Mark Shapiro Reveals Reason Why He Remains Without Blue Jays Deal
In this story:
2025 was a make-or-break year for the Toronto Blue Jays. There were a lot of people within the organization, from front office personnel down through the coaching staff and roster, who were under pressure to perform.
Anything short of a playoff appearance likely would have resulted in major changes. The entire franchise responded positively to the pressure, with the Blue Jays falling one game short of a World Series victory.
Toronto lost Game 7 in 11 innings to the Los Angeles Dodgers, who are the champions for the second consecutive year. One of the architects of this team, president and CEO Mark Shapiro, was one of the people under the most pressure to put a winning product on the field.
His contract ran through 2025. Overseeing an American League pennant-winning team, it seems like a no-brainer that he will sign a new contract with the team. But there is one reason why that has not happened yet.
Blue Jays Playoff Run Put Mark Shapiro Contract on Back Burner
Shapiro revealed, via Mitch Bannon of The Athletic on X, that the team’s deep postseason run is actually why he doesn’t have a new contract yet. But, he is confident that something will get done in the near future.
"We agreed to put that on hold during the postseason run,” Shapiro said. “We’ll likely work something out soon,” the team president and CEO added.
Mark Shapiro, in the final year of his contract in 2025, says "we agreed to put that on hold during the postseason run.”
— Mitch Bannon (@MitchBannon) November 6, 2025
Added: “We’ll likely work something out soon.”#BlueJays
The sooner the two sides get a deal done, the sooner he and general manager Ross Atkins can get to work on figuring out how to keep the roster as a championship contender despite some key players hitting free agency.
Shortstop Bo Bichette and starting pitchers Max Scherzer and Chris Bassitt are all hitting the market. Bichette received a qualifying offer from the franchise that he is almost assuredly going to decline.
It will be interesting to see how the markets develop for all three players. Bichette is one of the best hitters available, but how he is viewed around the league will depend on what position teams want him to play.
Scherzer and Bassitt both showed they have something left in the tank to offer during the team’s playoff run. Starting pitching is a need for Toronto, even with Shane Bieber exercising his option and returning to the team.
Shapiro and Atkins will have their work cut out for them. There is now an expectation of contending in the AL after winning the pennant. It will not be easy repeating as league champs as the hunted, no longer the hunter.
