The Blue Jays have officially removed the interim label from John Schneider, announcing today that the 42-year-old has been hired as the team’s manager. Schneider was signed to a three-year contract, with a club option for the 2026 season.
A longtime member of the Jays organization, Schneider was promoted to the bench coach job prior to the 2022 season, but he took over as interim manager when Charlie Montoyo was fired on July 13. Toronto held a 46-42 record at the time of Montoyo’s firing, but had played inconsistent baseball to that point, and was in the midst of a major slump that cost Montoyo his job.
This opened the door for Schneider, who stabilized matters by leading the Blue Jays to a 46-28 record over the remainder of the season. Toronto captured the top wild card spot in the American League, though the Jays’ playoff trip was both short-lived and painful — the Mariners swept the Blue Jays in the Wild Card Series, as the Jays were shut out in Game 1 and then suffered a major bullpen breakdown in Game 2.
Despite the postseason disappointment, there was a sense that Schneider had done enough to earn the full-time managerial job. He reportedly has plenty of support from within the clubhouse, and while Jays GM Ross Atkins left a bit of wiggle room during his recent end-of-season meeting with the media, he also stated that “it will be very difficult for us to find better than John Schneider” as the team’s next bench boss.
Schneider has spent his entire pro career with the Blue Jays, starting when he was a 13th-round pick for the club in the 2002 draft. After six seasons in the minors, Schneider retired from playing due to injuries and moved into the coaching ranks, slowly working his way up the organizational ladder. Schneider managed the Blue Jays’ rookie ball affiliate, both A-ball affiliates, and the Double-A affiliate from 2008-18, before receiving a promotion to the big league coaching staff prior to the 2019 season. As it happened, Schneider’s climb coincided with the progress of several of Toronto’s young stars, so he was a familiar face in the dugout once the likes of Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Bo Bichette, Jordan Romano, and others arrived in the big leagues.
The early returns on Schneider as a Major League manager are promising, and the three-year deal represents the front office’s confidence in their new skipper. However, Schneider faces immediate pressure as the leader of a team that has World Series aspirations, yet fell so devastatingly short in 2022. Schneider’s own decision-making drew criticism following the epic Game 2 collapse, though in the view of the front office, the outcome of one game (important as that game was) wasn’t enough to erase Schneider’s work as manager over the previous three months.
Schneider becomes the third interim manager to receive a full promotion for 2023, following the Phillies’ Rob Thomson and the Angels’ Phil Nevin. With Toronto finalizing their managerial situation, that leaves the White Sox, Royals, Marlins, and Rangers as the teams still looking to find a new skipper.
Hopefully he’s learned from the wildcard series that a guy like Carlos Santana, a guy who has hit .180 vs Right Handed Pitching over the last year with an OPS under .700 should face a guy like Gausman instead of a left handed specialist like Tim Mayza who can’t get right handed hitters out.
Santana has always hit left handed pitching and even while being replacement level the last few years has continued to hit lefties.
i was a good pull. just didn’t work out that time. if Gausman got tagged i’m sure people would of said “Santana was on him all night. with three lefties behind him they should of gone to Mayza!”
it means nothing.
It wasn’t a good pull. It’s like facing either Alejandro Kirk (.800Ops) or Ryan Goins (.680OPS).
You have to admit there was at least logic to it though. I would have kept Gausman in. But let’s not forget, Santana was about an inch away from taking him deep the at bat before. Putting in Tapia or JBJ is the worse move imo.
I have no issue with Gausman being taken out . That’s how they used him all season. It’s brining in Mayza 292 810 ops vs right handed hitters . Literally anyone else would have been a better choice. They tried to pitch to Santana weakness instead of Mayza strength
Where’s Waldo? No doubt, hiding from the truckers?
I seriously thought Bass was coming in for Gausman. I didn’t think it would be Mayza
I’d take my chance with guasman over Mayza the guy gave u solid facts to back this claim up and u gave nothing
If a pitcher in the bullpen was good, they would be a starter.
A starting pitcher cruising is ALWAYS a better option than a bullpen pitcher.
Mariano Rivera, John Franco, Dan Quisenberry, Trevor Hoffman, Billy Wagner, Troy Percival, Joe Nathan, Craig Kimbrel, Lee Smith, et al say, “oh, ffs…”
Combine that with Mayza’s .292 .810 OPS I think it was vs hitters from the right side and I still can’t stop thinking about that decision
The pull was fine, he should have brought in Garcia there however and also agree with jdgoat that JBJ should have come in instead of tapia
Wrong. Gausman had just struck out 2 in a row and definitely had enough left to get out of the inning. It was a terrible move…but I doubt Schneider made that call. My guess it came from above him which is why he got the job full time. He takes orders, he doesn’t give them. He’s a glorified cheerleader for the young guys.
The argument is this is how they handled Gausman all season . I agree Garcia in that spot was the move or when you did bring him in leave him longer than 8 pitches instead of taking him out to set it up for the next days game that never came
Good move. Now lets make some personnel changes to shake things up and get better pitching.
This was rumoured yesterday all over Toronto that the announcement of a three year contract would come this morning.
For a site that is a “rumour” site I was disappointed nothing yesterday was written here
Wasn’t a trade, so…….
When was the last “Tarde Rumor” you saw on this site?
Trade deadline?
The Blue Jays aren’t exactly the most clicked on team. It’s all about traffic and interest. Sounds like you have a source for Blue Jays information so why complain about a national site not covering a manager hire rumor?
Good move. For everyone complaining, the Jays probably miss the playoffs if it wasn’t for John Schneider.
It may not be so much anything Schnieder did as simply a lack of Montoyo. Sadly, Charlie appearaed to be holding them back, and as nice a guy as he is, he needed to go.
I honestly think I could manage that team to ninety wins. Loaded.
Maybe maybe not we don’t know for sure if it was because of shneider
As a long-time Jays fan, I am ambivalent about this move; simultaneously skeptical and hopeful. I hope for the best but expect mixed results. Only time will tell…
You should use cliches some more. I mean Schneider and the Blue Jays saw it as a win win and at the end of the day, somebody has to manage them!
I like the signing, but hope it’s one of many changes coming for the upcoming season. We need a elite starter and at least one elite reliever. We have no gas in that pen, all soft throwers who depend on weak contact and in the playoffs thats a huge risk. We need to mix up the players we have by moving either Hernandez or Gurriel. Kirk or Jansen have to go, preferably Kirk since he is so overweight and that will catch up to him playing catcher. Jansen is more then capable, add a veteran to play backup/spot holder until Moreno is ready which he may be already but good to have the depth.
Something needs to change on the roster, it’s grown stagnant. Fresh blood is good.
Listen to the expert. Calls Kirk overweight when this guy is probably 300 himself eating hot pockets and drinking Diet Coke. Get out of mom’s basement and go for a jog
His weight has zero to do with what Kirk’s weight will be in 5 years , and that’s the point . When teams are concerned about weight it’s generally how much MORE could come. The Tampa Bay model has been trade a player 1 year too early vs late . If the Jays really believe in Moreno trading Kirk is the move . His value will never be higher . He’s shown he can’t catch everyday and still produce at the plate , at least the Jays don’t think he can . And he clogs up the bases , all these issues will intensify as he ages . He does not want to lose weight , he’s apparently said as much last off season . He’s a great player and will be for someone else but clearly this team is not good enough and that position is your #1 asset
Big difference when one guy is a pro athlete gets millions of dollars with unlimited resources and where weight is a major factor in longevity of play so ya weight is a concern
@goalieguy
Actually, I’m 6’2, 190. Own my own business and have a teenage son.
But if u think Kirk isn’t overweight then you aren’t even worth debating with. He is overweight, in fact there’s a entire group of people fat shaming him, was all over toronto papers…not sure where you have been, probably don’t don’t watch baseball
Alejandro Kirk was a 4.0 WAR catcher this year, and he never strikes out. Good luck replacing that. He and Moreno have plenty of AB available at C, DH, and (in Moreno’s case) the occasional 3B.
Trade Jansen.
Couldn’t agree with you more Ted. Saying someone is overweight based on him being short and pudgy is just so newdated (yeah I would have said outdated but it would not even been an issue years ago). Also defensively Kirk is strides ahead of Jansen. Also Jansen, who is more like the “perfect body shape” for today’s people, misses a fair amount of time every year.
What r y talking about guys with his build break down just as easily and Kirk doesn’t have along record to guarantee u those numbers body type is a big deal when your a pro athlete
I don’t see a scenario that they trade Jansen, too risky. You’re an injury to Kirk away from a Moreno/Zach collins duo.
My best guess is they keep all 3 and work Moreno in to a few defensive spots to get him ABs. Moreno is the only I can see them trading tho
I disagree, by trading Jansen you free up opportunities for Moreno and he needs to be in there from day one not try bringing him in in September and expecting him to be the guy.
If they keep Jansen they will play him and I think defensively that is a mistake because he is not as good defensively as Kirk or Moreno and like I said it will take opportunities away from Moreno.to develop and be ready come September/October.
As for injuries no one can predict them and that can happen to any team at any time so the best way to protect against that is bring in some guys and stash them in the minors like every other team (the Sandy Leons of the game).
I’m not sure that makes sense. If Moreno is going to be the 3rd string catcher, and backup 3B, then it looks like a waste of service time. If Espinal, Bichetter, and Chapman, are your starting infield, and Biggio is your UIF, and Merrifield is your #5, then starting Moreno at 3B is giving him ABs for the sake of giving him ABs.
If this was viewed as emergency work only, Moreno might get less than 20 starts. You’re probably better off keeping him in AAA.
You are assuming that he can only be an infielder. They gave him a chance in LF down the stretch, it wouldn’t surprise me to see him get a chance at LF, 3B, 1B and Catcher.
As Kirk’s playing time picked up down the stretch his bad wavered, not sure you can pencil him in everyday, even at DH. Between all that you should be able to get him 350 ABs pretty easily and that’s not including Jansens annual trip to the DL
But Dusty why take a very good defensive catcher in Moreno and move him to spots defensively that he may not be as good at and are filled with players fighting for at bats? On a part time bases (basically when he is not catching because Kirk is) to get his bat in the lineup yes but as a defensive catcher Moreno is ranked pretty high and has tremendous upside and thus should get the bulk of a platoon with Kirk.
Jansen has no more ceiling to offer (what you see is what you get) and defensively he does not grade out as well as Kirk or Moreno, So playing Jansen over Kirk or Moreno, maybe for a bit more power, just does not make sense.
Zach Collins was claimed by Pirates
I’m aware just making reference to a crappy 3rd stringer
It didn’t seem like the pitchers felt comfortable throwing to him from a game calling perspective. His athletic tools are crazy but it’s going to take some time for him to own the position and I don’t think jays are in a spot now to risk that move.
Best option may be to trade him for SP but we shall see, my guess is all 3 will still be with the jays to begin the season
They gave him a chance in LF down the stretch,
==================================
They could, but there is no reason to do so. Tapia is the #4, and Merrifield is the #5. Just as I doubt that Moreno is a better 3B than Biggio or Merrifield (assuming Espinal moves over), I also doubt that Moreno is better than Tapia or Merrifield in LF.
If you had no backup infielders or backup LF, I might still not agree with wasting service time to give Moreno 150 ABs. But playing Moreno over the likes of Biggio, Tapia and Merrifield, could conceivably make the team worse, as well as wasting service time.
There is no upside to keeping him the Jays.
Collins went to Pittsburgh
Jansen’s age and proximity to FA significantly reduces his value when comparing to Kirk . The trade is coming and will be Moreno or Kirk .
Jansen age and proximity to FA will not have that much effect on his trade value as he is only 27 (supposed prime years) and he still has 2 full years of control left. The only thing effecting Jansen’s trade value is his poor defensive metrics. He is a poor mans Gary Sanchez.
The Yankees traded Gary Sanchez for a reason. The Jays should do the same.
Jays need veteran leadership both on-field & in the dugout. I would have sought-out an experienced leader. Good luck, no less.
Holy Daisey Dukes
You beat me to it.
What next. Starsky and Hutch as bench coaches?
John will be a good manager even though he still has some things to learn. He’ll be much better than Montoyo. I called Montoyo as a bad signing the day he was signed. It won’t be the same with John.
Charlie wasn’t a bad signing initially, but he had a shelf life. He has proven himself as an excellant developmental coach/manager. He’s done a lot in the minors and helps young guys develop and build confidence. He was needed at first to help the young core develop at the major league level. Once it came time to push for the playoffs, his limitations showed up. I was fine with him being given the chance last year but Charlie never should have started the season as manager this year.
I would have liked this better if it was 2020 when they should have fired Montoyo.
I was hoping for a more established major league manager for a team in “win now” mode but I can live with John. Hope his learning curve (and there is/will be one) is short and he learns enough fast to not make those rookie mistakes in the later part of the year.
The Dukes Of Hazzard really highlighted the armpit of America. Shows like that just reinforce how backwards the south is.
Funny, but I just got back from Charlotte. Beautiful city. Before that, it was Nashville, and that was quite beautiful. I’m a NYer, but I have to laugh every time someone disparages the south.
I always go back to Sparky … his idea of being a great manager as he is famously quoted… “ I give the ball to Tom Seaver “
Fire Atkin and fire Shapiro they don’t know how to run a club. They sure as anything don’t know how to put a trade together that benefits their team.
I thought they had a couple of odd moves. To me, it feels like Tapia, Zimmer, and JBJ are pretty much the same player. Does anyone really need 3 LH #4 outfielders?
And why Kikuchi? He had a 4.97 ERA with Seattle, so he had a 5.19 ERA with TO, as expected.
It’s minor, but with a team with Kirk & Jansen, why Collins?
I agree Zimmer and jbj are the same but you think Tapia profiles as that type of player ?
Kikuchi was bad , I wonder if they truly believed he would be ray 2.0 and didn’t want to see him leave so soon so locked him to the 3 year.
Collins had options and Reese didn’t . No real mystery to that one
Tapia far better than Grichuk win
Chapman looks like a win
Cimber and Richards last year win
They’ve been talking about getting more LH since 2016 and haven’t had high octane arms in the pen for like a decade. They really need a LH everyday CF who has a league average bat at least.
“(important as that game was)”
It needs to be “AS important as that game was.”
so finally the stint on the dukes of hazard is paying off.
Holy, no one pays attention? The bad move wasn’t taking out Gausman. It was allowing Mayza to face Santana and not Dylan Moore. You should have walked Santana and faced Moore who can’t hit lefties for crap. You walk Santana to bring in the run and Mayza would have dismantled Moore who can’t swing at a lefties to save his life, and it’s now 8-2. I was screaming at the TV when they happened.
Either way, John will make a good manager, he’s won in the minors with the majority of the same core and he will do better next year. Need a Lefty CF with some pop, a 2-3 starter and one dominant lefty reliever. Fingers crossed on the trade market, not a whole lot of swing and miss lefties on the reliever market this year.
🙁
Yes, too few pay attention. That’s how the Q crazies got elected to public office.
Your right your the only one that knows baseball
Fire up the Bichette trade rumors!!!
At the beginning of the year, I really thought the Blue Jays was the team to beat in the AL East and in baseball. Maybe they can be next year.
But will he give Alek Manoah his beard back?
John will be good. Team has to finally grow up and get serious and hungry for a championship. Look at the faces of winning teams; they are hungry and perform when required. It’s okay to have fun but when you are being paid millions of dollars to play a game you need to dig deeper than you ever have before! Canadian fans have always supported the Jays for years and they deserve to be rewarded for their loyalty with a championship team.
Go Jays go!!!
Whew, that was close! As a Mariners fan, I was really worried about how good the Blue Jays could be going forward, but this alleviates many of my concerns! Can’t wait until next postseason where the Blue Jays use Mayza as a high-leverage reliever again!
This guy gets it
What a poor choice.
Two things that show he is not a good manager
1 – his quick hook with starters. He pulls starting pitchers who are cruising and puts in his bullpen without need. There is a reason why pitcher x is in the rotation and pitcher y is in the pen. Pitcher x is a far better pitcher. Yet many times he went to the pen with a pitcher cruising along with a moderate pitch count and put in his mediocre bullpen pitchers and of course the game/lead is soon after lost.
2- The Blue Jays played horrible, sloppy, lazy baseball in many key games in September. That is 100% on the manager. It’s one thing for a player to struggle, it is an entirely different thing for players to play sloppy/lazy. Sloppy play is the result of a manger who tolerates laziness in his players.
No, the Blue Jays will not improve under Schneider, and they may get worse.