President Mark Shapiro was tasked with finding a permanent replacement, and his search came down to two candidates: Atkins and veteran Blue Jays assistant GM Tony LaCava. Both finalists had previous ties to Shapiro and are highly respected around the league, but in the end it was Atkins who won out.
Since taking over as president on Nov. 1, Shapiro has placed a strong emphasis on improving Toronto's Minor League system, and Atkins brings a wealth of experience from player development. He previously was the Indians' director of Latin American operations from 2004-06, and he ran the club's farm system from 2007-14.