Blue Jays are as angsty as an angry teenager while waiting for Juan Soto decision

As the Winter Meetings begin, the MLB world is on pins and needles awaiting Juan Soto's decision. As of this writing, five teams, including the Toronto Blue Jays, remain in the hunt for Soto's services.

No, he isn't Shohei Ohtani, but finding a way to get Soto to sign the dotted line after narrowly missing out on Ohtani last offseason would be awesome. There'd be questions about their future, but locking in a generational 26-year-old would be a huge win for Ross Atkins and Co.

The problem with Toronto's plan of pursuing Soto, though, is that virtually nobody knows where he's leaning. That's why, according to Shi Davidi of Sportsnet, the Jays appear to be full of angst with a decision coming sooner rather than later.

"So, to a degree only Soto truly knows, the Blue Jays are still in the mix, their stance is described as aggressive and the angst, if not the expectations, the Blue Jays experienced a year ago, when they also threw their best pitch and then awaited Shohei Ohtani’s call, is back," Davidi wrote.

Atkins knows that his job could depend on whether he seals the deal. Is the team he built good enough to convince Soto to commit to the Blue Jays for what will likely be the remainder of his career?

Based on what Eric Treuden of Jays Journal had to say, Atkins is hedging all of his bets on Soto. He is their "entire focus." They're aggressive, and full of angst.

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Blue Jays Juan Soto stance shows Ross Atkins hasn't learned anything from Shohei Ohtani debacle

The Blue Jays failed last offseason not because they missed out on Ohtani, but because they didn't pivot at all. They essentially ran back a team that already wasn't good enough, and paid the price in a big way.

Missing out on Soto would sting, but if Atkins pivoted, it wouldn't be the end of the world. Well, Toronto's GM has apparently told agents that nothing can happen until Soto's decision is made.

That'd be fine if players weren't flying off the board already, but the Jays have already. missed out on some potential targets while waiting for Soto. Blake Snell would've been a fit at the top of their rotation. Willy Adames would've been a logical addition to play on the left side of their infield. Tyler O'Neill would've made a lot of sense to fill a corner outfield spot.

Throwing your best offer at Soto is awesome, but it can't be Soto or Bust. Even if the Jays end up signing Soto, they have a ton of work to do to build a team that can realistically win the World Series. Remember, this is a team that won just 74 games last season. Soto would help a ton, but it can't be only Soto on their minds, especially when, by all accounts, the Jays have never really been favored.

Hopefully, Atkins can find a way to multi-task. Failing to do so can cost him more than just Soto.