The Toronto Blue Jays’ president and CEO spoke to reporters Thursday following the team’s World Series Game 7 loss last week.
Mark Shapiro penned an open letter to Jays fans on Wednesday, expressing his gratitude for what was a historic season for the Toronto baseball team, which saw them reach the Fall Classic for the first time since 1993.
“Thank you to our fans - the best in baseball,” Shapiro, who joined the team in 2015, wrote in a post on X. “We heard you. We felt you. Your energy, love, your hopes and belief reached our players and lifted us all.”
Shapiro’s address came as question marks surround some of the biggest names on the team—including free agents Bo Bichette, Chris Bassitt, and Max Scherzer, to name a few—and whether they’ll re-sign with the club they’ve all publicly professed their love for.
On Wednesday, fan favourite Shane Bieber exercised his player option and will return in a Blue Jays uniform next season.
General manager Ross Atkins spoke after Shapiro.
Here’s what they said:
2:20 p.m. - ‘Not going to talk about my contract’: Atkins
Atkins, who agreed to a five-year extension with the Jays in 2021, was asked about the status of his contract Thursday, but declined to comment.
“Not going to talk about my contract. Great place to work. Incredible people to work for. Incredible experience. I have nothing but positive things to say about this market, the city, country, and organization, I could not be more grateful,” Atkins said bluntly.
2:15 p.m. - Will the Jays re-sign Bichette?
Atkins was asked about where things stand with potentially re-signing Bichette, but stopped short of revealing any details of possible negotiations.
“Bo has already had a massive impact on this organization and our ability to win baseball games and on the fan base. Really incredible, his performance, to think about what he accomplished in the playoffs on, you know, don’t want to exaggerate, but you know, not, certainly not at 100 per cent,” he said.
“And, you know, not having full strength, not being at 100 per cent of agility and mobility, and to still have that level of impact offensively and to make the plays he made defensively speaks to the competitor and the athlete that he is, and not just the competitor and athlete, but also when the lights were brighter, how that influenced and impacted him, and how well he navigated that. So he’s been important. We will be in his market. And as it speaks to the timing of the negotiation or lack thereof, really i(that) is coming from our respect, from his right to get to free agency, and having pretty much already earned that.”
2:10 p.m. - What do the Jays hope prospective players saw during the World Series?
As the baseball world and beyond tuned in to watch the Blue Jays showdown against the Los Angeles Dodgers, there’s one thing Atkins says he hopes prospective players saw:
“The cohesiveness, really, and you know that that starts with Schneids (John Schneider) and his leadership, and then our key players...That cohesiveness and the collective effort for players to play for one another is unique, and I feel that’s something that our team saw the power of here and hopefully others appreciate.”
2:04 p.m. - John Schneider contract status
Asked about John Schneider’s contract status during his media availability Thursday, Atkins said the team has “picked up the option” for the skipper for 2026. He added that the two parties are “talking about the potential of that being longer,” but revealed no other details.
The Jays and Schneider agreed to a three-year contract with a team option for the 2026 season in 2022.
1:35 p.m. - From worst to first
The Jays ended their 2024 season with the worst record in the American League East. Fast forward to 2025, and they took the division.
Asked what was behind the transition, Shapiro said a lot of it boiled down to faith in the club.
“I think probably just putting too much weight into the outcome last year, you know, not to say that the outcome this year is something that anyone would have anticipated,” Shapiro said.
“But there is some randomness that happens within a season, and we, and our baseball ops group, did some serious soul searching and made some changes and sought to learn from last year and get better. Those things, I think, made a massive impact and made us better this year. But the group of players, you know, were still good. A lot of the individual performances last year were still indicative that we would be better. So you know, credit to Ross and our group for not panicking, for not feeling we need to blow it up and start over. They believed in the plan, they believed in the group we had.”
1:33 p.m. - What did Shapiro do after the Game 7 loss?
Shapiro was candid about how he processed the Game 7 loss when asked about it on Thursday.
“I walked my dog. You know, got outside because I just felt like I hadn’t done that in a while. Slept more than I’d slept in a long period of time once I was able to get to sleep, which wasn’t easy. You know, spent some time with my kids before they left and flew back and just kind of took some time to do the things I hadn’t had time to do, like exercise, read, you know, things that kind of, you know, in the midst of everything we’re going through can kind of slip away.”
1:29 p.m. - Significance of Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s US$500-million contract
Shapiro was asked about how important it was to sign Guerrero Jr. to a massive US$500-million contract at the beginning of the season.
“Certainly took away what could...(have been a) negative, but I’m sure it was also good, was a positive for Vlad, you know, to not have that distraction. As well, to his own performance and to his own peace of mind and for his ability to lead and impact our players, I feel the same way I felt last year. He has a chance to be a generational player.”
1:27 p.m. - ‘He keeps getting better,’ Shapiro says of John Schneider
The Blue Jays president was asked about manager John Schneider’s leadership in the post and regular season and said “he keeps getting better.”
“He certainly put himself in the top, you know, among the top group of managers in the game, and led us through some tough moments this year. And, you know, was at the helm for some great moments, and he continues to be a factor and make us better.”
1:21 p.m. - On re-signing Bieber
Shapiro was asked about Bieber’s return to Toronto, and said the deal came through quickly.
“We’re better for him having made that decision. And it’s a great start to our offseason.”
As for why he chose to waive his player option, Shapiro said he didn’t want to “guess” at his reasons for staying.
1:16 p.m. - Shapiro mum on Bichette
Shapiro was asked about Bichette’s free agency during his media availability, but declined to comment.
“My comments on Bo are more just appreciation for what he’s meant here. You know, it’s more appropriate for Ross to comment on what he’ll be going forward, you know. As I reflected on his ability and toughness and desire to be on the field, and the condition he was in during the post-season, and his ability to still provide some of the most important lifts, you know, in the World Series. But that was only you know, the inflection point on what’s been an unbelievable career here.”
1:14 p.m. - ‘There’s a desire for me to remain here’: Shapiro on contract talks
Shapiro wouldn’t reveal much about his own ongoing contract negotiations. He’s in the final year with the club after signing a five-year extension in January 2021. However, he did say he would like to stay with the team.
“We agreed to put that on hold during the post-season run, just in light of not wanting it to be a distraction. But the same things I’ve said in the past, there’s a desire for me to remain here...So I think we’ll likely work something out soon.”
1:08 p.m. - Shapiro reflects on Jays post-season
Shapiro began his end-of-season remarks on Thursday by reflecting on the Jays’ success in the post-season and how their run to the World Series captured the nation.
“You could watch them play the game and everything else around the game, and know what their identity was as a team, and know what our identity was as an organization. And I think each of us throughout the country saw us in them. They saw the things that inspired us, the things that lift us, the reasons to believe, the reasons to feel belonging and a part of something. And as I sought to move forward, my overall overarching sentiment was one of gratitude, you know, first and foremost, for our players and our staff for the unbelievable and exceptional effort they gave throughout the entire season, for the expectations they exceeded. No one expected them to do what they did, and for their belief in each other and for the fans they played for.”
