Blue Jays latest coaching hire is the best endorsement of Ross Atkins yet

Kevin Kiermaier will go down as one of the most underrated MLB players in recent history. He never appeared in an All-Star Game and was not a part of a World Series team until a season ago, when he finished out his playing career with the Los Angeles Dodgers. But he did obtain four Gold Glove Awards and one Platinum Glove Award during a 12-year playing career spent mostly with the Tampa Bay Rays. If he knows one thing, it's outfield defense.

And now he's decided to pass that knowledge on to the next generation. Like many former players, Kiermaier recognized his playing days were over, opting to ride off into the sunset this winter. But he wanted to stay involved with the game in some capacity, and he recently landed a job that will help him do just that — although not with the former team you'd expect.

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Kevin Kiermaier hire is testament to strong Blue Jays culture

Of his 12 seasons as a player, Kiermaier spent 10 of them as a member of the Rays. One would think that, if he were to take a job with a former team, it would be with the one he spent the most time with. Surprisingly, that is not the case. 

The Toronto Blue Jays have hired Kiermaier as a special assistant, a role in which he'll primarily be working with outfielders to try and share some of his defensive wisdom. In accepting the position, Kiermaier had some high praise for the Blue Jays organization, which should be the ultimate compliment to embattled general manager Ross Atkins. 

"I love the people in this organization," Kiermaier told MLB.com, pretty strong words for someone who didn't spend all that much time in a Blue Jays uniform. "There’s too much potential and too much talent. There are too many great people to be away from for a year."

At the start of this offseason, a lot of Blue Jays fans were losing patience with Atkins due to his lack of transactions. But he's flipped the script a bit in recent weeks, acquiring both Anthony Santander and Max Scherzer and giving Toronto a path to being competitive in the rugged AL East this season. The Vladimir Guerrero Jr. situation threatens to derail everything, but it's been a solid rebound for a team and executive that were in desperate need of a vibe shift earlier this winter. 

Is it enough to prompt fans to rethink Atkins' tenure in Toronto? Not unless he's able to win, and win quickly (while ideally convincing Vladdy to sign a long-term deal). But maybe there's more going on here than we've been willing to acknowledge.