Alex Anthopoulos rejects extension from Blue Jays, leaves team
The Toronto Blue Jays will be looking for a new general manager after Alex Anthopoulos rejected a contract extension and instead chose to leave the team.
Alex Anthopoulos was the architect that helped put to bed the 21-year playoff drought for the Toronto Blue Jays and could very well be named the MLB Executive of the Year for 2015. However, he’ll begin a new chapter on Sunday, when his contract with the Blue Jays officially expires and he begins the search for a new job.
Anthopoulos rejected an extension offer from the Blue Jays on Tuesday and has informed the club that he intends to leave the team when his contract expires on October 31st. Per Shi Davidi of Sportsnet, the dispute does not appear to be financial, and the perception is that newly appointed president and CEO Mark Shapiro wanted to have more control over the baseball operations side of things, creating a potential rift with Anthopoulos.
It would be hard to argue Anthopoulos on this matter. Since becoming the general manager of the team prior to the 2010 season and has been largely credited for the development of the Blue Jays farm system, as well as his shrewd negotiating in trades that have helped to build Toronto into a World Series contender in 2015.
However, a divide has seemingly occurred between Anthopoulos and Shapiro, who is set to take over for Paul Beeston on November 2nd. The gentlemen were apparently at odds over Anthopoulos’ trades this past season; not because of the talent that was brought in, but because of the prospects shipped out per Rick Westhead of The Sports Network.
Source: In their 1st & only meeting, new Jays prez Mark Shapiro scolded Alex Anthopolous & staff for trading so many top prospects this yr
— Rick Westhead (@rwesthead) October 29, 2015
Anthopoulos constructed a number of win-now trades in 2015, both leading into the season and at the trade deadline. That started with a deal that landed All-Star third baseman Josh Donaldson from the Oakland Athletics in exchange for Brett Lawrie, Kendall Graveman, Sean Nolin, and Franklin Barreto. He followed that up at the deadline by landing ace David Price, shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, and outfielder Ben Revere in separate deals. Those trades cost prospects Daniel Norris, Jeff Hoffman, Matt Boyd, Jairo LaBourt, Miguel Castro, and Jesus Tinoco.
Of note, the Blue Jays gave up at least three arms that could have figured into the team’s rotation in 2016, as well as two or three potential bullpen pieces. While the Donaldson and Tulowitzki deals will have returns for the next several seasons, with both players under team control, the deal for Price may be one a rental with the left-hander hitting the free agent market this winter and the Blue Jays not expected to be a factor in the bidding.
It is somewhat of a shrewd move by Anthopoulos, with no current openings remaining for general managers around the league. It also rings very similarly to Theo Epstein’s initial departure from the Boston Red Sox, when a power struggle between the young GM and Larry Lucchino resulted in Epstein departing Fenway Park in a gorilla suit in 2005. Of course, he returned to the team midway through the campaign, something that could remain possible with Anthopoulos.
In the meantime, the Blue Jays will look to fill the role. Shapiro is the former general manager of the Cleveland Indians that guided them to the 2007 World Series, but isn’t likely to take the role in Toronto. Instead, the team could look at Anthopoulos’ assistants, Tony LaCava or Dana Brown. Additionally, Ben Cherington recently resigned from the Boston Red Sox and is still available, although he has maintained that there is no intention for him to jump right back into a new role.