Anthopoulos had put together a Blue Jays team that was an offensive juggernaut and made the playoffs for the first time in 22 years, all while staying within the team’s budget. Just two days ago, CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman reported, “Alex Anthopoulos is expected to be brought back, but quietly. [Incoming team president] Mark Shapiro isn’t even intending to announce it when he extends Anthopoulos”. However, there have been other recent changes within the organization. A year ago the Royals ended a 29-year playoff drought but lost to the San Francisco Giants in the World Series.
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Anthopoulos said he found out he was named executive of the year just before he got on a conference call with media to talk about leaving the Blue Jays.
It was like a niggling pain that would flare in otherwise happy moments, but you would push it aside because baseball was exciting again in this town and the team was scoring runs by the boatload and I’m sure that, ouch, will go away soon.
He was assistant general manager under J.P. Ricciardi, taking over after Ricciardi was sacked in 2009.
According to a report from Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi, Anthopoulos has rejected a contract extension with Toronto due to reasons that “aren’t thought to be financial”.
Neither Beeston nor Anthopoulos would comment on the GM’s contract status this week.
That conversation has been confirmed by two sources. “He basically was trying to point out Alex really was going for broke”. He sent Noah Syndergaard and Travis d’Arnaud to the Mets three years ago in exchange for R.A. Dickey, a trade most Jays fans would probably like to reverse.
Tuesday is set to be a big day for fans of Toronto’s soccer and baseball clubs.
Alex Anthopoulos, in my estimation, deserves to still be here, deserves to keep building this team, and deserves autonomy over baseball operations. He followed that up at the deadline by landing ace David Price, shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, and outfielder Ben Revere in separate deals.
It’s unclear whether the Blue Jays will pay to retain Price, who won nine of 11 regular-season starts with Toronto, including three against the Yankees, but was winless in three postseason starts. It was the franchise’s first postseason since 1993. They did get a strong relief appearance from Liam Hendriks in game four of the ALCS, but for Gibbons it was a struggle to hand the ball off to any other pitcher. While many dislike the giant cement blocks in the right field upper deck, adding standing room only in a place where tickets never sold and removing seats in a ballpark that is generally only a third full was a great move. So Shapiro or Anthopolous, or both will need a complete makeover of the bullpen.
A few of his best work was his most recent work, though.
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With Beeston’s departure on the horizon, the Blue Jays have hired Mark Shapiro to takeover for the long-time employee.
