OverDrive - Atkins on Guerrero Jr.'s historic contract extension, the franchise impact and Bichette's contract stance

Episode Date: April 14, 2025

Toronto Blue Jays General Manager Ross Atkins joined OverDrive to discuss the headlines around the Blue Jays, Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s contract extension with the team, the milestone mark for the franchise, the positive outlook of his career, the impact on Bo Bichette's future and bringing, Max Scherzer's injury status, the offense coming for the team and more.

That just happened with me, Vashi Kapelos. Canada decides 2025. Stay informed with my exclusive iHeartRadio podcast, available Friday afternoon, straight through till election day and beyond. I'll have your weekly highlights and my unvarnished analysis of the campaign of a lifetime. The candidates, the quotes, the polls, and the momentum.

That just happened with Vashi Kapelos. Canada decides 2025. Fresh every Friday. Stream on your schedule with the free iHeartRadio app. I thought it was really cool that that he was up there, you know, speaking and, you know, speaking English. And I know that can be a challenge for a lot of players, a lot of people when English is the second language and thought he handled it really, really well. was it was a it was a big moment in the history of the club that's that's basically what came together this

morning yeah and earlier this afternoon that's nice that you know the the language right there for you and you absolutely and he made it made the effort is going to be here for a long time a half a billion dollars in your jeans that's not too bad not too bad to chat about that among other things including the the series starting tonight, here's the GM

of the Blue Jays. Here's Ross Atkins. How you doing, Ross? I'm doing great. Thanks for having me on, guys. Yeah, thank you for doing this. I'm curious, your kind of take on Vladdy and how comfortable he is now, kind of being the face of the team.

Again, I thought it was pretty significant. He's up there without his interpreter. He was speaking to the media by himself. I thought that was pretty significant he's up there without his interpreter he was speaking to the media you know by himself and I thought that was that was really cool to see what did you make of how comfortable Vlad he looked throughout this whole process yeah it was you know first and foremost it's just so powerful for the organization that that we are talking about this being done here today and you know having gone through it with him having been with him for ten years now and watching his growth his maturity and professionalism has always been powerful and it's just continued to get better

and better and today was an example of that. How do we get here today Ross it seemed like there was some kind of sad-looking faces disappointment spring training opened up there's no deal to get done, comments from both sides and then anything like this there's got to be movement from different areas, either a player says to his agent, an owner says to the president or yourself, let's get this thing done, how did we get here today? Yeah, you know, it takes, you know, there's so many variables in these types of deals. So it's not just about the $500 million, although that is by far the most important one.

But there are so many other aspects to it to make it work for the team and to make it work for the player, for it to make sense to the agent. And that just took time. It really did define the sweet spot and more time than usual for sure because of the magnitude and the pending free agency coming up. But in the end, I think Vladdy was one of the things that was so impressive to me is how poised he was with me throughout the entire interaction. Over the years and then throughout spring training and then into the season as I was interacting with him, he was extremely, extremely poised and always I expected the professionalism

but that's just a lot to handle and he handled it exceptionally well well. Ross did you ever think and I've been around the game a long time did you ever think that the numbers that guys are signing on these contracts would ever get to this I mean Otani you know busts through the ceiling that doesn't even bust through it just drives right through it and then it trickled down effect did you ever think that some of these numbers were going to be put on the contracts? You know, it's not something I spent a lot of time thinking about 15 years ago.

Okay, where in the hundreds of millions are these contracts going to get to? But I will say that as we speculated on Shohei and speculated on Juan Soto and obviously did our work on Vladdy we could see it pointing to these types of figures. So it's just the game has, you know, it's such a great thing. I've always said this, I love it when players get paid because that's what the game is about. It's about the fans and the players and I love seeing it happen. It happened at such significant magnitude, this magnitude.

It's just incredible. It's a monumental deal and will be historic for the Jays and he's gonna be a Blue J for life. Yeah and it's it really is an incredible movement for the team considering you know past contracts and and you know I think George Springer had signed the largest contract in franchise history and obviously this is at a completely different level and there would have been stress you know crossing t's and dotting i's but now that it's done I'm curious you know the stress doesn't go away because now it's got to pay off for you right now Vladie like he's got to

perform now for the next 14 and a half years what makes you and your staff believe that you'll get the return on investment that is expected here where you're paying he's the third highest paid player in the history of the game. What what is the expectation? What does he have to do in the next you know 10-15 years? You know what it's it's be himself and get better. Those he has to have those standards. He can't you know I don't expect Lydie to change. He's been so incredibly consistent over the last 10 years of his professional career and

obviously was prior to that when he was 12 and 14 and coming into being a professional. So it's incredible to think about just how young he is. But he does. He does have to focus on being a better player every day. And that's what will elevate our environment and create the type of energy and atmosphere and environment that we need to win baseball games.

And he knows that it comes with a lot of expectation, but from the starting point of him being such a talented baseball player that enjoys it so much, you guys know very well that's a very good foundation to have. How does this number in the contract kind of affect things moving forward with Bowe possibly? I think it was you that said the idea of moving forward would be to have these two together and with a number this big, could there be advantages and disadvantages to even starting negotiations with Bo? Well, I mean every piece of information matters.

I would never deny that, but every situation and circumstance is different. So that is the case prior to this deal. that, but every situation and circumstance is different. That is the case prior to this deal. There were other deals that would have implications on whoever else that we're going to talk to about extensions or about acquiring, but we'll do the best of our ability to... We always talk about sharing risk and what that means is, I mean, it's pretty, it's not a very complex thing to think about what shared risk is, but it really comes down to a team being willing to stretch a little bit and take some risk on the performance and injury side and a player being willing to

potentially have less money on the table as a free agent and or less earning potential at that as a player would as a free agent and so we'll just work to see if there's a way to line up there. With Ross Atkins and Vlad was asked about you know the future of Bo with the team at the presser today and he said you know that's his brother he'd love him to be here but he doesn't have any control over it. I'm curious if you have different expectations for Vladi, considering the significance of the contract

and the commitment away from the field when it comes to selling your program, compared to other players that would, you know, sign two, three year deals at lesser money. In other words, is there an expectation now within the organization for Vladi to be someone that will help you sign free agents, help you speak with, you know, younger players who are coming in? You have a draft pick.

Is Vladi, does he have to speak with that player? Would you expect him to meet with that player? What comes with this contract that could apply a different set of standards to Vlade compared to other players? I think it's more about what we were talking about before just just focus on being a better player every day and a better teammate every day and he has such a good foundation and starting point and as it relates to recruiting players absolutely but that existed before this deal and that exists for Bo and that exists for George and Jose and and so many others And we it just depends on who we're recruiting and how and how can we connect and what's the most powerful?

Approach to take and sometimes laddie will be a very integral piece to that Mac Scherzer Thumbs feeling a little bit soreness. That's what's been reported I mean where are you at with is to be taking the cautious approach here you know it's uh... indiscibility we've got to be honest we're a little bit nervous i mean where you at are you on the uh... the six-pack there

uh... report with uh... or bush with it were in rick bush with her to read here. It sounds like a second doctor in like two weeks here. We might be pushing Nick Cage soon here. Take us off that cliff, please. Please. Yeah, it's something that he has to, we, not he, we have to find a way to help him get past that and we're going to do everything in our power.

He is checking a lot of other boxes and his performance in spring training was encouraging, his stuff has been encouraging and so if we can find a way to get over this hurdle we're going to be in a very very strong spot and our focus is to do so and to do it the right way. Well I mean you guys are more than just surviving without them. Your team ERA going into this past weekend was, I believe, the highest it's been in franchise history through 14 games, 15 games. The bullpen's been great. Hoffman was phenomenal again yesterday. He's blowing kisses to the Orioles.

Can you take us through that Hoffman situation in particular? Like, do you send a bottle of wine to the Orioles doctors and say thank you for that physical being failed? And like what, how did you land him? And now that you have, and you've seen it up close and personal, how lucky and fortunate do you feel that you got him signed? Yeah, it's interesting with the, you know, you, they're, they're not, it's not often that that happens. It is rare, but we've been through it before where something is less than amicable about

that, the physical for a team or for something happens in the negotiation. We were just fortunate to be in a position to have them go through our process. We didn't have the same level of concern so you have to do that over and over put yourself in good positions and and hopefully have better outcomes than most. Well and seeing him go multiple innings like obviously you you know he's healthy you believe he's healthy but you're he's he's being pushed to the limit like multiple times this year and he's shown he's got a sub one ERA. Like how, because the bullpen, we talked about it a lot last year,

you were on with us, it was a real issue for your team. I mean, you guys, you lost, you threw away a lot of games late in innings and so far so good and Hoffman in particular, like how significant is it to have kind of that alpha dog, so to speak, as the guy who's kind of the man in the bullpen, so to speak? Yeah, you's kind of the man in the bullpen so to speak. Yeah, you know, you've seen teams do it different ways. There's been very successful teams that

don't have the absolute back end stop that can still win a ton of baseball games. But man, when you do, it is really, really powerful for the rest of your bullpen and just for the winning environment that it creates. There's a level of confidence as you bullpen and just for the winning environment that it creates. There's a level of confidence as you get closer and closer to the game that everyone can feel and that is a real tangible difference maker. So he's off to a good start. We obviously hope that it continues and are confident that it will. He has just the ability to get swing and miss of left-handed and right-handed

hitters and do it with multiple weapons. It's not just a split or a fastball or a slider that he's going to get swing and miss with. He gets it with all three against both sides of the plate and he's enjoying it. He's doing it with moxie and confidence and it's really rubbed off in a positive way. With Ross Atkins, so you guys, nine and seven, you're leading the division. I'm gonna ask you a glass half full, glass half empty question, because we know the stats, we know the standings, and you're back home

against the Braves starting tonight. Yet, you know, the power just hasn't been there. I saw a statistic yesterday afternoon, your team, the Jays, the only team in baseball that haven't hit a home run with a runner in scoring position, which is somewhat shocking. Glad he still hasn't hit a home run with a runner in scoring position which is somewhat shocking glad he still hasn't hit a home run you know Santander hit one over the weekend he's got one Bo hasn't hit one yet so nine and seven without the power without the slugging is glass half full

or glass half empty yeah I was talking to our hitting coaches today I didn't bring up the topic they did and you know their comments were wait until that comes it is going to be electric and they feel it coming I didn't bring up the topic, they did, and their comments were, wait until that comes. It is going to be electric and they feel it coming. Tony Tater has been a guy that notoriously has slow started a bit and the power has come a little bit later into the season. Vladdy Similer last year, once he gets into his rhythm, the ball starts to elevate a little bit more.

Bo probably deserves a couple home runs at least with a couple of balls he's driven just had bad luck on. So they're coming. The home runs are coming at a much higher clip. That's an easy one to go glass half full on but part of that is the fact that we just haven't hit many. Right and do you have an anticipation for what the vibe is going to be like tonight? You're back home, Vlad is signed. Like Vladie hits a home run tonight how electric do you think it could be down at the Rogers Center? Yeah that would be he's got a he's got an act for that he's got an act for the big stage in the moment so that would be

that would be very exciting. Yeah I think the money sign might have to come up when he's rounding the pace so he might have to. It's just an incredible contract, but I know a lot of Blue J fans are really, really excited that it got done and a lot of support for Vlad. Could you feel that, Ross, like opening day? Even like when you're down, sure you were there in New York opening day with the Mets. Did you have a reaction to their crowd cheering Vlad when at that point he was still on Sunday. Yeah, yeah, of course. Of course, I'm aware and feel it as a competitive, you know, teammate, I want everything in the world for us to be the best possible team. And it is a very cutthroat and competitive environment. So I do very much feel it and just embrace it and focus on what we can control. and just embrace it and focus on what we can control. Well, you control this one and you got it over the, the finish line and Vlad is gonna be here for a long time.

Again, you guys are off to a really good start and you're back home, Braves tonight. So good luck tonight throughout this series, throughout the week and the season, and we'll do it again down the road. Thank you, Ross. Hi, Brian. I love hearing about O-Dog's

provincial experience in the Washington too, man. My daughter's playing. Ross, we're out of time pal. My daughter, I know there's nothing worse than those washrooms and that experience. I was feeling for you man. So you're a volleyball dad too as well. You've been in a position like oh dog, you gotta give us the truth. This is professional stuff here. I mean listen.

Watch those boulders man. If you're a kitchener, watch those boulders, man. If you're a kitchener, watch those boulders, man. They're dangerous out there. Thank you, Ross. All right, guys. Have a good night. There's Ross Atkins, who I think he empathized for you, O. I think he... You can't be pulling that stuff up in a professional.

We tried to put a professional... We just asked Ross Atkins if he's had constipation issues at a volleyball tournament. And then I just signed Fladi Guerrero. And then run into a giant boulder on the way out of the parking lot. Dude, you are a wanted man in Kitchener. You're not allowed back. There are people that write to me and say, this guy. See you in court.

See you in court. They're saying the boulder is put there so people don't drive across the the grass I didn't do anything nefarious okay I did nothing I did nothing Richard Sykes I'm psyched you're psyched Kitchener with a absolute boiler issue that needed to be rectified. It's the biggest dump in the world. Yeah. That's true.

It was. It was. It was. Hey, look at this. Someone sent me this from Kitchener. Oh yeah. Yeah, they said, I found this. That was, that might be like

the dagger, like there's cuts and there's like different wounds. When someone said, when the mug flew and rolled on the floor and someone said, Oh, look at TV coffee mug. I probably, Oh dogs. I literally wanted to stuff my head in the toilet. Yeah. That one, you got to, that's,, you gotta escape at that point. You gotta find a way to disappear. But we made it and it's all good. All new, all Canadian. The best of our great nation, one song at a time.

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