Blue Jays are pursuing Shohei Ohtani and Juan Soto. What’s behind the urgency to win?
Ohtani, Soto, the Jays need something, anything. They have almost no choice but to swing big. And to connect.
theathletic.com
Those circumstances include:
• The Jays’ disappointing and controversial exit from the postseason, when manager John Schneider lifted Jose Berríos from a shutout in the fourth inning of Game 2 of the Division Series against the Minnesota Twins. The Blue Jays lost that game and were eliminated, and Atkins subsequently assigned sole responsibility to Schneider before later taking greater accountability. The Jays, 0-6 in the past four postseasons, have not won a playoff game since 2016.
• The restlessness of the fan base with the team’s performance at a time when Rogers Centre is undergoing a $300 million renovation, prompting a rise in ticket prices. The Yankees, Cardinals, Giants and Red Sox are among other clubs dealing with fan unrest, but the Jays’ troubles are perhaps even more acute, considering they are trying to sell new premium seating to justify the cost of their renovations.
• The threat to the team’s future competitiveness with both shortstop Bo Bichette and first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. both two years away from free agency. The Jays have been unable to sign either player to an extension, raising questions about their respective desires to stay. Guerrero also might not be as attractive an extension candidate as he once was, regressing offensively since his monstrous 2021 season.
• The possibility that Shapiro and/or Atkins could be in danger of losing their jobs. Shapiro is signed through 2025, Atkins through ‘26, but pressure seemingly is mounting. The Jays’ owner, Rogers Communications, authorized a new $100 million player development complex in Dunedin, Fla., along with the $300 million in ballpark renovations. A publicly traded company, Rogers surely wants to see a return on its investments.
No longer are the Jays a young, upstart team on the rise. To the contrary, they underachieved last season while exceeding the luxury-tax threshold for the first time. And now, as they face the potential losses of third baseman Matt Chapman, outfielder Kevin Kiermaier and others in free agency, an injection of talent is needed, both to keep the team competitive and sell tickets to their newly renovated park.
