Alex Anthopoulos Departing

[204Jays]

After reading the Fox article on Shap, the philosophical differences seem poignant. In that interview, Shap is mindful (borderline neurotic) on his trades and budget in a way that would never mesh with AA. No disrespect to AA, but I dont get that sense from him. I see AA as a more aggressive type of GM that is willing to try things out and fix them them retroactively if they blow up.

[Spanky99]

Mike Wilner ‏@Wilnerness590 9s9 seconds ago

AA: Had to make a final decision yesterday aft., not an easy one, just didn't feel like this was this right fit for me going forward.

 

Autonomy.

[Maahfaace]

Sad to see AA go, he was very likable, but honestly was/is a mediocre GM at best. The timing of this does not bode well for Shapiro as he's now in the position of having to experience immediate success or feel the wrath of an overall idiotic fan base and media.....good luck with that.

[Jim_Ackers_balls]

I'll trust the guy who figured Yan Gomes could be an all-star catcher instead of the bozo who thought Esmil Rogers was all that because he threw 95.

 

Nice mess you left too Anthopolous.

 

You won't be missed, clown.

[Caper]

When Shapiro was brought in, it was looking like AA would be fired at the end of the season. You seem to conveniently forget that

 

Really it was looking like he would have been fired? The day he was hired the Jays had won 24 of 29 games. When they were still interviewing Dave Dombrowski the Jays had won 15 of 18 and it was obvious to anyone this team was completely different (though they were better then their record all season).

 

So don't be spewing that ******** that it was looking like AA would be fired at the end of the season.

[Caper]

Sad to see AA go, he was very likable, but honestly was/is a mediocre GM at best.

 

I think you have no clue what you are talking about. People don't realize just how great the Josh Donaldson trade was. And almost no other GM could have pulled it off. AA grew into a much better GM then what he was when he started. And he was good then. Even small deals like getting whoever that reliever was in order to get the comp pick... I don't even think the guy played a game for TO. Anthony Alford, Devon Travis for Anthony Gose.

 

And most of all is I think he was really growing and learning on the job. Moves like Bonifacio at 2nd or stick so long with JPA, I don't think he does that know. I think right now with the experience he has had, he is the best if not one of the best GM's in the game.

[Jonn]

I will miss AA personally. I don't like Gibbons at all but AA has put elite controllable talent at most of our positions. I really was happy with what he has done for the most part. The Indians and Mets trades were bad but other than that hes been pretty solid. I like his approach of going after top talent instead of just trying to fill a position. Not a lot of GM's are that bold. Alex went out and got Donaldson and most of the league didn't even know he was available.

[Frenchsoup]

Sad to see AA go, he was very likable, but honestly was/is a mediocre GM at best. The timing of this does not bode well for Shapiro as he's now in the position of having to experience immediate success or feel the wrath of an overall idiotic fan base and media.....good luck with that.

 

The timing is perfect for him to win a World Series next year. If he doesn't make the few right moves needed to push the club in that direction... he will be a failure in my eyes.

[Frenchsoup]

I'll trust the guy who figured Yan Gomes could be an all-star catcher instead of the bozo who thought Esmil Rogers was all that because he threw 95.

 

Nice mess you left too Anthopolous.

 

You won't be missed, clown.

 

So just forget all the good he did last year? Did you not enjoy it? Clown.....

[bronson44]

Ken Rosenthal ‏@Ken_Rosenthal 37m37 minutes ago

Sources: #BlueJays’ five-year offer to Anthopoulos gave him right to opt out after one year if relationship with Shapiro was not working.

 

Why wouldn't he at least give it a shot for a year and see if they could make it work? There must have been some instant bad blood developed in that first meeting.

That or, as Keith Law suggested, they plan on a significant tear-down of the roster that he didn't want to be a part of.

Edited October 30, 2015 by bronson44

[flafson]

Ken Rosenthal ‏@Ken_Rosenthal 37m37 minutes ago

Sources: #BlueJays’ five-year offer to Anthopoulos gave him right to opt out after one year if relationship with Shapiro was not working.

 

Why wouldn't he at least give it a shot for a year and see if they could make it work? There must have been some instant bad blood developed in that first meeting.

 

As a GM he learned that it's better to be traded when you are at peak value rather than low value.

[KingKat]

I actually don't think this has as much Shapiro vs AA as many think. I think AA got the message last off season when Rogers pursued Kenny Williams and Dan Duquette as team presidents, both of whom were Baseball Operations guys, that they weren't happy with the team's on-field performance.

 

At the end of the day, if one or both parties didn't think they could work together, then it's best to part ways.

 

I wish AA good luck whereever he winds up, I think he did a good job overall although I thought he could have done better and was at times trying to help Beeston go out on top by pushing up the team's competitive window.

 

It seems to me that Rogers got lucky since they wanted Kenny Williams to run the show.

 

This is basically Bob McCown's take and though I disagree with a lot of his opinions, he seems to have really done his homework this time. There's a lot of stuff Bobcat doesn't get but he understands business operations better than just about any other journalist. This is one case where I find him very credible.

[Frenchsoup]

As a GM he learned that it's better to be traded when you are at peak value rather than low value.

 

Or he didn't want to be associated with the moves Shapiro is about to make.

[gruber92]

If Shapiro is planning on firing Gibby, trading EE for young talent and going after Chris Davis, then I'm on board.

[AdamGreenwood]

No matter where he goes, and what he wins. it will never give him the same satisfaction that he would have gotten from seeing the players he drafted and traded for win.

It seems unfathomable to me, that he walks away from the team, just as the team that he built is so close to delivering a championship.

 

He'll likely never have that same opportunity again.

[Statman]

AA left because Shapiro is going to rebuild. No Price Obviously.

 

Edwin and Bautista are going to get shopped around. Tulo will be asked if he is comfortable in Toronto with his family, if not they will work out a trade to accommodate him. AA couldn't be a part of a vision that will slash payroll, be less competitive(at least in the coming years) and destroy the team he spent years of sleepless nights building.

[Frenchsoup]

Eddy, Tulo, and Bautista can't be traded. So your looking at Donaldson, Revere, and Martin as your trade chips, in this apparent rebuild mode we're in now.

[Stangstag]

Really it was looking like he would have been fired? The day he was hired the Jays had won 24 of 29 games. When they were still interviewing Dave Dombrowski the Jays had won 15 of 18 and it was obvious to anyone this team was completely different (though they were better then their record all season).

 

So don't be spewing that ******** that it was looking like AA would be fired at the end of the season.

 

Rogers has been looking for a new president since December, and the team was .500 at the all-star break.

 

Almost everyone here was expecting the team to miss the playoffs again and for AA and Gibby to be fired at the end of the season.

[Stangstag]

Eddy, Tulo, and Bautista can't be traded. So your looking at Donaldson, Revere, and Martin as your trade chips, in this apparent rebuild mode we're in now.

 

Sure they can be traded, if they wave their no-trade rights.

[gruber92]

AA left because Shapiro is going to rebuild. No Price Obviously.

 

Edwin and Bautista are going to get shopped around. Tulo will be asked if he is comfortable in Toronto with his family, if not they will work out a trade to accommodate him. AA couldn't be a part of a vision that will slash payroll, be less competitive(at least in the coming years) and destroy the team he spent years of sleepless nights building.

 

Stop talking out of your ass. There is no rebuild needed, more of a restructuring. Why do people not take into account that Shapiro will be working with an actual budget now.

[flafson]

Sure they can be traded, if they wave their no-trade rights.

 

Did you see how hard it was to move other players with no-trade clause? Like Hamels and Utley and a few others? It's near impossible.

[Frenchsoup]

Stop talking out of your ass. There is no rebuild needed, more of a restructuring. Why do people not take into account that Shapiro will be working with an actual budget now.

 

Because he seems obsessed with prospects. He seems to be a process man, but im not sure he knows the actual process of a perennial contending team.

[KingKat]

If Shapiro is planning on firing Gibby, trading EE for young talent and going after Chris Davis, then I'm on board.

 

I feel fairly confident than none of those will happen. Was nice knowing you.

[Frenchsoup]

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/baseball/anthopoulos-bafflingly-allowed-to-leave-jays-in-search-of-right-fit/article27040359/

 

Seems to me Shapiro doesn't trust AA. My question to Mr. Shapiro is why? He made huge saber friendly moves and you don't trust him Mr.Shapiro? He tells him he gave to many prospects up. First of all, those prospects were all the ones who had flaws to the organization, so if the new saber friendly front office deems them expendable, im with them. Secondly all those selling of prospects to acquire wins, gave the Blue Jays a great run and Rogers a ton of money. So basically FYSMC Rogers/Shapiro.

[Boxcar]

I may not follow the game enough to know every executive, scout, player and prospect in the game, but I do watch baseball. I think the Jays have drafted and traded for some good young players in the past few years, but maybe you don't like Stroman, Syndergaard or Osuna. I know you just look at Lamar and see him as the idiot who was the predecessor to your hero who's poster you jerk off to every night.

 

Yeah, not knowing every executive is fine, but don't whine about things you're clueless about. If you are unaware of Shapiro's body of work, educate yourself or don't post at all. I realize this would significantly cut your post count, but think of it as complaining you don't like cheesecake even though you've never tried it.

[Jonn]

Rebuilding would be absolutely moronic. You just got the fans back and your going to blow it up. That was destroy Baseball in this city absolutely crush it. Our window is large enough to win that we should be able to replenish the farm system to the point where were in not in trouble. If this is really the plan I can't support this at all. It makes zero sense. You cannot waste this lineup.

[BTS]

ITT: Frenchsoup is HEATED

[Boxcar]

I think you have no clue what you are talking about. People don't realize just how great the Josh Donaldson trade was. And almost no other GM could have pulled it off. AA grew into a much better GM then what he was when he started. And he was good then. Even small deals like getting whoever that reliever was in order to get the comp pick... I don't even think the guy played a game for TO. Anthony Alford, Devon Travis for Anthony Gose.

 

And most of all is I think he was really growing and learning on the job. Moves like Bonifacio at 2nd or stick so long with JPA, I don't think he does that know. I think right now with the experience he has had, he is the best if not one of the best GM's in the game.

 

The Matt Kemp trade was better.

[Boxcar]

Stop talking out of your ass. There is no rebuild needed, more of a restructuring. Why do people not take into account that Shapiro will be working with an actual budget now.

 

Better fits their chicken little narratives.

[Boogerloo]

Sad to see AA go, he was very likable, but honestly was/is a mediocre GM at best. The timing of this does not bode well for Shapiro as he's now in the position of having to experience immediate success or feel the wrath of an overall idiotic fan base and media.....good luck with that.

 

You do know that without thie "idiotic" or "bandwagon" fans giving a crap, we would be like the Rays attendance wise. Plus without these fans spending money on Jays stuffs and watching on tv Rogers will go cheaper with the team.