I'm not sure what promises Shatkins sold Rogers but this surely is not it. Atkins couldn't/can't pivot because it would be essentially admitting he failed to deliver even with a high payroll.
But yeah I agree with you guys that they should have just been playing the few prospects they have to see if they got it right from the start. Basically once the Jays struck out on the big free agents this year was lost unless everyone had big career years enough to keep them in it to make deadline moves.
Seriously competing was a pipe dream though and now Atkins and the front office are left gaslighting fans and possibly Rogers too that it's all just bad luck and it's not as bad as it looks..to save face I guess.