Dec 11, 2017
Atkins still believes Jays can compete with Yankees in AL East
With the acquisition of Giancarlo Stanton, the New York Yankees that won 91 games a season ago just got a whole lot scarier. But that doesn't worry general manager Ross Atkins, TSN's Scott Mitchell writes.
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — Ross Atkins maintains he isn’t up at night worrying about Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton and the New York Yankees.
Hours after Stanton was officially introduced and buttoned up pinstripes on the first full day of the Winter Meetings, the Toronto Blue Jays general manager tried to sell the fact that he’s looking forward to seeing how his club stacks up against the perceived powerhouse in the American League East.
Whether the pundits agree or not, Atkins isn’t looking to close up shop and concede in December, and the 44-year-old GM claims it won’t play a role in future decisions, the biggest of which is deciding whether to trade Josh Donaldson or make him the very rich face of the franchise for the long term.
“I mean, really, you do digest (the Stanton trade) and try to understand what that means on paper and pull back from it and understand that the equation is a bit different, but, subjectively, we’re excited about the challenge of competing in the AL East and competing against the New York Yankees,” Atkins said.
Excited is a curious choice of words.
Last year, the Blue Jays won 76 games.
The Yankees won 91.
Not to be forgotten, the Boston Red Sox, one of the few organizations that can punch and counter-punch fiscally with the boys from the Bronx, won 93.
While much of the Jays’ 2018 improvement will have to come within in the form of better health, you don’t need an analytics department to conclude that the 15-game gap between Toronto and New York has widened to begin this off-season.
The Yankees are now considered World Series favourites by oddsmakers, but Atkins just smiles when that’s brought up.
“There’s nothing I care less about,” Atkins said.
Fair statement, actually.
Blue Jays fans will recall the 2013 team being installed by Las Vegas as World Series favourites after a dazzling off-season, and we all know how that turned out.
Unforeseen things happen during a 162-game grind.
“Obviously, that’s a great acquisition for the New York Yankees and a great player,” Atkins said. “Again, our focus is to make this organization the best it can be and the 2018 team the best one it can be given our resources, and we feel like we have the resources to do that.
“Josh Donaldson’s a pretty good player. Justin Smoak’s a pretty good player. Troy Tulowitzki and Russell Martin are phenomenal, so we have a great core to build upon and feel we’ll be able to compete with them.”
Steadfast in his belief that the Blue Jays can return to contention next season when the microphones are on, you have to wonder what the internal conversations are like behind the scenes as their best player heads into his final year of team control.
“It just goes back to the conviction and confidence that we have in the core here,” Atkins said.
But how long will this core be together?
Without a long-term contract this winter, the Jays are another bad start away from peddling Donaldson at next year’s trade deadline.
They’re also one good start into fooling everyone, adding to the roster instead of subtracting next July, only to finish on the outside looking in thanks to 38 combined games against the Yanks and BoSox, and then watching their superstar walk for nothing in free agency come winter.
If you’ll recall, the Jays went 33-43 against the AL East in 2017, which included actually winning the season series against the Yanks, 10-9.
Atkins wouldn’t say if he plans to sit down with Donaldson’s agent, Dan Lozano, who is also in Orlando for the Winter Meetings, alongside the rest of the baseball world.
“It’s certainly a fair question and, again, I can’t get into whether we’re actually negotiating or not,” Atkins said.
Holed up in a hotel room inside the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin resort, Jays decision-makers aren’t just sitting on their hands.
It may not be Donaldson yet, but negotiations are on-going as the Jays look for ways to improve the roster and attempt to keep pace.
Even on the heels of the Aledmys Diaz and Gift Ngoepe acquisitions, Atkins will “most likely” add another veteran infielder to the mix.
Right field is also a clear priority.
Pitching is, too, a sentiment that would be echoed by 29 other general managers here in Orlando.
“There are deals that we could likely move on,” Atkins said. “We feel that there’s a couple of acquisitions that are certainly within reach, but we’ll have more insight as not just tomorrow comes but in the coming days and in the coming weeks.
“We’re currently talking to multiple starting pitchers, multiple relief pitchers on many levels. I think now it’s more about the cost versus the alternatives.”
Some believe the Blue Jays could slow play the market and wait for bargains to emerge in January, especially in a fairly crowded corner outfield market.
Whether GMs will admit it or not, there’s a certain level of pressure that comes with the Winter Meetings atmosphere as foes begin to improve their respective rosters a few hotel suites away.
“There is that feeling of, it’s not necessarily get something done, but don’t miss out,” Atkins said. “That is a feeling that you start to feel here, making sure that there’s not something that you haven’t thought about.”
He’s got about 72 hours left to brainstorm.