Blue Jays: Mark Shapiro rumours continue to swirl

Though there was a brief lull in the rumours involving the Blue Jays President and CEO Mark Shapiro, similar rumours have been brought back to the forefront.

As absurd as the “Shapiro to the New York Mets” rumours seemed at first, it appears as though there might be a little bit more weight to them than originally believed, as evidenced by the resurgence of the reports Tuesday morning.

According to Andy Martino of SportsNet New York, those with knowledge of Mets’ situation “continue to point to Mark Shapiro as a fit to lead the Mets”. As Martino also notes, Shapiro is “close” to Omar Minaya, former Expos general manager and current Special Assistant to the General Manager for the Mets.

Mets GM Sandy Alderson took a leave of absence on June 26, 2018, due to a battle with cancer. Since then, Minaya, John Ricco (Mets assistant general manager) and former Blue Jays GM J.P. Ricciardi (special assistant to Alderson) have collaboratively headed the team’s front office.

Craig Calcaterra of NBC Sports satirically endorsed Shapiro for the job, noting his frugality, as well as his business-like appearance, as prime qualities that would make him perfect for the job.

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When asked about the rumours, Shapiro deflected the questions, bluntly announcing his love for the city of Toronto and for the Blue Jays organization. In his current position, he has almost complete autonomy in running the team from both baseball and business standpoints. It’s hard to imagine a better job is out there.

Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi, who Tuesday appeared on “Sportsnet Central”, said that Ross Atkins’ upcoming potential contract extension and Shapiro’s continued tenure with the organization could be linked in some way. Atkins has a year left on his contract after this season, while Shapiro has two, per Davidi.

As is always the case with Mark Shapiro, this development will be somewhat polarizing among members of the Blue Jays faithful. With the MLBPA seemingly questioning the credibility of Shapiro’s baseball prowess and fans becoming angered by the day, the last few weeks have gone less than ideal for the front office.

Regardless, Shapiro remains the man in charge of the Toronto Blue Jays. No matter what is being said, he insists that he loves the city and is passionate about helping this team return to the top.