Blue Jays can't let Ross Atkins' lame apology result in them keeping him around

The Toronto Blue Jays have been arguably the most disappointing team in the American League this season, and that was emphasized by their choice to sell at the MLB trade deadline. The Jays made the right decision to sell considering their short postseason odds, but the fact that they were even in that position is crazy to think about.

The man responsible for this train wreck of a season, Ross Atkins, did, at the very least show some remorse for how the 2024 campaign has played out, issuing an apology to the fan base after the deadline passed.

“I’m disappointed that we’re here, it’s unacceptable that we’re here and I’m sorry to our fans for that,” said Atkins.

While it's good to see Atkins take some responsibility, that can't be enough to overshadow what he has done.

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Ross Atkins still needs to be fired despite issuing apology to Blue Jays fans

Atkins took over as Blue Jays GM after the 2015 season. The Jays made it to the ALCS in 2016, but that was mostly with the roster that Alex Anthopoulos, his predecessor, built. The Jays were able to make the postseason three times in the last four seasons entering the 2024 campaign after undergoing a mini rebuild with an Atkins-led roster, but never won a single postseason game, let alone series.

You'd think with things trending downhill, the Jays organization would be looking for a fresh start when it came to their GM position, but from what Atkins had to say, it sounds as if he envisions himself as part of the solution.

“We did not want to be at this point where we are, trading players away,” Atkins added. “It’s a disappointing time in my career and where we are as an organization, but we switched to getting better and switched to focusing on reshaping the group that is here, an already very talented group that we want to build around. We feel that we’ve done so, adding players who are close to the Major League or in the Major Leagues who can help us win more baseball games in the coming years.”

He's absolutely right here. The Jays acquired a slew of prospects, several who are close to MLB-ready. The problem is, it's hard to envision this team winning anytime soon. Even after this deadline, the Jays have only the 22nd-best farm system in the majors per FanGraphs. Their pitching is old and regressing. Their lineup leaves a lot to be desired. Their franchise cornerstones, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette are only under control through 2025 with no hint of extensions coming. Barring some crazy spending, it's going to be really tough for the Jays to legitimately compete, and the fact that they're stuck in the AL East doesn't help.

The Jays had a good trade deadline, especially with the return from the Yusei Kikuchi trade, but that can't be enough to give Atkins more of a leash. The Jays have accomplished virtually nothing under Atkins, and are now trending in the wrong direction. They were expected to compete and wound up selling at the deadline. What makes it even worse is that it can be argued that despite their successful deadline the Jays didn't do enough in regards to selling while they foolishly believe that they can compete as soon as next season.

This franchise needs a reset. A World-Series-winning GM, James Click, is literally in their organization. Maybe see what he can do. See what anybody other than the GM who has accomplished nothing in nearly a decade with this organization can do.