Can't we say the same thing with Atkins? We can compare and list every FA signing/trade and assess every single thing, but let's look at the overall picture.
AA came on after the 2009 season, taking over a failed J.P. Ricciardi regime. He was left with the tough task trading the greatest Blue Jays pitcher in franchise history right from the start. Tough assignment for a rookie GM.
Under AA, the Blue Jays built back the farm system into one of the best in baseball. He then used some of those assets to acquire MLB pieces. Yes some of those MLB pieces didn't work out like Josh Johnson, etc., though a lot of those prospects he moved didn't go onto having All-Star careers by any means. Musgrove the exception later on when he went to San Diego. Sure the Syndegaard deal for Dickey stung but Thor after 2016 was done anyways. But yeah I'll definitely criticize AA on that trade for RA Dickey. Definitely an overpay at the time. Dickey was solid during his time here but wasn't the same pitcher who won the Cy Young. But yeah I'll call out AA on that trade and not afraid to unlike you when it comes to Atkins.
AA locked up core pieces such as Bautista and EE to extremely team friendly contract extensions which helped him afterwards add more to the core. He went out and signed Russell Martin, who was amazing during his first two seasons here and traded for Josh Donaldson who won AL MVP in 2015. Then in 2015 at the trade deadline, he made some big time moves and went after the best pitcher at the deadline in David Price, a legitimate ace at the time, traded Jose Reyes for Troy Tulowitzki who was still solid here, and also made some other nice small moves to solidify this core. They went on a big run in the second half and pretty much were World Series contenders in 2015.
AA was here from 2010-2015. During those five seasons, the Jays came close to a World Series. Sucks the Royals were hot that season but otherwise on paper the Jays had the best chance at reaching a World Series since 1993, over two decades. In 2016, the Jays also had a great chance at getting to the World Series, but lost a tough matchup to a hot Cleveland team. I know Shapiro/Atkins already took over, but that 2016 team for the most part was because of AA. As for saying he only created a two-year window, we'll never know since he was never retained after 2015, so who knows.
Regardless, in the span of five years, AA brought the Jays closer to a World Series than Atkins has done in 8 years. As well, the Jays during AA's tenure didn't have the two extra WC spots as Atkins had in 2022 and moving forward. So definitely to make the Postseason in 2015 and 2016, it was tougher for the Jays. Right now the Jays wouldn't be making the Postseason if the new WC and Postseason matchups weren't in effect.