TORONTO – John Schneider will be returning as the manager of the Toronto Blue Jays for the next season, despite the controversy surrounding his decision to remove pitcher Jose Berrios in the game that marked the end of the team’s disappointing season. General manager Ross Atkins confirmed that it was Schneider’s call to replace Berrios with Yusei Kikuchi during the game against the Minnesota Twins, which ultimately led to the Blue Jays’ elimination from the American League Wild-Card series.
Criticism has been directed at Schneider for his decision to remove Berrios, who had a strong start with 47 pitches and three shutout innings. Speculation suggests that the front office and analytics department influenced the decision in order to force the Twins to make earlier substitutions. This would have allowed the Blue Jays to strategically use their right-handed relievers in later innings.
Atkins, however, denied any involvement from the front office in Schneider’s decision. He stated that he learned about it at the same time as everyone else and confirmed that the coaching staff, including Schneider, had full autonomy in making that call. The strategy was discussed with the players beforehand, but it was ultimately Schneider’s decision to deploy it.
Atkins also praised Schneider and his coaching staff, as well as advanced scout Theron Simpson, for their work in developing game plans. He emphasized that the early-game pitching decision was not the main issue in the season-ending game. The lack of timely hitting ultimately prevented the Blue Jays from advancing. Atkins expressed satisfaction with the overall performance and decision-making of Schneider, bench coach Don Mattingly, pitching coach Pete Walker, and assistant pitching coaches Jeff Ware and David Howell.
No mention was made of hitting coach Guillermo Martinez, but Atkins and Schneider will be evaluating the coaching staff in upcoming meetings.
Although the Blue Jays had a successful season in terms of attendance, surpassing three million fans for the eighth time in franchise history, they fell short in the playoffs for the second year in a row, being eliminated in two consecutive games in the wild-card round. Atkins expressed disappointment and frustration with the team’s performance, stating that his focus for next season will be on improving the offense and potentially adding players through free agency.
Atkins also highlighted the need for better baserunning, as demonstrated by costly mistakes made by Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette in the playoffs. Additionally, he expressed confidence in pitcher Alek Manoah, expecting him to bounce back from a difficult season and rejoin the rotation in 2024.
Regarding free agency, Atkins mentioned that the Blue Jays will likely lose players such as Matt Chapman, Kevin Kiermaier, and Brandon Belt, but hinted at the possibility of re-signing pitcher Hyun-Jin Ryu. No mention was made of Whit Merrifield, Chad Green, and Jordan Hicks, but their respective situations will be evaluated in the offseason.
Overall, Atkins acknowledged the disappointment of the season-ending loss and expressed a determination to make improvements for the upcoming season.
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