DUNEDIN, Fla. — Having already locked in president and CEO Mark Shapiro, the Toronto Blue Jays further secured their leadership group by extending GM Ross Atkins through the 2031 season and manager John Schneider through 2028.
Atkins gets another five years while Schneider gets an extra two. Both had deals due to expire at the end of this season.
The announcements Monday morning, as the team prepared to break from camp in Dunedin, were expected, especially once Shapiro’s own extension through 2030 was completed in December.
Both Atkins and Schneider were central to the Blue Jays' turnaround to the AL pennant last season after finishing last in the AL East the year prior.
In the regular season, a 20-win turnaround saw the Blue Jays take the division at 94-78 while leading MLB with 49 comeback victories.
The Blue Jays then beat the New York Yankees in the ALDS in four games and the Seattle Mariners in the ALCS in seven, before falling to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series despite taking a lead into the ninth inning of Game 7.
Shapiro believes stability in leadership is an essential to successful sports franchises, as organizations "that react year-to-year, season-to-season on fast cycles … are kind of perpetually spinning," he said in a 2021 interview.
"The ones that have the strength and resilience to stick with some stability and continuity, even through the down times, gives those people the ability to make adjustments because things rarely go the way that you think they're going to go. Continuity gives you the ability to course-adjust and to adapt a plan, because a plan will almost certainly have to be adapted and adjusted.”
A prime example of that came after a miserable 2024 season, when the Blue Jays faced questions about their future direction as Shapiro and franchise cornerstones Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette were all on expiring deals. Rather than change personnel, the Blue Jays front office adapted after a dismal down year, signed Guerrero to an extension and went on to reach the World Series.
Atkins, 52, joined the Blue Jays in December 2015 and has since led the club to a 777-741 record over 10 seasons, including five post-season appearances.
"Ross has done an outstanding job in building a deep foundation with an accomplished baseball operations team, best-in-class resources, and a collaborative culture. I am a strong supporter of stability and continuity, and Ross continues to make us better," Blue Jays president and CEO Mark Shapiro said in a statement provided by the team.
"It’s easy for me to believe in Ross, as I’ve seen him transition from player to young front-office executive to established MLB executive, and I am extremely confident his leadership will help us achieve our collective goal of bringing World Series championships back to Canada."
Atkins' Blue Jays teams have produced 27 all-star selections, eight Gold Glove winners, eight Silver Sluggers, four AL Cy Young finalists, a Cy Young Award winner, and two AL MVP finalists.
Last April, he helped the Blue Jays reach a landmark 14-year, $500-million contract extension with Guerrero Jr., which kicks in this season.
In wake of losing the World Series, Atkins signed starter Dylan Cease to a seven-year, $210-million contract — the largest for a free agent in franchise history.
While longtime shortstop Bo Bichette left for the New York Mets, Atkins also brought in Japanese third baseman Kazuma Okamoto, reliever Tyler Rogers and starter Cody Ponce while re-signing three-time Cy Young winner Max Scherzer.
Schneider, 46, finished second in AL Manager of the Year voting last year as the Jays won their first division title in a decade.
He has skipped the Blue Jays since midway through the 2022 season, leading the team to a 303-257 record to stand fourth in franchise history in wins.
Atkins praised Schneider's commitment to players in a statement issued by the team.
"Schneids understands what it takes to build a winning environment and works tirelessly to create exactly that. His blend of emotional intelligence and deep baseball knowledge truly sets him apart in an incredibly competitive industry. His constant drive to improve shows in the preparation he brings each day, and we look forward to his continued leadership," Atkins said.
Schneider said negotiations on his extension went through spring training, leading to some "sleepless nights."
"I tried to just really focus on the present, what I'm doing every day. But yeah, that was a little different having those conversations, those back-and-forths. It's always interesting when you're negotiating. You hear it with players. But was pretty confident we'd arrive here, and took a little bit of time, but think that what we got accomplished in spring training was important — not me, the team, that is — and ready for the season," he said.
Schneider was handed the full-time manager gig in October 2022 after leading the Blue Jays to the top wild-card spot before being swept by the Seattle Mariners.
He helped the Blue Jays return to the playoffs in 2023, where they again were swept — this time by the Minnesota Twins — and missed the post-season entirely in 2024, leading to questions about his future before the World Series run.
Prior to taking over the MLB club, he spent 15 seasons in the Blue Jays’ minor-league system, including six as a player before transitioning to coaching.
He managed Guerrero Jr. and Bichette throughout the minors, including a championship run in double-A.
"I am ecstatic to continue leading the Blue Jays as we work to bring our incredible fans a championship team. It’s been a privilege to be part of this organization for nearly 25 years, and the work the Blue Jays continue to do excites me every day," Schneider said in a statement issued by the team.
Toronto's Opening Day for the 2026 season is Friday, when it faces the Athletics at Rogers Centre.
--with files from Sportsnet Staff
