Report: Blue Jays to name Tony LaCava general manager

The Toronto Blue Jays have reportedly settled on the logical choice at general manager to carry on the torch from Alex Anthopoulos. According to a tweet from Sportsnet’s Jamie Campbell, incoming Blue Jays president Mark Shapiro is expected to name former assistant general manager Tony LaCava to the position.

The follow-up tweet from Sportsnet’s Jeff Blair suggests that LaCava won’t be locked in long-term from day one, which given the state of change in the Blue Jays organization currently, makes a great deal of sense. Assuming LaCava is slapped with the interim tag, he would represent the Blue Jays immediately as GM through the club options and qualifying offer portion of the internal calendar, handle free agency and attend the GM meetings while the club continues to consider other courses of potential action.

Regardless of the extent, it’s a good first step. LaCava and Shapiro crossed paths for one year with the Cleveland Indians, so the two are a relatively known commodity to one another. LaCava also represents a strong tie to the “old regimen” that is still very much in place, so the strings of connectivity remain strong in the Blue Jays front office. If Shapiro had of reached back into the Cleveland ranks for a general manager from day one, the reaction surely would have been pointed.

As one of Anthopoulos’ longtime lieutenants, LaCava was often credited with playing more than just a supporting role in trade negotiations and the free agent signing market (both MLB and international). With Shapiro coming from a much different financial situation in Cleveland, and given the rapid turnover in Toronto from 2014 to 2015 alone, LaCava’s insight will be extremely valuable to bridge the gap. With the World Series wrapped up, he’s already on the clock.