Ross Atkins has spoken publicly about Anthony Santander's controversial social media posts. The Blue Jays GM didn't hide his frustration.

“There really aren't words to express my level of disappointment with him making those comments,” Atkins said. “I've expressed that to him.”

It's the strongest public reaction yet from Toronto's front office. Until now, the club had only released a written statement.

That statement said, “Individual comments do not represent our organization's values and beliefs.”

Santander shared two videos on his Instagram Stories on Nov. 4 and deleted them the next day. Screenshots had already spread by then.

Does disappointment equal action? Not yet.

Ross Atkins' words raise the stakes on the Anthony Santander decision

Amira Elghawaby stated that Santander deleting the posts “is not enough.”

Toronto has set a precedent before. In 2023, the club released reliever Anthony Bass about two weeks after he shared a controversial video on social media.

The GM's comments make it harder for the club to stand still. Saying there “aren't words” for his disappointment sets a high bar for what comes next.

Words were the right first step, but they can't be the last. The Jays drew a line with Bass, and fans will measure this response against that one.

It's like a referee blowing the whistle but never issuing the penalty. The call sounds right, but the game hasn't changed.

The money complicates things. Toronto owes him $16.5 million for 2027, with $10 million deferred, after he missed all of 2026 with injuries.

Atkins has made his feelings clear. What the Blue Jays do next will show whether those words were the beginning of a decision or the end of one.