Toronto Blue Jays sign general manager Ross Atkins to five-year extension

Toronto Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins has signed a five-year contact extension with the club.

The move on Wednesday comes three months after president Mark Shapiro also signed a five-year extension with the Blue Jays.

Atkins was hired by the Blue Jays in December 2015 after spending 15 seasons in Cleveland’s front office.

The Blue Jays have made the playoffs twice in five years (2016, 2020) under Atkins.

The 47-year-old Atkins is the seventh GM in franchise history.

The Blue Jays are off to a 3-2 start this year.

“Coming to Toronto with my family has enriched our lives in countless ways and having the opportunity to remain a Blue Jay is something I do not take for granted,” Atkins said in a statement.

Shapiro praised Atkins for his work.

“Simply put, Ross makes the Blue Jays better. I am extremely pleased that he will continue leading our baseball operations group during this exciting era for our players, staff, and most importantly, our fans, as we move closer to building a sustainable championship contender for years to come,” Shapiro said.

Blue Jays manger Charlie Montoyo was happy with the news.

“Everybody from rookie ball all the way to the big leagues feels great today,” he said. “I think it’s awesome there’s going to be stability at the top. It trickles down all the way to rookie ball and the Dominican Republic. That’s how we felt when I was with the Rays. The stability they had there, everybody feels on the same page, the same group.”

The Blue Jays recently picked up an option on the 2022 season for Montoyo.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 6, 2021.

The Canadian Press