Blue Jays’ GM Ross Atkins addresses Osuna, Astros, prospects and more

Shortly after pulling off a franchise-altering trade, Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins met with the media to talk about Roberto Osuna, Ken Giles and negotiating with the Houston Astros.

Hours after trading Roberto Osuna to the Houston Astros in exchange for Ken Giles, Hector Perez and David Paulino, Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins met with members of the Toronto media Monday to answer some burning questions.

On the subject of Roberto Osuna and the ethics of the franchise, Atkins said the following:

"“We do feel a responsibility to the fans & we do feel empathy for the fans & we ultimately work for the fans… it’s very difficult for accusations not to influence us in some way. Having said that, this made sense for the organization from a baseball perspective.”"

Source: Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet on Twitter

When asked how Roberto Osuna handled the trade, Atkins told reporters the following:

"“[Osuna was] very appreciative of his time here…was seemingly excited of the opportunity, but at the same time, emotional…handled it professionally & respectful on the phone.”"

Source: Hazel Mae of Sportsnet on Twitter

As for the new members of the team, Atkins said that the Jays are “extremely excited about Giles, Perez, and Paulino joining the organization”, saying this about the trade:

"“This was one (deal) that made sense form a baseball perspective…I think for many reasons this deal made sense and it starts with the talent we’re acquiring.”"

Source: Ben Nicholson-Smith on Twitter

According to Keegan Matheson of Baseball Toronto, Ross Atkins says that Hector Perez will quickly become one of the team’s most promising pitching prospects, noting that he’ll serve as “near-term starting depth”. Ben Nicholson-Smith also says that the Astros weren’t the only team in on Osuna, but that the Astros were “lining up the best”.

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Mike Wilner of Sportsnet spoke to manager John Gibbons Monday night and was told the following:

“Not totally shocked that we traded Osuna. Told you before, I love the kid. I wish him well, but more so than baseball I hope he gets his life together.”

For many reasons, this trade is incredibly important to the team and the franchise as a whole. Bogged down by the questionable character of Roberto Osuna, the Blue Jays were clearly looking for a way out, and being able to do so and acquire some excellent talent is a feat in itself.

As Jon Morosi of MLB Network reports on Twitter, the Blue Jays were apparently in agreement that Osuna would not pitch at the major league level following the incident. While it’s impossible to know whether or not that’s true, it’s an interesting element to an otherwise mysterious story.

At this point, most Blue Jays fans seem to be in agreement that the team made out incredibly well in this particular deal. While it’s certainly not the last deal we’ll see from this team before the trade deadline, it could prove to be the most important and most impactful one they swing this entire year.