How do Blue Jays fans feel about Ross Atkins and Mark Shapiro after the trade deadline?

The Toronto Blue Jays had a solid trade deadline to put themselves in position to win their first division title since 2015. Make no mistake, 2025 is a critical season considering the elevated expectations and the future regarding their front office and management.

Blue Jays GM Ross Atkins agreed to a five-year contract extension which runs through the end of 2026. President and CEO Mark Shapiro is on an even shorter timeline, with his deal running through the end of this season. The duo are facing the pressure from a personal standpoint, even as they have gained a handful of victories recently.

How do Blue Jays fans feel about Ross Atkins and Mark Shapiro after the trade deadline?

Shapiro deserves plaudits for overseeing not only the renovations of the player development complex, but also upgrades to the Rogers Centre. It's a lot of work, and projects like those can easily be thrown off course or cost more than initially expected. It appears that ownership is happy with the way those projects have been handled.

Atkins deserves credit for overcoming the Blue Jays' problem in getting free agents to sign with a Canadian team. Atkins got rejected by a lot of star players but his persistence has the club in position to play meaningful baseball over the final two months of the regular season.

Turning to the most recent trade deadline, Atkins was reportedly on the prowl for a starting pitcher and a catcher. It seems like he reeled in the former and scooped up the latter. While you can quibble about whether they went "all-in", the players are still an upgrade from the week prior.

The Blue Jays showcased a unique skillset during this deadline. They were persistent and it paid off in the Louie Varland acquisition. Atkins confirmed to reporters that the front office had their eyes on the Twins pitcher for multiple years before finally acquiring him. They didn't let anything throw them off course.

It brings to mind the Anthony Santander free agent signing over the winter. Atkins joked during that press conference how the front office had his jersey floating around their offices, showcasing just how passionate they were about the former Oriole. Ultimately, they got the job done and it shows how Atkins has grown as a general manager during his years in Toronto.

Shapiro is close with ownership and you need to give ownership credit for allotting the payroll to make this team a winner. According to FanGraphs, the Blue Jays' projected 2025 payroll for luxury tax payroll sits at $259M. It's a high number and represents how ownership bought into the vision sold to them. Shapiro understands the importance of star players and the Vladimir Guerrero Jr. contract extension immediately comes to mind.

Shapiro and Atkins have experienced their share of ups and downs in Toronto. There are finally reasons to be optimistic. It's a team effort and the Blue Jays are finally making the right decisions for the long-term health of the organization. It might be time to for the fans to distribute a little credit to the people who occupy thankless jobs.