Blue Jays sign manager John Schneider to three-year extension

Manager John Schneider of the Toronto Blue Jays is introduced prior to Game 2 of the AL Wild Card series against the Seattle Mariners. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images)

John Schneider will be sticking around with the Toronto Blue Jays for at least the next couple of seasons.

The team announced Friday morning that the 42-year-old inked a three-year contract extension, locking him up through 2025. His deal also includes a team option for the 2026 season.

As part of this announcement, Schneider released a statement about having interim status lifted, expressing his excitement over becoming Toronto’s full-time manager through at least 2025.

“I am honoured, excited, and deeply humbled to continue leading this extraordinary group of players, coaches, and staff,” Schneider said. “This organization has made me feel at home since day one. So many people have had a hand in helping me get here, and becoming manager of the Blue Jays is not something I take lightly.

“My family and I love Toronto and I can’t wait to build upon an already great group of players and bring a World Series back to all our fans across Canada.”

The Princeton, New Jersey, native played six professional seasons before retiring after the 2007 campaign. He was later hired by the Blue Jays as a coaching instructor and quickly became manager of the rookie-league team in the Gulf Coast League in 2008.

Schneider spent the next several seasons grinding his way through the franchise’s minor-league system, proving himself at every stop. The former catcher won league championships with the Vancouver Canadians (2011), Dunedin Blue Jays (2017) and New Hampshire Fisher Cats (2018).

The Blue Jays promoted Schneider to their big-league coaching staff ahead of the 2019 season, making him a catcher specialist. He was then promoted to bench coach before the start of this past season, granting him additional responsibilities.

Schneider was named interim manager on July 13 after the Blue Jays fired Charlie Montoyo, who had been with the organization since 2019. The team finished 46-28 following the managerial change.

Overall, the Blue Jays went 92-70 — winning one more game than last season — which was good for second in the AL East, claiming the first wild-card seed. Unfortunately, they were swept 2-0 by the Seattle Mariners in the opening round. Schneider took a lot of the blame for the loss after pulling starting pitcher Kevin Gausman with two outs and an 8-1 lead in the sixth inning, as the bullpen collapsed in Toronto’s eventual 10-9 loss.

More from Yahoo Sports