DUNEDIN, Fla. — The Toronto Blue Jays announced at the end of August that Mark Shapiro would be their next president and chief executive. A month later they clinched the American League East, and in October they played the first postseason games in Toronto in 22 years.

“It was crazy,” pitcher Marcus Stroman said. “The entire city was buzzing from August on. Just waking up every day and feeling the excitement of the city, and having the fans ready to go, we just fed off the momentum, the energy and the vibes.”

Shapiro was in town for some of the playoff games, yet he did not go to Rogers Centre. He was in limbo between his old job, as president of the Cleveland Indians, and his next one, succeeding the retiring Paul Beeston. Those were not his Blue Jays.

“It was an odd circumstance, anyway, but it wasn’t that odd for me,” Shapiro said this week, in his office overlooking right field at the Blue Jays’ spring training complex. “I was focusing on roster-type decisions, already thinking ahead. It didn’t feel like I should be there. I didn’t feel attached to it. I didn’t build that team. I was thinking about future things I had to get done, and that was their thing. I didn’t want to detract from that — at all.”