General manager Ross Atkins preaches patience as Toronto Blue Jays struggle – Winnipeg Free Press

TORONTO — Ross Atkins isn't happy with the Blue Jays' record, but he wants fans to know there's a sense of urgency in the home of the Toronto clubhouse that isn't visible to those outside the organization.

The Blue Jays general manager spoke to reporters at the Rogers Center hours before they host the Tampa Bay Rays in Toronto on Saturday. The 20-minute press conference in front of the home dugout focused mostly on the Blue Jays' disappointing 19-24 record, which Atkins believes does not represent the team's potential.

“We've seen some encouraging things lately where we haven't won and we've seen some frustrating things as time goes on and we see the talent on the team righting the ship,” Atkins said. “However, it needs to start sooner rather than later.”

Atkins is available to the media once a month, and Saturday's scrum was part of that schedule. However, it also came as Toronto dropped back-to-back games, including failing to reach base for the first 7 1/3 innings of a 4-3 loss to the Rays on Friday night.

While Atkins preaches patience, he says that patience has its limits.

“It's not like it's a tough match,” Atkins said. “We're at the quarter pole and when you get to the halfway point, you can't do much if things stay the same.”

Atkins said the Blue Jays front office has talked to other MLB teams about possible trades, but is also considering bringing up some of its minor league players from the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons.

“It's just where and what position and which players you would cut, not necessarily cut from the team, but reduce playing time. “The problem with trade remains the same,” he said. “If we get a player, you pay a premium at this point. We can do it, we have the players to transfer the talent level.

“We think the best contributions that make a difference in runs scored come from our clubhouse or triple-A with the players here.”

Pitching has been the Achilles heel of the 2024 Blue Jays so far this year.

Toronto's 155 hits through 43 games this season is second-lowest in the league, behind only the Chicago White Sox (130). The Blue Jays' 36 home runs are tied with the St. Louis Cardinals and Colorado Rockies for third-worst in Major League Baseball. Their .227 team batting average is 25th overall.

Atkins, however, said he thinks those numbers will improve if Toronto's hitters stick to their process.

“We're getting into better reports. We're getting into better positions and making better decisions,” he said, singling out catcher Danny Jansen, left fielder Davis Schneider and outfielder Daulton Warshaw for their strong start to the season. “You don't want to say every player didn't hit their best shots, but there were enough of them that it affected our runs.”