The Toronto Blue Jays went 93-69 this season, winning the American League East. In the American Division Series they knocked off the Texas Rangers in five games before falling to the Kansas City Royals in the American League Championship Series in six games. It was remarkable year as they made the playoffs for the first time since 1993. Late last week, General Manager Alex Anthopoulos declined a five-year extension with the team. His contract expired October 31. Is this the right move for him?
Alex Anthopoulos has been the General Manager of the Blue Jays since 2009. At the time he was 32 years old. Anthopoulos’ best work was this year. Toronto started 50-51. He traded for All-Star shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, depositing his dangerous bat in the lineup. Anthopoulos also added left-hander David Price. These moves improved the ball club and they went 43-18 the remainder of the year. It was an unbelievable season, even though they didn’t win the World Series. The Blue Jays had a record of 489-483 while Anthopoulos was the General Manager.
Anthopoulos felt it was time to move on. According to ESPN, Anthopoulos said, “I just didn’t feel like this was a right fit for me going forward. I don’t know if I’ve had to make a harder decision in my life, but I did what I felt like I needed to do.”
Yahoo.com stated that Edward Rogers, Chairman of the Blue Jays and part of the ownership group, said, “We would have loved it if he stayed with the club. Like the fans, we too are disappointed he has chosen not to accept our five-year contract offer, but we wish him the very best. Alex leaves behind an outstanding front office team and coaching staff that played a key role in shaping the team’s great run this season. They will continue to operate in leadership roles next year as we look to build upon the team’s success.”
This is a surprising move. The Blue Jays expected him back, especially after an amazing year. He made the correct moves this season enabling Toronto to go far in the playoffs. Anthopoulos could have finished the job, turning this team into a World Series winner by bringing in a few free agents. He must have felt he wanted a different challenge. There will be numerous teams interested in Anthopoulos because he seems to be able to pick out talent. It will be up to him to decide which team he wants to go to.
What do you think of Alex Anthopoulos deciding not to come back to the Toronto Blue Jays?
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