Toronto Blue Jays: John Gibbons will see out season as manager
By Paul Taylor
According to a report from Shi Davidi of Sportsnet, John Gibbons will finish out the season as Toronto Blue Jays manager.
As of Saturday morning, the Toronto Blue Jays have 40 games left in what has been an extremely disappointing season. And according to the latest news, John Gibbons will stick around to manage all 40 of those games.
Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins has said Gibbons will finish out the year as manager, and his future will be revisited afterwards. The update was confirmed by Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi.
There has been a lot of speculation in recent months, regarding Gibbons’ future with the team. One minute he was safe, the next he was getting fired and on it went, back and forth.
In truth, letting the 56-year-old see out the season was the least the Blue Jays could do. He’s earned at least that much, after everything he’s done for the club.
Gibbons is second in franchise history for regular season wins and postseason appearances by a manager. The only man who has achieved more, is the great Cito Gaston.
More from Toronto Blue Jays
- Blue Jays avoid disaster as Kevin Gausman injury not serious
- Blue Jays interested in outfielder Andrew Benintendi
- Blue Jays hope fresh start for Sergio Romo boosts bullpen
- Blue Jays need to have a break from Yusei Kikuchi
- Blue Jays: Nate Pearson suffers yet another setback
Understandably, the Great Falls, Montana native has also received more than his fair share of criticism during his two tenures as Blue Jays manager. However, his laid back nature was a perfect buffer to the Toronto sports media, whose coverage can often be intense and suffocating.
In fact, Gibbons is extremely popular with the local media, which takes some doing. In addition, his approach was key to dealing with all the egos on the Blue Jays teams in 2015 and 2016, with the players responding positively to him.
Looking ahead, while the Blue Jays will revisit Gibbons’ future after the season, the reality is he will more than likely step down. In fact, he alluded to this himself recently, while appearing on MLB Network Radio:
"“I’m not so sure I want to go through one of those things. A total rebuild,. We’ll probably sit down … before it’s all said and done and talk that out.”"
Gibbons went on to add that the club may benefit from bringing in a fresh face. He believes they could use someone who can grow with the young players.
Ultimately, it’s tough to argue with the former catcher, if he does decide it’s time to move on. And after everything he has achieved with the Blue Jays, he deserves the opportunity to leave on his own terms.
Next. Issues between Shapiro and Rogers hard to ignore. dark
What’s your take on Gibbons’ position as Toronto Blue Jays manager? Are you ready to move on, or would you bring him back next season? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.