Blue Jays Extension is 'Possible' for President and CEO Mark Shapiro
By Chris Pyo
When something is "possible," that's usually not the strongest vote of confidence someone can receive from their management.
However, that's currently the case with Toronto Blue Jays president and CEO Mark Shapiro, who currently finds himself teetering between the chopping block and a bit more stability to revive this Blue Jays franchise heading into the final year of his contract.
An extension is possible for Mark Shapiro, who is entering the final year of his contract as #BlueJays president/CEO. Both Shapiro and the Jays are open to a new deal, but nothing is close, sources tell The Athletic. Per @SNJeffBlair, GM Ross Atkins is under contract through ‘21.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) October 12, 2019
Shapiro joined the Blue Jays in 2015 following a 14-year stint with the Cleveland Indians, where he moved up the ranks from player development director to general manager, and was named Executive of the Year twice by Sporting News.
Since then, however, the Blue Jays have found themselves in a funk. After placing second in the AL East in 2016, they fell flat and haven't placed above fourth in the division since then.
My latest for @theAthleticTO looks at some of Mark Shapiro’s recent comments about the upcoming offseason, and the frustrating state of being for Jays fans, and so many other fans of the game. https://t.co/IaAmgvMaSs
— Andrew Stoeten (@AndrewStoeten) October 3, 2019
It's been rough for the Blue Jays (and the Baltimore Orioles, for that matter) as the Yankees, Red Sox and Rays have made massive improvements over the last couple of years to reclaim the top three spots of the division, leaving the Blue Jays and Orioles to be cellar dwellers.
While Shapiro has assembled a strong core for the Blue Jays, some of his moves have been universally panned, including trading Josh Donaldson to the Cleveland Indians for next to nothing, and signing Randal Grichuk to a massive contract extension that's looking like a bust.
We'll see if their corporate owners Rogers Communications will give Shapiro a couple more years to rebuild the franchise, but Shapiro could be out of a job after the 2020 MLB season.