Toronto Sun: Alex Anthopoulos will return next year

[Art Vandelay]

This very likely means that the rebuild doesn't start this offseason. So another wasted season in 2015, and hopefully a new management team before 2016. Figure on 3-4 years for the new group to clean up the mess and construct a new competitive core, and we're looking at contention in 2019-2020..

 

And hopefully by then, grass will have been installed in the Rogers Centre. So, a new, young team, playing on a grass field, should revitalize interest in the team should we have more years of mediocrity. Hopefully they won't mess with the logo again. I'll never understand why they decided to change it, especially only a few years after the team won a World Series.

[Angrioter]

Comparing AA to Ruben Amaro is a bit too much for me.

 

Ruben AMoron Jr won World Series in 2008, right?

[jays4life19]

Ruben AMoron Jr won World Series in 2008, right?

 

“Kendrick has 64 wins. You know how many wins Garza has? 67.”

[jake]

Worst scenario of them all. Jays played well enough to keep them around but not well enough to win.

 

You nailed it. Not too hot and and not too cold was enough to save their jobs

[reedjohnsonfan]

Ruben AMoron Jr won World Series in 2008, right?

 

I think he was hired after that. Either way, the Halladay trade didn't work out too badly for him.

[Hawkins]

Of course he will be back, he always says the right thing when discussing Rogers (even though we know he's full of it). He needs to trade Buerhle this offseason and start spending in the international market again. Why hes not in on Castillo only goes to show money is not available. I'd love to hear how he wouldn't help this team without using the words the value did t line up. AA is good at finding value but when the budget is at limits he only looks for players off the scrap heap.

[G-Snarls]

“Kendrick has 64 wins. You know how many wins Garza has? 67.”

 

Beeston would never hire a dumb jock for a GM

[G-Snarls]

I think he was hired after that. Either way, the Halladay trade didn't work out too badly for him.

 

It's the ridiculous extensions that killed the Phillies under his tenure. AA has NOT had that his problem. Almost all of his extensions have been smart. (Hell, even Happ's looks decent all of a sudden)

[jake]

Of course he will be back, he always says the right thing when discussing Rogers (even though we know he's full of it). He needs to trade Buerhle this offseason and start spending in the international market again. Why hes not in on Castillo only goes to show money is not available. I'd love to hear how he wouldn't help this team without using the words the value did t line up. AA is good at finding value but when the budget is at limits he only looks for players off the scrap heap.

 

I am not as optimistic next year as some. I see a number of declining expensive and difficult to trade Vets in Reyes, Buerhle and Dickey. The young pitchers are promising buy rest of the team doesn't look playoff capable. I think this year was their best shot and they failed be it injuries or not.

[reedjohnsonfan]

He was an assistant GM to Gillick in 2008 (an assistant GM for the Phils for 10 years, total, under Wade and Gillick). He was hired as GM and Prez that offseason.

 

Well ya, so he deserves a lot of credit for the world series win. We can't take that away from him, but it doesn't make him a good GM.

[Slot Machine]

It's the ridiculous extensions that killed the Phillies under his tenure. AA has NOT had that his problem. Almost all of his extensions have been smart. (Hell, even Happ's looks decent all of a sudden)

 

IMO, there is a correlation between AA re-signing players to well below market deals and the fact that they haven't signed a single decent free agent. Despair tactics don't work so hot when players can shop around.

[BigCecil]

It's the ridiculous extensions that killed the Phillies under his tenure. AA has NOT had that his problem. Almost all of his extensions have been smart. (Hell, even Happ's looks decent all of a sudden)

 

True.

 

Morrow and Romero not so much - Escobar was extended and then moved.

[TwistedLogic]

It's hilarious that people are actually surprised about this.

[jake]

The true cost of the AA deals with Miami will not be shown until next year and beyond. Reyes, Buerhle, and Dickey all declining and very expensive. They will be average performers at best going forward but being paid like top players able to take the team to the playoffs. And what's more, their contracts will make it difficult to sign any other decent free agents they need. And in the process he lost a lot of great young minor league talent to get them.

[Frenchsoup]

It's hilarious that people are actually surprised about this.

 

I was hoping they would make a decision at the end of the year not right now.

[ElNik2013]

So if this report is true, what does it tell you about ownership?

 

It tells me that its main goal is to have a team good enough to provide watchable content for their sports channels and not necessarily to have the best-run baseball team in MLB. As long as attendance and viewership are at acceptable levels, they're satisfied.

 

Been saying this for awhile which is why I stopped worrying about AA or the job he's doing. If he was doing such a bad job in the owner's eyes, he would've been fired already or would be fired at season's end. I've suspected for a while that the trades in 2012 were intended at trying to avoid going into 2013 expected to lose 90-100 games which would've meant lower attendance and more importantly, lower ratings. This is not to say he shouldn't be held accountable for negotiating the trades, but I think there was some level of understanding that while they weren't getting the best bang for their buck, by a mile, they didn't want to risk striking out in FA and going into 2013 with a depleted rotation.

 

Anyway...I don't own the team so...

[Smokey]

It's hilarious that people are actually surprised about this.

 

You're right, we should all embrace mediocrity just like your bitch ass does.

[Deadpool]

The true cost of the AA deals with Miami will not be shown until next year and beyond. Reyes, Buerhle, and Dickey all declining and very expensive. They will be average performers at best going forward but being paid like top players able to take the team to the playoffs. And what's more, their contracts will make it difficult to sign any other decent free agents they need. And in the process he lost a lot of great young minor league talent to get them.

 

Unless the stat with which you are most concerned is Handsomeness Above Replacement, we really didn't give up a huge amount of talent in the Miami trade, I'm still quite okay with that trade (as long as we can talk Reyes into a move to second next year). The Dickey trade made no sense then, and continues to make no sense, but that was w/ a different trade.

[BTS]

Unless the stat with which you are most concerned is Handsomeness Above Replacement, we really didn't give up a huge amount of talent in the Miami trade, I'm still quite okay with that trade (as long as we can talk Reyes into a move to second next year). The Dickey trade made no sense then, and continues to make no sense, but that was w/ a different trade.

 

Henderson Alvarez and Yunel Escobar combined have provided more fWAR than everyone received in the trade, and they've done it for $11 million.

[ElNik2013]

You're right, we should all embrace mediocrity just like your bitch ass does.

 

 

The bigger issue is that the owner of your favourite team embraces it. Jays under AA have 3 .500 or better seasons out of 5, assuming they end up at .500 or better this year. That seems to have been enough for ownership. On the other hand, Simmons is usually wrong so AA may still get fired at season's end.

[jays4life19]

Henderson Alvarez and Yunel Escobar combined have provided more fWAR than everyone received in the trade, and they've done it for $11 million.

 

This.

 

It was a f***ing horrible trade.

[burlingtonbandit]

Rogers loves AA because he is very good at talking to the media and can hide the fact they didn't give him money this year. AA takes the blame and is willing to say that to cover for Rogers which Rogers loves. Had Riccardi been in the same situation he could of come out and say we are maxed out of payroll and can't add anyone which would be terrible PR for Rogers. AA can shift the blame away from Rogers.

 

All that being said I think AA is a decent GM. He has definitely improved the farm system and has showed he is pretty good at signing guys to team friendly contracts. The real problem lies with Paul Beeston and untill he is gone you won't find a better GM than AA.

[ElNik2013]

Henderson Alvarez and Yunel Escobar combined have provided more fWAR than everyone received in the trade, and they've done it for $11 million.

 

 

Escobar was dumped for P.R. reasons, don't know when you're gonna get it through your head. In fact, I'm pretty sure the Jays discounted what they would've had to pay Escobar to play somewhere else off Reyes's contract, but I could be wrong.

 

Not saying it was a great trade by any means, but gotta understand how this franchise is run and take this into consideration.

[jake]

Henderson Alvarez and Yunel Escobar combined have provided more fWAR than everyone received in the trade, and they've done it for $11 million.

 

Alvarez in particular is looking great now. He would look great in the Jays rotation right now

[jays4life19]

Escobar was dumped for P.R. reasons, don't know when you're gonna get it through your head. In fact, I'm pretty sure the Jays discounted what they would've had to pay Escobar to play somewhere else off Reyes's contract, but I could be wrong.

 

Not saying it was a great trade by any means, but gotta understand how this franchise is run and take this into consideration.

 

If AA was told to get rid of Escobar he should have traded him for legit assets before doing the Marlins trade. Clearly, Miami didn't really want him.

[ElNik2013]

This.

 

It was a f***ing horrible trade.

 

 

It's turned out even worse in hindsight with JJ's implosion. However, this franchise is run in such a way that striking out in improving the team that off season may not have been acceptable given that going into 2013 expected to lose 90-100 games would've meant lower attendance and most importantly, lower ratings.

 

Just saying that a lot of times this franchise bases its baseball decisions on other factors...

[burlingtonbandit]

It's turned out even worse in hindsight with JJ's implosion. However, this franchise is run in such a way that striking out in improving the team that off season may not have been acceptable given that going into 2013 expected to lose 90-100 games would've meant lower attendance and most importantly, lower ratings.

 

Just saying that a lot of times this franchise bases its baseball decisions on other factors...

 

Then give Anibal Sanchez an extra 10 million$..Overpay for some free agents instead of giving up assets for guys on free agent contracts.

[ElNik2013]

If AA was told to get rid of Escobar he should have traded him for legit assets before doing the Marlins trade. Clearly, Miami didn't really want him.

 

 

Clearly, they were trying to trade him. There were reports of his being put on waivers after the homophobic slur. Fair or not, Escobar has a reputation around MLB and I doubt any GM was offering any "assets" for him. It's not like AA gave up much to get him in the first place. And it's also not as if the Marlins got much for him either. I don't know how Dietrich (SP?) is doing, but he wouldn't qualify as "assets".

[jake]

Dickey and Buerhle probably end the year at .500 records. Even without making the miami deal, the Jays would likely be in the same win loss record that they have this year at a lot less cost in both money and prospects given up. Cabrera has been the only really valuable addition.

[ElNik2013]

Then give Anibal Sanchez an extra 10 million$..Overpay for some free agents instead of giving up assets for guys on free agent contracts.

 

 

I totally agree with you. However, reports indicate that Sanchez told them he wasn't ready to sign and the Jays wanted to move quickly, which indicates they didn't want to strike out in improving the team as I suspect. So basically, they weren't willing to risk waiting him out only to strike out.

 

Again, I'm not saying it was a great trade, just saying that the franchise is run a certain way and this reports would confirm that the owners of the franchise think AA's doing just fine.