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The Toronto Blue Jays are on the verge of hiring Ben Cherington as a vice-president of baseball operations, multiple industry sources told Sportsnet.

Other teams also held talks with the former Boston Red Sox general manager, according to sources, indicating that he’ll work with many facets of the front office’s baseball side, with an emphasis on player development.

Cherington led the Red Sox to a World Series championship in 2013, but left the organization last year after Dave Dombrowski was hired as the president of baseball operations. He then spent the spring semester teaching at Columbia University.

Senior Vice President, Baseball Operations
and Assistant General Manager Tony LaCava

Dombrowski has credited Cherington’s work in helping to acquire and groom a talented young core that includes Mookie Betts, Xander Bogaerts, Jackie Bradley Jr. and Andrew Benintendi.

-MetA4- wrote:His role here will be primarily Player Development focused...a skill that he proved to be extremely strong at during his time with the Red Sox.

Hoopstarr wrote:

-MetA4- wrote:His role here will be primarily Player Development focused...a skill that he proved to be extremely strong at during his time with the Red Sox.

I am down. We have sucked at player development for, what, 20 years?

This is an excellent move by the Jays’ hierarchy of Mark Shapiro and Ross Atkins. Cherington’s fingerprints are all over the 2016 Red Sox. Sure, the Sox collapsed last year, but almost every move made this season was done with help from the Jays’ new executive. The killer B’s of Xander Bogaerts, Mookie Betts and Jackie Bradley Jr. were drafted, signed and developed while Cherington was either the vice-president of player development or general manager in Boston. He also drafted top outfield prospect Andrew Benintendi, who was called up this season and was having a big impact before a knee injury. He signed Yoan Moncada, the young Cuban infielder who is among the top prospects in all of baseball, and now getting time at third base in the big leagues. Dombrowski pulled off a big trade to acquire Craig Kimbrel from the Padres with more of Cherington’s prospects. The most consistent starter for the Red Sox this season has been Rick Porcello, whom the former Sox exec got in a deal with the Tigers and then signed to a long-term contract. The contract was ridiculed at first but now with the way Porcello is pitching, it looks like a deal.

I guess he is not as stupid as everyone thought.

Cherington learned under former Red Sox general manager and current Cubs president Theo Epstein. He is a high character, intelligent man who is respected by his peers in the game. He is cut from the same mold as Shapiro and Atkins.

The stated goal of the Jays is to continue to grow and improve their player development and scouting departments. Shapiro knows that regardless of the size of the market, signing and developing his own talent has significant benefits beyond the obvious financial ones. All the Jays need to do is look at the Red Sox roster to reinforce the point.