10 key questions heading into Blue Jays' off-season

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TORONTO — The disappointment was still lingering within Rogers Centre when Ross Atkins stepped to the podium Tuesday afternoon to discuss his team’s early playoff exit.

While the concrete reasons he publicly provided for a Blue Jays club with enormous expectations falling short were few and far between, one thing is certain: They still feel like they took a step forward in 2022.

And despite the crushing loss and ugly way they went out, he’s not wrong.

Even with a historic collapse in front of the home fans now following them around and punctuating an inconsistent season, the big picture is what’s important.

Yes, they missed with 91 wins in 2021.

Yes, they won 92 this year, but went out with a collective whimper.

Those things are both true, and disappointing.

But as a franchise overall, they continue to get better, not worse, and there’s a core of both young and veteran talent that would be the envy of most franchises around baseball.

The memories of October 2022 may sting for a while, but there’s no reason to deviate course.

Coming out of Atkins’ season-ending availability Tuesday, here’s an attempt to answer 10 key off-season questions.

1. After steering them to a 46-28 record since taking over in July, will John Schneider be back as manager?

Ross Atkins says it's still to early to determine whether manager John Schneider is the correct long-term fit for this club, but does think it will be difficult for them to find better elsewhere.

Probably? That’s the best answer possible as of today, after Atkins said they’re not ready to drop the interim tag and move forward just yet.

The likelihood is that the 42-year-old is back at the helm in 2023 with a new contract, but Atkins — without specifically saying