Schneider made decision to pull Berrios: Jays GM

John Schneider will return to manage the Toronto Blue Jays next season, even though general manager Ross Atkins revealed it was Schneider's decision to remove starter Jose Berrios in the game that abruptly ended the underachieving team's season last Wednesday.

TORONTO – John Schneider will return to manage the Toronto Blue Jays next season, even though general manager Ross Atkins revealed it was Schneider’s decision to remove starter Jose Berrios in the game that abruptly ended the underachieving team’s season last Wednesday.

Atkins held his post-mortem press conference on Saturday morning of Thanksgiving Weekend, three days after the Blue Jays suffered a 2-0 loss to the Minnesota Twins to be swept two games to none in the American League Wild-Card series.

After the Blue Jays’ seventh straight post-season loss, there was heavy criticism heaped upon Schneider for removing the righty Berrious after 47 pitches and three shutout innings in favour of lefty Yusei Kikuchi.

There was speculation the front office and its analytics department drew up the game plan to pressure the Twins into employing some right-handed batters earlier than they would have liked to.

This would have enabled the Blue Jays to use their effective right-handed relievers Yimi Garcia, Erik Swanson, Jordan Hicks and Jordan Romano, in mid-to-late inning situations.

Atkins denied any influence from the front office on Schneider and his coaching staff’s decision.

“There was not an influence from the office that factored into that, other than maybe it was an organizational strategy communicated to players. When I say organization, I’m including players, many players over the course of the days prior to that strategy.”

Atkins disclosed Schneider and his coaches, along with advanced scout Theron Simpson, are the individuals involved in a pre-game assembly to devise the game plan.