Blue Jays introduce Ross Atkins

The Blue Jays will keep Lacava in the organization, however, promoting the well-liked and well-respected baseball man to the position of assistant general manager and senior vice president.

The management will also have a new CEO in Mark Shapiro. Atkins and Shapiro will work in tandem in Toronto, with Shapiro having final say in personnel decisions.

Tony LaCava, a former Indians scout, has served as Toronto’s interim GM under Shapiro.

Atkins, 41, was also considered to be a candidate for the Phillies’ general manager opening before the team hired Matt Klentak in October. Atkins is leaving his job as Indians vice president of player personnel to join the Blue Jays. Atkins, following the resignation of Alex Anthopoulos, the previous GM, immediately became a favorite to replace him. Atkins was drafted as a pitcher out of Wake Forest in the 38th round of the 1995 MLB Amateur Draft and spent five seasons in the Indians minor league system.

Now, if you ask me, it seems as if the Blue Jays are taking a colossal step backward. Shapiro served as the Indians’ general manager from 2001 through 2010 and president from 2010 through 2015.

Thole did not appear in the post-season for Toronto, which lost to the Kansas City Royals in the American League Championship series. The most important short-term takeaway from this press conference is that LaCava will continue to lead the front office through the Winter Meetings and remainder of the offseason, with Atkins saying he’s there to “support and compliment” LaCava throughout the transition.

A few days after Toronto was eliminated, Anthopoulos stunned many baseball observers by declining to sign a new contract to remain as GM.

Stay tuned for an official announcement on the hiring of Atkins.