Ross Atkins is more worried about saving his own skin than what's best for the Blue Jays

Has any team had a more disappointing offseason than the Toronto Blue Jays? Ross Atkins hoped to make amends after failing to land Shohei Ohtani last offseason by bringing a big name to Toronto but struck out on Juan Soto, Max Fried, and Corbin Burnes. The Jays hope to sign Roki Sasaki, but even while the team is a finalist for his services, it's hard to imagine them convincing him to ditch the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres.

As if that isn't bad enough, the Jays have yet to even come close to extending Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who is entering his final year of club control. The Jays are slightly better than they were in 2024 thanks to the Jeff Hoffman, Yimi Garcia, and Andres Gimenez additions, but this team won just 74 games in 2024. They need a whole lot more than what they've added to be considered a true playoff lock.

Due to the lack of big names being brought in by the Jays and the lack of movement on a potential Guerrero extension, MLB fans and teams have wondered whether Toronto would consider trading the four-time All-Star. According to Jon Heyman of the NY Post, a Guerrero trade is unlikely, and the reason for it is one that Blue Jays fans will have a tough time coming to terms with.

"I just don't see the Jays punting on this season," Heyman said on an appearance on a Bleacher Report livestream appearance. "Mark Shapiro, the team president, has a year to go on his contract, is he really punting on this year?"

It sounds like Shapiro and Atkins who both have just one year remaining on their contracts, are more focused on trying to keep their jobs than doing what's best for the organization.

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Ross Atkins is worried about the wrong things with reason for holding onto Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

Atkins' stance does make some sense. From his perspective, if he's already on the hot seat, why would he trade the best player on his team who gives him the best possible chance of keeping his job? While keeping Guerrero around is undoubtedly best for Atkins, is it best for the Jays?

Look, the organization's goal absolutely should be to extend Guerrero. He's the face of the franchise, is coming off a ridiculous season despite having little to no protection in the lineup, and has an MVP ceiling. Guerrero has even expressed a willingness to sign an extension if the Jays meet his number by the start of Spring Training.

With that being said, though, the Jays have had all offseason to get a deal done and don't even appear close to doing so. If they refuse to entertain meeting Guerrero's price, it's hard to make the argument against trading him.

Even with their offseason additions and if Guerrero has a repeat of his MVP-caliber 2024 season, is this team better than a fringe playoff team? It's not as if anyone would pick the Jays to make a run to the ALCS or the World Series. Ensuring that they get a haul and a head start on what could be a fairly quick rebuild if the Jays play it right should be the direction Toronto goes if they're unable to extend him.

Keeping the 25-year-old around for the next decade, if not longer, should be Atkins' goal, but again, they've shown no real desire to make that happen so far. Assuming that doesn't change in the next month, trading him should be the only option. Atkins and Shapiro can't choose to keep Guerrero around just for their own personal benefits. If they can't extend him, it's best for the Blue Jays to seriously consider trading him even if it results in a shake-up in the front office.