The Blue Jays announced a five-year extension with President & CEO Mark Shapiro. The deal was inevitable amid Toronto’s AL East division title and postseason run before its heartbreaking loss in Game 7 of the World Series. The team also locked up star Vladimir Guerrero Jr. on a 14-year, $500M deal in April.
Shapiro has been with the Blue Jays since 2015, and his most recent contract expired at season’s end. Asked by SBJ during the Fall Classic if he expected Shapiro to be running Toronto for a long time, Blue Jays owner Edward Rogers responded prior to Game 6, “I do. He’s great, and we’re lucky to have him.”
Shapiro has led the recent renovations of TD Ballpark in Dunedin, Fla. ($100M) and the Rogers Centre ($300M), which have been lauded throughout the industry. The Blue Jays have remained aggressive this offseason, already signing P Dylan Cease to a seven-year, $210M deal. They also hosted potential $400M man Kyle Tucker at their spring training facility earlier this month.
The Blue Jays had the fifth-highest payroll in the majors in 2025. They have sold out all of their 1,100-seat, 200-level TD Clubhouse premium space, which will open next season. Full-season ticket equivalents are slated to climb from roughly 9,000 to as many as 13,000. Sponsorships are expected to rise by approximately 20% range, though that number could change by the end of the offseason.
Toronto also had massive TV ratings on Rogers SportsNet during the postseason.
SBJ profiled Shapiro’s unique role in October.