Toronto Blue Jays: 3 things to know about new manager Charlie Montoyo

Has the necessary experience at both the minor and major leagues

It was clear that the Blue Jays were looking for a person with experience at various levels of baseball and that’s something Montoyo brings. Granted all his experience has come with one organization but his list of accomplishments isn’t short.

During his time with triple-A Durham Bulls, Montoyo led them to seven South Division titles in the International League over eight seasons. The Rays then decided to promote him to the big league club as the team’s third base coach in 2015 then promoting him to be their bench coach in 2017.

Many teams with open manager jobs have been interviewing former bench coaches because many have the experience in various roles within an organization. Considering the number of prospects making their way to the Blue Jays, having someone with minor league coaching experience is an important qualification.

The Rays weren’t supposed to be a good team this season after trading away big names off their roster but somehow, Kevin Cash and the rest of the coaching staff had them in the hunt for a playoff spot.

Sportsnet’s Jeff Blair had this good point about Montoyo’s hiring which should bring some perspective for those who may have wanted Espada because he worked for the Houston Astros.

Like Gibbons, Montoyo isn’t just reliant on statistics and believes in developing relationships something Sam Stephenson wrote about when he spoke with Montoyo in mid-October. 

"I asked Montoyo about the emphasis on statistics in developing strategy at the major league level. He perfected techniques of human relations. I asked him if the switch to statistics-based decisions was difficult. “No, not really,” he responded. “You still have to manage human beings and give them what they need, and I understand that very well because of my playing experiences and managing in the minor leagues.”"

This definitely had to be an attractive quality for Atkins and Shapiro considering how important it will be for the manager to develop a relationship with the budding young prospects. Also being able to speak Spanish will be a major benefit on top of that.