Heyman: Blue Jays and John Gibbons ready to part ways after season

[Tanner]

Didn’t Wedge make anti sabermetric quotes before? I know he has a history with Shapiro but with the way the game is managed today that seems like a bad fit. I’d expect someone younger, similar to the Boone hiring in NY. A cheap younger guy who plays the numbers and can talk to players.

[spykelee]

Cheers gibber! There's a human element to sports (calm down nerds) and in that regard I've heard almost nobody (Lilly and hillenbrand aside) who have a negative thing to say about Gibby. He's well regarded from both a front office and player standpoint. It's certainly time for a change, but I suspect I'll look back fondly on gibbys time here.

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[Kevin Willis]

All the best Gibby!

[TOStateofMind]

Gonna miss gibby and his cool ass attitude. He had a good run with the team.

[LBJKB24MJ23]

end of an era.

[BigLeagueChew]

Blue Jays’ coaching staff free to speak with other teams

TAMPA, Fla. – The Toronto Blue Jays’ coaches have been given permission to speak with other teams after being informed by GM Ross Atkins they’ll be considered for 2019 jobs, but that the next staff will be built with input from John Gibbons’s replacement as manager.

https://www.sportsnet.ca/baseball/mlb/blue-jays-coaching-staff-free-speak-teams/

[polo007]

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As much as there is chatter that contact has already been made through back channels with current MLB Network broadcaster Sean Casey about a job with the Blue Jays – no one’s clear whether it’s to manage or coach – that would seem to be a bit of a bold gamble for a guy with a GM’s resume such as Atkins, who is in many ways still cutting his teeth in the role. I mean, it’s one thing for Brian Cashman to reach into the broadcast booth for Aaron Boone, another for Atkins.

My sense is the new man will have MLB playing and coaching experience. He will need to be more than simply open to analytics; he will need to embrace them. You will see Blue Jays outfielders with index cards for positioning; you will see catchers wearing wristbands with more complicated signs and you will see infield drills become a regular staple in-season: not simply something to do between swings in the cage. Being able to speak Spanish is, I think, a must since the next two years are all going to be about Vladimir Guerrero Jr., and while I buy my Baseball Central co-host Kevin Barker’s opinion that it is the hitting coach who will spend the most time with Guerrero, I think it’s vital that the new guy be attuned to Latino sensibilities. So perhaps hiring a recent player such as Carlos Beltran or Victor Martinez to be on the staff won’t be enough alone.

The guy I’m keeping an eye on is Sandy Alomar Jr., the Cleveland Indians first-base coach and brother of Saint Roberto of Alomar. True, he’s interviewed for several managing jobs in the past without being chosen but he has a comfort level with the guys running things and while I can hear the anti-Cleveland crowd carping, let me ask you this: even if it’s someone else that Atkins and/or president and chief executive officer Mark Shapiro know well from a previous movie, wasn’t comfort level the predominant reason for Alex Anthopoulos choosing Gibbons?

[SharoneWright]

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As much as there is chatter that contact has already been made through back channels with current MLB Network broadcaster Sean Casey about a job with the Blue Jays – no one’s clear whether it’s to manage or coach – that would seem to be a bit of a bold gamble for a guy with a GM’s resume such as Atkins, who is in many ways still cutting his teeth in the role. I mean, it’s one thing for Brian Cashman to reach into the broadcast booth for Aaron Boone, another for Atkins.

My sense is the new man will have MLB playing and coaching experience. He will need to be more than simply open to analytics; he will need to embrace them. You will see Blue Jays outfielders with index cards for positioning; you will see catchers wearing wristbands with more complicated signs and you will see infield drills become a regular staple in-season: not simply something to do between swings in the cage. Being able to speak Spanish is, I think, a must since the next two years are all going to be about Vladimir Guerrero Jr., and while I buy my Baseball Central co-host Kevin Barker’s opinion that it is the hitting coach who will spend the most time with Guerrero, I think it’s vital that the new guy be attuned to Latino sensibilities. So perhaps hiring a recent player such as Carlos Beltran or Victor Martinez to be on the staff won’t be enough alone.

The guy I’m keeping an eye on is Sandy Alomar Jr., the Cleveland Indians first-base coach and brother of Saint Roberto of Alomar. True, he’s interviewed for several managing jobs in the past without being chosen but he has a comfort level with the guys running things and while I can hear the anti-Cleveland crowd carping, let me ask you this: even if it’s someone else that Atkins and/or president and chief executive officer Mark Shapiro know well from a previous movie, wasn’t comfort level the predominant reason for Alex Anthopoulos choosing Gibbons?

Great post.... thanks!!
I'm keeping an eye on this one.

[OGLife]

Gibbons to Washington is literally what makes sense. The second option could be the Phillies

[polo007]

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[polo007]

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[North_of_Border]

Joe Madden anyone?

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[Schad]

There is precisely zero chance that Maddon will i) be available and ii) want to join the Blue Jays.

[Black Watch]

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I like Dave Valle, but I thought he was next in line to lead the Mariners. Wouldn't want another John Farrell situation.

[And1Skip]

Has it been talked about yet that Stubby Clapp is actually managing the Arizona Fall League team that the Jays prospects are playing for? I know, there are prospects from a bunch of other teams as well including his familiar Cardinals ones. But still, I’m guessing Shatkins will try to evaluate him from a player development standpoint working with Vlad Jr, Biggio and Pearson.

[Black Watch]

My favourite John Gibbons interview, before the last inning of the 2016 ALCS. Watch what the broadcast crew say about him afterwards and you'll see the respect he has around the game and throughout the industry.

Watch on YouTube

[North_of_Border]

Biggio is trying out the OF at Fall League. Which is smart as the Jays have a log jam in the infield but the OF spots are very achievable for him. Maybe even next season at a point.

I really like Biggio. Put him in LF.

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[polo007]

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External candidates to have either received internal consideration or been interviewed by phone to this point are believed to include:

— Joe Espada, the Houston Astros bench coach.

— David Bell, the San Francisco Giants’ farm director.

— Chris Woodward, the Los Angeles Dodgers third base coach who played shortstop for the Blue Jays.

— Sandy Alomar Jr., the Cleveland Indians first base coach who interviewed with the Blue Jays when John Farrell was hired after the 2010 season.

— Rob Thompson, the Sarnia, Ont., native who is bench coach with the Philadelphia Phillies.

— Rocco Baldelli, the Tampa Bay Rays’ major-league field co-ordinator.

— Stubby Clapp, the Canadian baseball stalwart who’s managed the St. Louis Cardinals’ triple-A affiliate Memphis to consecutive Pacific Coast League titles.

— John McDonald, the popular former Blue Jays infielder who is Cleveland’s minor-league defensive co-ordinator.

— Mike Matheny, the former Cardinals manager.

— Joe Girardi, the former New York Yankees manager.

— Eduardo Perez, the current ESPN broadcaster who served as hitting coach with the Miami Marlins and bench coach with Houston.

Internal candidates to have at least received some consideration are DeMarlo Hale, Gibbons’ Blue Jays’ bench coach; John Schneider, who led double-A New Hampshire to an Eastern League title; and triple-A Buffalo manager Bobby Meacham.

[SharoneWright]

I would really respect a quick decision. We liked X. We hired X yesterday. There's not 23 names.

[Skin Blues]

Matheny!!! oh god. Girardi or Clapp seem to be preferred here, although I don't know a whole hell of a lot about most of those guys.