Since the Mark Shapiro and Ross Atkins regime took over the Toronto Blue Jays, there’s been a consistent question about how that brain trust values future wins and present wins.
When Alex Anthopoulos left town, it was reported that Shapiro had expressed concern about the prospects the former GM gave up to help the team make a push in 2015. In 2016, the team made only modest midseason upgrades to their playoff-bound roster.
After three years out of the playoff race, the first indication that the club was in a hurry to compete came in the form of the Hyun-Jin Ryu signing, which vaulted them into contention in 2020.