Duplication is not considered for Toronto Blue Jayssays President and CEO Mark Shapiro after the team just World Series title.
Shapiro told reporters Thursday that the Blue Jays' magical postseason leaves him “inspired and committed” as the team enters the offseason with some roster uncertainties.
“You just can’t recreate something identical,” he said.
“You have to build on what happened – you have to plan how to get better.”
Coming off a World Series series—the Blue Jays' first in 32 years—the team lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers, the defending World Series champions, in Game 7, losing 5–4 in extra innings.
A win would give the Blue Jays their third Commissioner's Trophy in franchise history and the first since Joe Carter's 1993 home run to end Toronto's back-to-back championship.
Making the playoffs came as a surprise to many Blue Jays fans, considering the team finished near the bottom of its division last year.
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“Nobody expected them to do what they did,” Shapiro said.
“We created new baseball fans everywhere. It was exciting and hard not to watch.”
Several key Toronto playoff players will become free agents this offseason, including Game 7 starter Max Scherzer, pitcher Chris Bassitt and, most notably, Bo Bichette, who has spent his entire career in the Blue Jays organization.
The club said Thursday it had extended a qualifying offer to Bichette for the 2026 season. He has until November 18 to accept the offer.
By extending the qualifying offer, the Blue Jays will receive a draft pick as compensation if Bichette signs with another player as a free agent.
Fan favorite Ernie Clement and Gold Glove center fielder Daulton Varsho are also entering arbitration years.
But fans got some good news Wednesday: pitcher Shane Bieber, acquired at the trade deadline from the Cleveland Guardians. exercised his player option for 2026 and will remain with the Blue Jays next season.
“We feel like we're trying to get better every year, and as we get better we hope to become more attractive,” CEO Ross Atkins said Thursday.
“We feel good about the free agent market and our starting zone.”
Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who signed a 14-year, $500 million extension with the Blue Jays on April 9, said he and his teammates will come back stronger when spring training begins in five months.
“Not only the season, this game will make us stronger. We didn't want to end it like I always say, we lost one battle, but we didn't lose the war,” he said through team interpreter Hector Lebron after the Game 7 loss in the early hours of Nov. 2.
“But I mean, that's the way it is. These are God's plans and we have to move forward. I'm very proud of myself, my teammates, and we'll be back.”
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