The season is not even over, and already the musical chairs are in motion. The Tigers and Red Sox hired new general managers. The Brewers and Angels are looking for new ones. The Phillies and Mariners could make changes, and surely one or two surprise openings will emerge.
Amid this volatile climate, the contract of Blue Jays general manager Alex Anthopoulos expires at the end of October, according to major-league sources.
If the Jays are not careful, they could lose an executive who almost singlehandedly has revived baseball -- and baseball business -- in Toronto.
Rival owners surely notice the spikes in the Jays' TV ratings and attendance since Anthopoulos' moves at the nonwaiver deadline. The owners of the Jays, Rogers Communications, surely notice as well, but for almost a year now, Rogers' plan has not exactly been clear.
It is not known whether the Jays are talking to Anthopoulos about an extension. It is known that they want a club president to replace the outgoing Paul Beeston. They talked to the Orioles' Dan Duquette and White Sox's Ken Williams about that job last offseason, and according to sources had at least some level of conversation about or with Dave Dombrowski, whom the Red Sox hired as president of baseball operations on Tuesday night.
Could Anthopoulos, a native Canadian, have met the same fate as the Red Sox's Ben Cherington, who stepped down rather than remain GM under Dombrowski? In theory, the answer is yes. The timing, though, was not right. The Jays did not want to take such a drastic step, sources say, and Dombrowski previously had worked for Red Sox owner John Henry with the Marlins, accelerating their discussions.
Still, the questions remain: What will happen to Anthopoulos? And could Anthopoulos opt to become a free agent rather than continue working for an ownership that has little knowledge of baseball and seemingly little direction?
The Jays would be foolish to find out.
Before last offseason, Anthopoulos had not exactly distinguished himself as GM; the Jays had averaged 79 wins in his first five seasons. But in November, Anthopoulous signed free-agent catcher Russell Martin and traded for third baseman Josh Donaldson. Then, at the deadline, he traded for shortstop Troy Tulowitzki and left-hander David Price. And now, look at this team.
The difference in the Jays' television ratings is perhaps more astonishing -- and probably more meaningful to Rogers, a media company that relies on cable and wireless subscriptions for the bulk of its profits.
According to Rogers, 3.14 million people were tuned in to Rogers Sportsnet last Friday night when Tulowitzki engaged in his classic game-ending battle with Yankees closer Andrew Miller. That's almost nine percent of the population of Canada, which is approximately 35 million.
The Jays-Yankees game that night averaged 2.03 million viewers, making it the most-watched program in Sportsnet history, surpassing even Maple Leafs hockey games. Since the deadline, Jays broadcasts are averaging 1.27 million viewers, raising the season average to a record level for the club.
http://www.foxsports.com/mlb/story/toronto-blue-jays-alex-anthopoulos-gm-dave-david-price-troy-tulowitzki-josh-donaldson-081915
