Jays to name Indians exec Atkins as new GM

Indians vice president of player personnel Ross Atkins will be the Blue Jays next general manager. CBS Sports Baseball Insider Jon Heyman confirms the initial report of the San Francisco Chronicle’s Susan Slusser.

As Heyman recently reported, Atkins was a finalist along with longtime Jays exec and current interim GM Tony LaCava.

The Jays’ GM job came open after Alex Anthopoulos, whose series of bold moves put the Jays in position to win the AL East in 2015, was unable to agree to a new contract. That may have been because new Jays president of baseball operations Mark Shapiro would have had final say over personnel decisions. Shapiro, of course, came to the Jays from Cleveland.

Atkins, 41, pitched in the Indians’ minor-league system and has been part of the front office since 2001.

As for LaCava, Joel Sherman tweets that he’s expected to remain with the organization as an assistant GM and senior vice president.

For 2016, there will be a new Jays GM at the Rogers Centre. (USATSI)

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