UPDATE: Anthopoulos will NOT return to the Blue Jays in 2016.
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Toronto Blue Jays general manager Alex Anthopoulos orchestrated perhaps the most aggressive/successful set of trade deadline moves in MLB history this past July. His acquisitions propelled the team to its first postseason appearance in over 20 years.
And the latest rumors hint there's a possibility the GM, who could win the MLB Executive of the Year Award, may not be back with the Blue Jays in 2016.
In case it's been forgotten, Toronto hired a new team president during the season, but have yet to make it official (which they'll do after the World Series). Mark Shapiro will officially succeed Paul Beeston as the Blue Jays' president when the World Series concludes. Shapiro, 48, has spent 24 years with the Cleveland Indians, including stints as GM (2002-2010) and team president (2011-present).
However, he was hired in Toronto on Aug. 31, so he's probably had plenty of time to focus on his new role, as rumors have previously touched upon he and Anthopoulos coexisting. So the main question is: why hasn't Anthopoulos signed a contract extension yet?
Anthopoulos' deal expires on Saturday and he said it was "not the appropriate time" to address any topics focusing on his future with the organization at yesterday's end of season press conference.
"An extension that shouldn't be complicated seems to be, and Anthopoulos took responsibility for that at the beginning of his season-in-review session with media Monday, saying, 'It's been my decision to not have any discussions with respect to that, because we were in the post-season,'" writes Shi Davidi of Sportsnets.ca.
"Fine, makes sense, but that doesn't explain why on Oct. 26 this is still an issue, especially since Shapiro was hired Aug. 31 and the entire matter could and should have been resolved before the regular season ended. Instead, Anthopoulos was left to obfuscate about his status for much of his 45-minute session at Rogers Centre while at the same time discussing a path forward he may or may not be around to execute.
"As things stand, Anthopoulos is believed to have a strong extension offer on the table, so money and term won't be the sticking point. Rather, the decisive factor in whether he stays or goes, and the latter is a real possibility, is likely to revolve around the working relationship between him and Shapiro."
Shapiro will install the new organizational framework when he begins to exert his influence and it's possible his philosophy may not align with that of Anthopolous. That'll likely be the main reason if a divorce were to occur.
However, it's hard to believe these two men would be that unreasonable (or perhaps too realistic, however way you'd like to think about it). Shapiro saw the work Anthopoulos conducted this season and clearly understands the 38-year-old has found his groove as a general manager after six-plus years in the position with Toronto. Additionally, Anthopoulos knows Shapiro is a respected front office executive thanks to his tenure in Cleveland and will probably provide a prudent vision for the Blue Jays and help them maintain consistency.
Nonetheless, there's still a possibility the two don't see eye-to-eye and Anthopoulos finds employment elsewhere, but for now that's subject to speculation.
"Should [Blue Jays fans] we worried about Alex Anthopoulos coming back? Yeah, absolutely," said Jeff Blair of Sportsnet.ca. "I don't think he knows if he's coming back, I don't think he knows what type of contract offer he's going to get."
If Anthopoulos doesn't return, he'll likely have to take the 2016 MLB season off or at least join another front office as a consultant because at that point it'll probably be too late for him to get another job as a general manager.
