Latest Blue Jays update is more of the same, which is a disaster waiting to happen

The 2024 season wound up being nothing short of a disaster for the Toronto Blue Jays. Expectations were high after back-to-back postseason appearances and four straight winning seasons, but the Jays were never really competitive from the start and will almost certainly finish in last place in the AL East following their loss on Monday.

The Blue Jays never got going this season, and were so bad to the point where they were clear sellers at the trade deadline. The one positive among Blue Jays fans at the very least was that there had to be some change. I mean, a season in which they'll finish in last place and likely 10 or more games under .500 is unacceptable, right?

Well, nothing about what's being reported suggests change is on the horizon. It's been reported numerous times that minimal change if any is expected in the front office this offseason, and Shi Davidi of Sportsnet just confirmed that.

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Blue Jays refusing to make any major changes is the worst possible outcome

The Jays have been a consistent postseason contender in the AL, but haven't won a division title since 2015, haven't won a postseason series since 2016, and haven't even won a playoff game since 2016. Alex Anthopoulos was the team's leader of baseball operations in 2015, and while Atkins did replace him in 2016, most of that roster was Anthopoulos'.

Atkins has been in charge of baseball operations in Toronto for nearly a decade now and has accomplished next to nothing without Anthopoulos' help. The Jays have three postseason appearances since 2016, but have been bounced in the Wild Card Round each time, and have failed to win a single game. That stretch of winless postseason play will continue with Toronto failing to even qualify.

Atkins has done some good but a lot of bad during his time in Toronto. He had a pretty good trade deadline but refused to sell off any controllable players with the exception of Nate Pearson, foolishly believing that the team he has will be ready to compete in 2025.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is a superstar, but he can't do everything himself, and is only under club control for one more season with no hint of an extension. Bo Bichette is better than what we saw from him this season, but he's also under team control for just one more season. These are their best position players, and they both happen to be scheduled to hit free agency after 2025.

Their rotation is older, led by guys like Kevin Gausman, Chris Bassitt, and Jose Berrios, and regressed heavily this season. Their bullpen has been as bad as any in the majors this year, currently ranking 28th with a 4.71 ERA and dead last with -2.6 fWAR. The only other team with a bullpen that has a negative fWAR is the Colorado Rockies, who are 60-96 and play half the time at altitude.

To make matters worse, even after this successful deadline, it's not as if their farm system is anything to write home about. In fact, it's still well below-average according to MLB Pipeline.

Let's get all of the facts straight. The best position players on the team are under control for only one more season with no sign that extensions are likely. The rotation is old and regressing. Their bullpen has little to no pieces they can rely on in 2025. Their farm system is still among the league's worst even after aggressively selling at the trade deadline. What exactly is the purpose of holding onto Atkins, especially when he's been in Toronto for almost a decade with virtually no postseason success to speak of?

If for whatever reason the Jays can't fire Atkins, can they at least fire John Schneider? No, it isn't all his fault that the team regressed as much as it did this season, but it's not as if he's perfect as a manager. We saw him just last season play a huge role in ending their postseason run prematurely thanks to a mind-boggling decision that still makes no sense.

Firing Schneider would be making him a clear scapegoat, but at least it's something, right? Who knows, perhaps a change in the dugout is all this franchise needs to get back on track.

While that's far from a certainty, what we do know is that sticking with the status quo is not working in Toronto. They regressed heavily this season, and nothing regarding how this roster is structured suggests that they're on a winning path. Hopefully something unexpected happens and a major change of some sort is made, but as of now, it's certainly unlikely.