Blue Jays introduce Ross Atkins as new GM

The Toronto Blue Jays have reportedly hired Ross Atkins as their new general manager with hopes to make another run at the American League pennant, according to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle.

Atkins and new Blue Jays President Mark Shapiro have worked together previously with Atkins most recently serving as the Indians’ vice-president of player personnel.

Atkins, a 42-year-old native of Greensboro, N.C., is the seventh general manager in Blue Jays history.

He is a close friend and former co-worker of Toronto president Mark Shapiro.

It took awhile, Shapiro said, because he was determined to make a thorough search.

Atkins pitched in the Cleveland organization before joining its front office.

“I’ve had a little time to begin to look at that”, he said.

Atkins interviewed in the past for GM openings in Los Angeles and Philadelphia.

The Atkins news conference came on the same day the Boston Red Sox introduced Price after he signed a seven-year deal worth $217 million.

“Analytics is a word that gets used a lot in professional baseball and really, all it is is what are we doing to weight information and how are we appropriately using it. What I’ve heard and understood and learned about John, he’s going to want the information”. “It’s a question of how do you build a championship team within the parameters you’re given”. You have to think about them, you have to plan for them, but it’s more about being flexible and agile, you have to face every decision and every threshold as it presents itself, and when you go through the process of making big decisions, understand how it impacts you in the short-term and long-term.

The Blue Jays won the East Division title last season with a 93-69 record. “J.A. was a priority for us”, LaCava said.

His description of the process can perhaps be seen as the crux of the problem that led the confident, ever-evolving Anthopoulos to step down – despite an eventual five-year contract offer.