Blue Jays' Atkins to return as GM in 2025

Toronto Blue Jays president Mark Shapiro confirmed Wednesday that general manager Ross Atkins will be back for the 2025 season.

"If I felt there was a better alternative to run our baseball operation, I'd make that change," Shapiro said, according to Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.

The 57-year-old executive acknowledged that he's looking beyond 2024 in evaluating the club's front office.

"There has been a lot of success here over the last five years," Shapiro said.

The Blue Jays qualified for the playoffs three times between 2020-2023 but went a combined 0-6 in the postseason before finishing last in the AL East with a 74-88 record this season.

"I'm confident next year will be a much better year," Shapiro said while suggesting injuries and a lack of quality depth played a role in his team's struggles, according to Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.

Shapiro also praised manager John Schneider for his work during a tough campaign.

"Good job. He keeps getting better and will continue to get better," Shapiro said, according to Hazel Mae of Sportsnet.

Shapiro added that he's disappointed Blue Jays fans weren't able to experience meaningful games down the stretch like previous years.

"Obviously had way more time than I want or had hoped for to reflect on the season," Shapiro said, according to Murphy. "A lot of things we'd rather be doing today ... playing September baseball games without playoff implications is painful ... not what we want for our fans."

Shapiro and Schneider are under contract through 2025 while Atkins' deal expires after 2026.

The Blue Jays did fire hitting coach Guillermo Martinez and will move Don Mattingly back to the bench coach role.