LaCava turns down Orioles GM job

Job satisfaction looks to be off the charts in the Blue Jays’ front office.

After meeting with Baltimore Orioles owner Peter Angelos on Monday, Jays assistant general manager Tony LaCava announced today that he will not accept their offer to become the team’s general manager. According to LaCava, the decision was all about the Jays organization.

“This was about the Toronto Blue Jays more than it is anything about the Baltimore Orioles,”LaCava said. “The Orioles were classy in everything they did and I think they are going to go down the right path. For me, it was how much I love the Toronto Blue Jays and I really, really treasure my relationship with my general manager, Alex Anthopoulos, and I really want to see this through with him.”

This is a huge deal for the Jays. First and foremost, they get to keep a critical member of their management staff. LaCava oversees both the farm system and the Latin American scouting department. The success of the club’s farm system has been well documented by virtually every prospect authority, having jumped from the bottom 5 in MLB, to the top 5 in the last 3 years. The Latin American scouting department has also garnered rave reviews lately, with the signings of top level talents such as Roberto Osuna and Dewal Lugo this past summer.

From the outside, Alex Anthopoulos’ front office really seem to have the team on the right track. According to a poll of Fangraphs writers prior to the ’11 season, the Jays had the 5th best front office, 5th best future talent and were ranked 8th in baseball as an organization. While the strength of the farm system is not exactly a guarantee of future MLB success, it definitely bodes well. In my opinion, the Jays really just need to stay the course; for this, stability in the front office is key.

LaCava’s decision is also yet another ringing endorsement of AA. It really does seem to come in from every angle: the media, staff, players and other baseball personnel. He’s got a good thing going with LaCava and I am very grateful for his decision to stay.

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