Former Blue Jays manager lands new gig for the 2026 MLB season 

There haven’t been many managers that have managed to take the Toronto Blue Jays on deep postseason runs during the history of the franchise. The most notable, of course, being the legendary Cito Gaston who, in the early 1990s, led the Blue Jays to their only two World Series titles. Then most recently we have John Schneider who was at the helm as the Blue Jays went to Game 7 of the World Series.

Aside from those two names, another manager led the Blue Jays to postseason success in the mid-2010s. That manager was none other than John Gibbons who guided the Blue Jays to two ALCS appearances. On Wednesday, the same Gibbons has found a new home for 2026 by landing a new bench coach role with the Los Angeles Angels.

Former much-maligned Blue Jays manager lands new gig for the 2026 MLB season 

Things haven’t been as rosy for the former Blue Jays manager since leaving the organization after the 2018 MLB season. He had more than a five-year hiatus from the league before he was finally hired by the New York Mets during the 2023-24 offseason to be their bench coach. However, that tenure ended this past season after the Mets failed to make the postseason courtesy of a tiebreaker with the Cincinnati Reds.

Despite his reduced role in recent years, Blue Jays fans will never forget Gibbons during his time managing the ballclub. That included two stints as manager with the team, one that ran from 2004 to 2008, and another from 2013 to 2018. The first stint was less memorable as the Blue Jays failed to reach the playoffs in any of those seasons with Gibbons at the helm. He would finish with a .500 record over those five years with Toronto. 

However, his second stint was a lot more productive as he guided the Blue Jays to two postseason appearances in 2015 and 2016, while clinching the AL East Division as well in 2015. But at the same time, his tenure with the organization didn’t come without a little flair as he also gave the Blue Jays and their fans some memorable and sometimes controversial quotes and moments over the years. In the end, Gibbons finished with a respectable 793-789 cumulative record as Blue Jays manager.

The Blue Jays have an open role on their bench and some fans thought Gibbons would make for a good replacement with Don Mattingly stepping down from his role with the Blue Jays. However, Toronto are still searching for a replacement as Gibbons joins an Angels team that has revamped their coaching staff this offseason.