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Blue Jays Podcast: Alex Anthopoulos is Gone

By Shaun Doyle

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Man, the Toronto Blue Jays are providing us with a lot of memories in 2015, aren’t they? The latest of which is the debacle that lead to the resignation of sorts by former GM, Alex Anthopoulos. The news took everyone by surprise. And, since it broke, we’ve been hearing many different stories about how it happened, when it happened and why it happened. For Episode #44 of the Jays’ Nest Podcast, we decided to have a little chat about this whole situation and what it means for the future of the Blue Jays.

LISTEN To Ep #44HERE:

 
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We start our discussion off with a look at just how the news broke. It certainly is a different time we live in. Imagine if this news had broken 30 years ago. We’d have to read about it each morning. The saga would take days to get to the bottom of. Now, with the glory that is Twitter, we’re able to get bits and pieces of stories within seconds. This, of course, leads to rumors flying just as fast as your timeline can refresh.

We discussed our initial reactions to this news, how it looked, how it was handled, and what might be behind it all. At the end of the day, this is likely something that Rogers Communication is going to have to wear for a very long time. It appears that they have botched the upper management situation repeatedly over the past couple years. Some were quick to blame new president, Mark Shapiro, but that may not be fair. What is clear, though, is that Blue Jays fans were finally showing their overwhelming support for AA and the job he’s done. It wasn’t that long ago that the “Fire AA” rants could be heard.

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We looked at the positive things that AA has done for the Blue Jays and the moves he’s made. He hasn’t hit home runs every step of the way, of course. We can point to some failed signings that have come out of a few draft years. Tyler Beede and Phil Bickford are guys that many criticize AA for drafting despite their well known signability concerns. Of course, he has also made some pretty awesome moves that have led to a division title this season.

We then looked at what Shapiro brings. He is a two time Executive of the Year who has been operating in a smaller market in Cleveland who now goes to a larger market. Does this mean that Rogers wants him to operate as a small market team? We look at some big trades in his history and the types of contracts he likes. That might have big implications for current members of this roster. Of course, it also does not mean that it is ‘doom and gloom’.

We look at what the future could bring for this organization as they enter an offseason that we’d hope would build on their 2015 success. How will all of this impact potential free agents? What about who would take AA’s place? Nothing can really be done until that gets sorted out. We look at some options. As well, we look at what the future might hold for manager, John Gibbons.

Next: We Chat with Prospect, Anthony Alford!

It was a discussion that we weren’t really excited to have, but it turned into a very interesting conversation. Please feel free to add your two cents below!