Blue Jays GM Atkins sidesteps Ohtani question, commits to Bichette as shortstop

Toronto Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins had barely settled into his seat for a media availability at a downtown restaurant when a Shohei Ohtani question was volleyed his way.

The two-way superstar is the plum of this year's free-agent class and will command a monster salary. So is Canada's lone big-league team in on the pursuit?

"I wish I could get into specifics on free agents," Atkins said at a meeting of the Toronto chapter of the Baseball Writers' Association of America. "For a lot of reasons that you're all very aware of, we can't do that. I feel really good about the team in place and the opportunity to make it better.

The Los Angeles Dodgers are considered one of the favourites to land the two-time most valuable player, but the Blue Jays have been reported to be in the mix as a sleeper candidate.

The Blue Jays have also been at the forefront of trade rumours — most notably including Bo Bichette — ahead of next week's winter meetings in Nashville. Atkins said the Blue Jays are committed to their star shortstop.

"We are very fortunate to have him," he said. "And he is our shortstop moving forward."

This should be an interesting off-season for Atkins, who has been on the job as GM for eight years. Toronto was swept in the first round of the playoffs last month for the third time in four years.

The team is in win-now mode and the pressure will be on to reach the second round of the post-season for the first time since 2016.

Atkins declined to get into specifics regarding meetings with free agents, but said some had already occurred and others "would occur moving forward."

The groundwork for potential trades is often developed at the winter meetings. And once a big free-agent domino falls, others tend to follow.