Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins spent the bulk of his end-of-season bull session with local reporters avoiding specific answers to questions regarding the team’s off-season plans in favour of generalized platitudes about “opportunities” and “challenges.”

But the 43-year-old, who was hired last December as the sixth GM in franchise history, was relatively clear about one thing: even if Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion both depart via free agency, there are no plans to retrench and rebuild.

“We’re trying to win and we’re going to continue to try to win,” Atkins said. “I think that’s what drives us, that’s what motivates us and that’s what we’re looking to do in any way possible. I can’t see a scenario where that changes, really.”

At the same time, however, Atkins admitted he and team president Mark Shapiro have yet to receive a budget for next season from ownership. Perhaps those who hold the Jays’ purse strings at Rogers Communications have been preoccupied by the executive shakeup that came earlier this month when president and CEO Guy Laurence was replaced by Joe Natale.

“Once we have a payroll number set, then we’ll have a more concrete plan and strategy,” Atkins said.

Time is of the essence, however, as major-league teams can begin negotiating exclusively with their own free agents within the first five days after the World Series, which begins Tuesday. When that five-day window elapses, free agents can speak with any team. Atkins said he and Shapiro will have enough payroll information by then that it won’t hinder negotiations. “We will definitely have enough time to do everything we can to take advantage of that window,” he said.

At this point, however, it’s highly unlikely either Bautista or Encarnacion — who both signed team-friendly contract extensions with Toronto immediately following their mid-career breakout seasons — will forego testing the free-agent market for the first time in their careers.

Atkins refused to say whether one player was more of a priority than the other — “I don’t feel as though we need to prioritize our desire to have them here” — and also refused to gauge the likelihood of their respective return.

Atkins also wouldn’t say whether Bautista had relented with his take-it-or-leave-it offer from the first day of spring training. “Out of respect for Jose, out of respect for his agent, out of respect to the process, I can’t comment to the specifics of that,” he said. “I would expect that Jose is motivated to return here, based on everything that he has told us.”

Beyond the two veteran sluggers, the Jays could be dealing with the departure of eight other free agents, including Michael Saunders, R.A. Dickey and Brett Cecil. With so much potential turnover, Atkins will have an opportunity to remake the Jays’ lineup in a way he didn’t when he first took over the team.

While he wasn’t trumpeting major changes, Atkins vaguely suggested he would look to diversify the team’s offence, which was heavily right-handed and arguably over-reliant on home runs.

“Any organization would be looking to create more balance, more platoon effect and potentially more speed,” Atkins said. “But it’s just not as easy as deciding to do that and making that happen.”

After his first year at the helm, Atkins said he felt as if the organization “moved the needle a little bit forward this year in several ways,” despite the fact that they won fewer regular-season games, did not retain their division title and did not advance any further in the post-season.

Atkins cited a strong veteran core, winning “culture” and the organization’s off-field upgrades, most notably in the creation of a new high-performance department.

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Atkins also said that he has discussed a contract extension with manager John Gibbons, who signed a two-year deal at the beginning of last season.

“John Gibbons and I have established an incredible amount of trust,” Atkins said. “We enjoy working together, we have learned a great deal from one another and we’re both motivated to continue that.”

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