasons.

Cleveland has been better than us AND looks to be better for the foreseeable future. Shapiro had a hand in what's going on in Cleveland.

Some of you forgot how close AA was to getting canned prior to catching lightning in a bottle his last year here. If memory serves me correctly we had a bunch of posters here wanting him fired after many failed trades that led to failed seasons. He's become so overrated on this forum.
 
CaptainBolduke said:
I may need to be fact checked, but if I am correct the Blue Jays actual on field payroll right now is around 65 million. That's hilarious.

This takes into account that 36 million is being to paid to players that don't play for us.
Click to expand...

Current estimated roster is 105M total, of which:
20M to Tulo
16M to Martin
12M Morales

as the 3 biggest expenses
 
Leafin' said:
Our veteran laden roster was falling apart whether we liked it or not the last couple years. I for one am thankful we don't have Bautista, EE, Price, Donaldson signed for the next few seasons.

Cleveland has been better than us AND looks to be better for the foreseeable future. Shapiro had a hand in what's going on in Cleveland.

Some of you forgot how close AA was to getting canned prior to catching lightning in a bottle his last year here. If memory serves me correctly we had a bunch of posters here wanting him fired after many failed trades that led to failed seasons. He's become so overrated on this forum.
Click to expand...

yeah, we're overrating the most successful GM in nearly three decades.

people keep just saying, 'well the vets were getting old' as if that somehow justifies a) shatkins piss poor pro talent evaluation (hello Kendrys!); b) literally just seeming content to sit on their hands and wait for an aging roster to deteriorate instead of trying to either radically overhaul it or supplement it (i.e. taking proactive steps to either win now or in the future); c) wasting two years letting the value of our trade chips fall to nothing while the team goes to shit; and d) not having any coherent strategy in place to surround probably the best prospect in franchise history with talent.

oh and then there's also the whole, 'when the fans come we'll spend' line that was trotted out that is patent BS.

you'll note that Cleveland started succeeding AFTER shatkins left too. sure they had a hand in it, but the team seemed to IMPROVE dramatically once they got rid of shatkins.

what was it they spent on about 1 WAR, was it $80 million? defend that all you like...
 
they inherited a back2back ALCS calibre core (better than any team either has built in all their years in baseball), with only 2 contracts longer than 2yrs, and a generational prospect in the pipeline.

tough gig, that.
 
They've been saying that they'll spend when the fans come since the Ricciardi days.

Kendrys~EE last season. Pretty similar level of uninspiring play. Add to that EE wanted a 5 year deal from the Jays at the time. So I'm kinda happy they stuck to their guns and got Kendriya for only 3. Hindsight being what it is EE got only 3 years.

The AA vs Shatkins debate has been beaten to death. I don't like either at this point. All im hoping for is that Shatkins gets it right. AA had 1 successful season. Hooray for being the most successful GM of the past 3 decades of garbage. The top of the shit pile is still shit.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top