During the end-of-season press conference, Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins expressed his surprise at manager John Schneider's decision to pull Jose Berrios during Game 2 of the American League Wild Card Series against the Minnesota Twins. Despite understanding the strategy behind the move, Atkins acknowledged that it was a courageous decision that could potentially disappoint fans. Berrios had been pitching well, holding the Twins scoreless through three innings before walking Royce Lewis to lead off the fourth.

The decision to replace Berrios with lefty Yusei Kikuchi did not go as planned, as Kikuchi allowed the next three batters to reach base and two runs to score. Unsurprisingly, Berrios himself was not keen on the decision, stating that he could not control it and had done his best in the game.

Atkins clarified that the front office did not influence Schneider's decision, stating that they were not "funneling info" into the move. However, other members of the Blue Jays organization, including infielder Whit Merrifield and American League MVP Vladimir Guerrero Jr., expressed their surprise and disappointment with the decision. Merrifield criticized the move, stating that it took away from the game and the role of managers.

Despite the questionable decision and the disappointment of being eliminated from the playoffs, Atkins confirmed that Schneider would return as the team's manager in 2024.

The Blue Jays' decision to pull Berrios backfired in their elimination game against the Twins. Merrifield openly expressed his disapproval of the move, stating that he "hated it." Berrios had kept the Twins scoreless before giving up a leadoff walk in the fourth inning. Schneider then decided to replace him with Kikuchi, a left-handed pitcher.

Guerrero Jr. echoed the sentiment of surprise among the team, stating that there were things they couldn't control. The pitching change quickly led to the Twins scoring two runs, with Carlos Correa driving in the first run and another being scored on a double play.

Berrios himself seemed taken aback by the decision, saying he didn't know the reason behind it. Schneider defended his move, stating that he wanted to utilize the entire roster but admitted that it didn't work out as planned.

While the Twins celebrated their first playoff series win in 21 years, the Blue Jays were left without a playoff victory for the seventh consecutive year.