The Boys In Blue

Prologue

Ross Atkins looked down at his desk and sighed.

This season was supposed to be the one where the team turned it around from a 67-95 record and headed toward contention.

This season was supposed to be the one where the team finally started drawing crowds of more than 20 000.

This season was supposed to be the one where the team put up a fight in the AL East and showed that they were a force to be reckoned with.

This season was also a mess.

With the world of sports firmly clenched in the hand of Covid-19, all of the supposed progress the team was supposed to make never came to fruition. And that was just the beginning of the issues piling up on Atkins.

The team's reliable closer, Ken Giles, had been swirled around in trade rumours throughout the offseason but the Jays never found a trade partner. At the time it wasn't a big deal, they could always flip him at the trade deadline if the team wasn't contending at the time. Now, if the season were to be cancelled, they could lose him to free agency with no return.

Another problem was Toronto's recent free-agency splash, Hyun-Jin Ryu. Coming off of a season where he led the majors in ERA, the front office was banking on him to help lead and carry the young pitching staff. Without any games, he wouldn't be able to do either.

And that wasn't to mention the loss of experience for the young talent on the squad. With the team gutted of any resemblance to its 2015-16 playoff runs, starting over and building another contender would mean giving more reps to new faces. Deprived of that option, the players would have their development stunted and the franchise would lose a year of team control over them, shortening the amount of season before they would hit free agency.

Little things, piling up on him like icicles on a rooftop during a winter day. His job wasn't easy, relaxing, or simple. It was, in truth, thankless.

But someone had to do it, and he was the one with the keys to the castle.

"Get me Shapiro on the line."