Mark Shapiro's contract with Toronto Blue Jays renewed for five years - Sportish
Connect with us

Baseball

Mark Shapiro’s contract with Toronto Blue Jays renewed for five years

Published

on

Mark Shapiro’s contract with Toronto Blue Jays renewed for five years

(Toronto) Mark Shapiro, president and CEO of the Toronto Blue Jays, has signed a five-year contract renewal, Rogers Communications announced Friday.

Financial terms were not disclosed.

This extension follows the Blue Jays’ first World Series appearance since 1993.

The Blue Jays defeated the New York Yankees in the American League Division Series and the Seattle Mariners in the American League Championship Series before losing to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series.

Shapiro, 58, was named president and CEO of the Blue Jays after the 2015 season, succeeding Paul Beeston, who was retiring.

Shapiro spent 24 seasons with the Cleveland Guardians, including the last five as team president.

Ross Atkins, who worked with Shapiro in Cleveland, was hired as the Blue Jays’ general manager in December 2015. Atkins signed a contract through the 2026 season.

“The opportunity to lead the Blue Jays organization for the past ten years has been incredibly rewarding,” Shapiro said in a statement.

“Together, we have built an organization of people who care deeply about baseball and are incredibly proud to be part of Team Canada. I am grateful and honored to be able to continue this work.”

Shapiro and Atkins led the Blue Jays to an American League Championship Series appearance in 2016. Toronto struggled the following year and hit rock bottom in 2018 and 2019 as the team began to rebuild around young players like Bo Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

The process began to pay dividends during the 2020 season, which was shortened due to the pandemic. The Blue Jays returned to the postseason that year, but were defeated in the first round.

Shapiro signed a five-year contract extension in January 2021. The Blue Jays narrowly missed the playoffs that year and were eliminated in the first round in 2022, and again in 2023.

The Blue Jays finished last in the East Division standings in 2024 before rebounding with a 94-win campaign in 2025. Toronto won the East Division title and enjoyed home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.

“Mark’s exceptional leadership has been a driving force behind the Blue Jays’ success, and we are excited for him to continue to lead our team and build on his incredible momentum,” said Edward Rogers, president of the Toronto Blue Jays and executive chairman of Rogers Communications.

“As the proud owners of Team Canada, we are excited to work with Mark and his team to provide them with the tools and resources needed to bring World Series championships back to Canada. »

This extension comes during a very active off-season for the Blue Jays, who this week signed right-handed pitcher Cody Ponce to a three-year, $30 million contract. They also signed ace pitcher Dylan Cease to a seven-year, $200 million contract.

Off the field, Shapiro helped lead the Rogers Center renovation, a $300 million, multi-year project. Changes to the stadium include raising the pitchers’ bullpens, upgrading the seating, a new outfield wall and more bars and restaurants.

He also oversaw a major renovation of the Blue Jays’ spring training facility in Dunedin, Florida. This center is now considered one of the best in the Major Leagues.

The Guardians (then called the Indians) reached the playoffs eight times during Shapiro’s reign, including two World Series appearances.

Following the 2005 and 2007 seasons, Shapiro was named Sporting News General Manager of the Year.

Shapiro began his career in Cleveland in 1992 as a baseball operations assistant. Originally from Baltimore, he graduated in history from Princeton University in 1989.

Source: lapresse

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Baseball

Tyler Rogers and Blue Jays agree on final details of three-year contract

Published

on

By

Tyler Rogers and Blue Jays agree on final details of three-year contract

(Toronto) Right-handed pitcher Tyler Rogers and the Toronto Blue Jays agreed on the final details on Monday of the $37 million deal that will bind the player and the team for the next three seasons.

Rogers’ contract includes an option for the 2029 season.

At 34 years old, Rogers is the Blue Jays’ newest addition to the mound.

Recently, the Toronto team awarded seven-year contracts worth $210 million to Dylan Cease and three-year contracts worth $30 million to Cody Ponce. Additionally, the Blue Jays acquired reliever Chase Lee in a trade with the Detroit Tigers.

In 2025, with the San Francisco Giants and New York Mets, Rogers led the major leagues with 81 appearances on the mound. Since 2020, he is at the top of Major League Baseball with 403 starts and a total of 406 1/3 innings pitched in relief.

The Mets acquired Rogers on July 30 for pitchers José Buttó and Blade Tidwell, as well as outfielder Drew Gilbert, a minor league prospect.

In 420 career games with the Giants and Mets between 2019 and 2025, Rogers recorded a 2.76 ERA.

To make room for Rogers in the lineup, the Blue Jays designated left-handed pitcher Justin Bruihl for assignment.

Source: lapresse

Continue Reading

Baseball

Toronto Blue Jays sign reliever Cody Ponce to three-year contract

Published

on

By

Toronto Blue Jays sign reliever Cody Ponce to three-year contract

(Toronto) The Toronto Blue Jays have signed right-handed pitcher Cody Ponce to a three-year contract.

The Ontario team specified that the pact is worth a total of 30 million US dollars.

The 31-year-old pitcher went 17-1 last season with the Hanwha Eagles of the South Korean KBO League.

Ponce, who won the KBO MVP, posted a 1.89 ERA with 252 strikeouts.

Ponce played for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2020 and 2021.

He went 1-7 with a 5.86 ERA in two seasons with the Pirates before spending the next three years in Japan.

Source: lapresse

Continue Reading

Baseball

Baltimore Orioles $155M Contract Offered to Pete Alonso

Published

on

By

Baltimore Orioles 5M Contract Offered to Pete Alonso

(Baltimore) The Baltimore Orioles have offered slugger Pete Alonso a five-year, $155 million contract, a person with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press on Wednesday.

This person spoke on condition of anonymity; This pact is conditional on a medical examination.

This is an important decision for the Orioles, who are looking to bounce back after finishing in last place in the American League East.

Alonso hit .272 with 38 home runs and 126 RBIs this year with the New York Mets, posting an .871 OPS, his best since hitting 53 long balls as a rookie in 2019.

Alonso, who celebrated his 31stand birthday on Sunday, hit 264 home runs in seven seasons with the Mets. He has been selected to the All-Star Game five times, including the last four years.

Nicknamed “The Polar Bear”, Alonso became one of New York fans’ favorite players at Citi Field. He was named the National League Rookie of the Year in 2019 after hitting .260 with 53 long balls (a record for a rookie) and 120 RBIs. He achieved a career-high 131 RBIs in 2021.

Alonso hit .217 in 2023, his worst career average, while hitting 46 homers and driving in 118 runs, then .240 with 34 four-run hits and 88 RBIs in 2024.

Alonso signed a two-year, $54 million contract with the Mets last winter but decided not to exercise the option in his final year.

Alonso met with teams at the Major League Winter Conference in Orlando, Florida.

“Pete lives in Tampa, where it’s very hot,” his agent, Scott Boras, said Tuesday. Last year’s polar vortex has kind of dissipated. The previous market, this bear market, is therefore exhausted. »

Contributed by Ronald Blum of the Associated Press

Source: lapresse

Continue Reading

Trending

All Rights Reserved © 2023 - Sportish | Powered by: