Ross Atkins, Blue Jays couldn't do bare minimum to keep Cody Bellinger from Yankees
By Mark Powell
Toronto Blue Jays front office executive Ross Atkins is on the clock. Atkins may not be on the hot seat just yet, but he will be if the Blue Jays failed to make the postseason with a core of Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette, especially when paired with one of the better rotations in MLB.
Atkins has money to spend this winter, but he has yet to land one high-profile star. It's early, but the clock is ticking. Corbin Burnes is available, but the Blue Jays are competing with the likes of the San Francisco Giants for his services. Toronto lost out on Juan Soto, Blake Snell and Max Fried. Shohei Ohtani never boarded his fake flight a year ago. It hasn't been a great run for Atkins.
Add in that Guerrero Jr. is a free agent next winter and could make upwards of $500 million or more depending on his 2025 performance. There have been conflicting reports about whether or not Vladdy turned down an extension offer prior to free agency, but either way, the Blue Jays are in a tough spot.
For more news and rumors, check out MLB Insider Robert Murray’s work on. The Baseball Insiders podcast, subscribe to The Moonshot, our weekly MLB newsletter, and join the discord to get the inside scoop between now and the MLB offseason.
Blue Jays had a chance to acquire Cody Bellinger but didn't
That fact makes it all the more infuriating that when given the opportunity to acquire Cody Bellinger, the Blue Jays balked. Yes, Bellinger's contract is less than desirable, but he's still an above-average bat with All-Star potential.
Heck, the Yankees got him for $5 million and some pitching depth. Surely Atkins could've afforded the same trade package, rather than reportedly being used as leverage before Bellinger was sent to the rival Yankees.
Blue Jays were also interested in Bellinger. That helped Cubs do the deal they wanted, sending just $5M to Yanks to offset $52.5M owed Bellinger over next two years.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) December 17, 2024
Toronto can make up for losing Bellinger in free agency or via trade. Again, there is plenty of time remaining in the offseason. However, Atkins balking at Bellinger's asking price – Cody Poteet and $5 million from the Yankees – is mind-boggling.
Good luck meeting Scott Boras with that attitude.
feed