Inside Baseball: Personality clash led to Anthopoulos’ gutsy call; more notes – CBSSports.com

NEW YORK — Mark Shapiro’s tenure as president of the Toronto Blue Jays doesn’t technically even begin until Monday, yet it is already being labeled as a disaster up north.

Alex Anthopoulos, the extremely popular Canadian-born-and-bred general manager of the team, stunned Shapiro, folks around MLB, the fans who love him and everyone else by resigning Thursday when everyone figured a long extension was a fait accompli following a brilliant campaign in which he acquired Josh Donaldson (the likely AL MVP), Russell Martin, Troy Tulowitzki, David Price and many more fine players.

Those moves catapulted the Jays into the ALCS against Kansas City. They also led Anthopoulos to winning the Sporting News MLB Executive of the Year award, fortuitously for TSN announced on the day of his surprise resignation.

Anthopoulos, one of baseball’s best young executives, was offered a five-year deal to stay, it turns out, and hearing about his reservations, according to sources, was even offered the opportunity to include an early opt-out in the contract, likely after one year, in case things were going as he feared they would. But Anthopoulos decided he didn’t need a trial run with Shapiro. It wasn’t going to work, in any case, he surmised.

Shapiro, the Indians executive who was a two-time Executive of the Year himself before being elevated to president in Cleveland, is taking big hits in Toronto, even before he has started. But around MLB, executives who know Shapiro can’t believe it. Stability has been a hallmark for the admired “Indians guys,” and Shapiro has been a key for them. Shapiro, in particular, is extremely respected around the game, especially by those who’ve worked with and for him in Cleveland over the past two-plus decades. “The best,” one former high-ranking employee called him.

But while everyone was surprised anyone would have the guts to turn down a guaranteed $10 million or more when all the other GM jobs are filled and nothing else comparable is available, some did wonder whether this was an odd pairing that ever made sense. Shapiro is highly structured and “all about process,” according to former co-workers, while Anthopoulos is seen as a frenetic mile-a-minute thinker and mover who can seem all over the map at times.

Anthopoulos is also all about bold moves, and this is just another one of them. While he may seem scattershot, he often ends up in the right place. This may be for the best for two very different people.

Anthopoulos only said it wasn’t the right “fit,” leaving much to the imagination. But the reality is, he didn’t feel he’d be able to work comfortably with Shapiro, according to people familiar with the situation.

There’s been a suggestion Anthopoulos envisioned a much more hands-on approach for Shapiro than outgoing president Paul Beeston and wasn’t comfortable with an extra layer above him. But while there may be something to that, that doesn’t really sound like the crux of the issue.

There’s been speculation that Anthopoulos is being used as a “pawn” in someone else’s game (presumably Beeston’s in his dispute with the club-owning Rogers family), but that conjecture has zero merit, sources said. And really, that makes no sense. No matter how much Anthopoulos liked Beeston and enjoyed his hands-off approach, and he did very much like him, no 30-something is giving up their career for the unwinnable fight involving a wealthy retiring 70-year-old who got an extra year by the grace of luck, and Peter Angelos’ decision not to let Orioles GM Dan Duquette take the Toronto president’s job a year ago.

No, this was about the match. The pair is said to have had only a couple big meetings and a few more phone calls while Shapiro was finishing out his stay in Cleveland and giving Beeston his space. But word is, while Shapiro thought the confabs went well, Anthopoulos saw them negatively. While Shapiro thought he was being effusive in his praise, Anthopoulos heard only criticisms.

Shapiro apparently thought he was providing sufficient support. But after working 24-hour days for months, Anthopoulos, undoubtedly fried, probably needed some pats on the back. A friend of his outside the organization suggested he felt was being constantly told he’s no good.

Shapiro, a brilliant man who normally chooses his words precisely, at one point was said to have discussed the lack of top prospects at the upper levels and the need to replenish the coffers following the big season-altering trades, and Anthopoulos apparently took that as a slap. Shapiro and Anthopoulos both declined to talk for this article, but one other person familiar with the situation said he understood why Anthopoulos felt the way he did; that person said he believed Shapiro wasn’t especially complimentary considering the wonderful run the Blue Jays were on.

Perhaps Shapiro thought he was being pro-active in discussing the issues the club faced going forward. However, his remarks were received as unnecessary criticism. Another person with Blue Jays connections suggested that the erudite, Princeton-educated Shapiro, perhaps unintentionally, came off as smug, especially considering the Indians have had very solid, though not always spectacular, results in a very small market, and a less-than-stellar overall farm record (they made their hay with some very good trades). One other Jays person remarked, regarding Shapiro, “I didn’t see his rings. Maybe they didn’t get past the border.”

Anthopoulos wouldn’t say anything beyond his previous public comments, which didn’t shed much light on the situation. “I just didn’t feel like this was the right fit going forward,” he said. “It was not an easy (decision). Obviously, everyone knows how I feel about the organization, the city, the country.”

Anthopoulos is being characteristically polite, but to give up all he gave up, that tells you something about what he was feeling about the “fit.”

Inside Baseball around the majors …

Team	News
	Baltimore Orioles News
Buck Showalter, who’s not an especially good loser, and Duquette are still working on their relationship … The belief now is that there’s a decent chance the Orioles make Matt Wieters a qualifying offer even though they hope he doesn’t take it. They just don’t see Scott Boras as the first agent to take the QO.
	Kansas City Royals News
Alex Gordon, who according to sources will not exercise his $14-million player option, is expected to have a huge free-agent market. The Cubs, White Sox, Orioles and Astros are among teams rumored to have interest, but there will be many more. However, the Royals are hoping to keep him, quite likely with an offer of about four years. Since he accepted a team-friendly four-year deal last time, there is reason to hope. And while he got only four while in his 20s, he can probably find five if he’s open to leaving … There may be a consideration to reworking catcher Salvador Perez‘s team-friendly deal that not only guarantees just $7 million for five years but contains two low team options that takes it until he’s 30. While Royals people point out that Perez will make slightly more than Yadier Molina and Brian McCann in his first five seasons by virtue of signing after 34 MLB games, no one could claim this deal is anywhere near commensurate with his value. The ball is in team owner David Glass’s court … The Royals intend to extend Ned Yost after the year, if he desires to keep managing. He has one year to go on his contract, but there is no reason to think he won’t return for more, as he’s a rather young 60. GM Dayton Moore’s contract also needs to be addressed. He has done a superb job in a small market, and may be close to as underpaid as Perez … The trade of Zack Greinke for Alcides Escobar and Lorenzo Cain has worked out great, but the original trade agreement, with the Nats, would have worked decently, too. That one fell through because Nats GM Mike Rizzo wanted to lock up Greinke long-term for what is believed to have been $100 million. Greinke decided he didn’t want to do that because he doubted the Nats were ready to win. As it turns out, the Nats have been a fairly consistent contender, and the Royals have been to the World Series twice since he left (though Escobar and Cain are a big reason for that). From Washington, the Royals were to get Jordan Zimmermann, Drew Storen, Danny Espinosa and Derek Norris, quite a haul indeed … Even better than the trade with Milwaukee was Moore flying to Orlando in 2006 and convincing Greinke to give his career another try after he had gone home. Greinke owes Moore an assist for that one … The Royals will keep their great nucleus together next year, and like last year, they will be hunting for one starting pitcher and one outfielder via either trade or free agency to replace Johnny Cueto and Alex Rios … KC realizes it has no hope to re-sign Cueto, who they fully expect will get well into nine figures … Hard to believe Lorenzo Cain isn’t a Gold Glove finalist. But there’s no position better stocked with great fielders than center field in the American League. Kevin Kiermaier, Kevin Pillar, Mike Trout, Jake Marisnick and Adam Jones are all worthy. Cain wasn’t quite as good this year as last year, but he’s still the best in our book.
	Los Angeles Dodgers News
Los Angeles will interview Darin Erstad, the University of Nebraska coach, for the managing job. This is a very interesting choice, and not only because they’d be hiring an Angel while the Angels hired life-long Dodger Mike Scioscia. Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com first reported on the Erstad interview. Gabe Kapler is still being viewed as the favorite, but the Dodgers are obviously keeping an open mind as they begin their search.
	Miami Marlins News
Friends tell Dan Jennings he “won the lottery” by being fired with $5.8 million remaining in his contract over three years. He should have no trouble finding work as he is extremely popular, though at this point it will have to be at a lower job than GM.
	New York Mets News
There is increasing belief the Mets will let Yoenis Cespedes walk for big bucks via free agency. Though Cespedes has played brilliantly for them, people around the game figure they will save the big bucks for their vaunted young pitching staff … If the Mets get back to KC, they aren’t committed to starting Juan Lagares again, as they seem to want to play their best offensive team. But that may be taking a chance in that big outfield.
	Pittsburgh Pirates News
Congratulations to Andrew McCutchen, a most deserving winner of the 2015 Roberto Clemente award. It seems extra special when someone from Clemente’s team wins it.
	San Diego Padres News
There’s skepticism as to whether the Padres will really give Ian Kennedy a qualifying offer. Rivals see that as a $15.8-million gamble that’s too big for a small-revenue team.
	Toronto Blue Jays News
Shapiro will announce the interim structure soon, and it is expected Tony La Cava, who he hired as a national crosschecker in Cleveland and was an assistant GM under Anthopoulos, will be the interim GM. Ross Atkins, an assistant GM in Cleveland, is thought to be one possibility for the long-term job, as might be La Cava. Since the Indians allowed him to interview for the Phillies’ GM job, it might be hard for them to decline a similar opportunity in Toronto, just because their ex-president Shapiro is there … Manager John Gibbons, an Anthopoulos ally, is expected to be asked to remain in 2016. He has a year to go on his contract. One name to watch for the future could be Eric Wedge, a Shapiro favorite, for some role with the Jays.
	Washington Nationals News
An intermediary on behalf of Don Mattingly was said to have investigated a possible candidacy for manager there before he agreed to become Marlins manager, but word came back through the intermediary, “We can’t afford Don Mattingly.” Whether the Nats were just being polite isn’t known, but it seems like they were negotiating hard and hoping to keep the manager below $2 million per year, perhaps well below. That seems odd for a team that spent $210 million on a pitcher, though far from unprecedented … The team was said to be down to the fine print Friday in the Bud Black agreement to manage … One coincidence: Black was teammates with Matt Williams on some early ’90s Giants teams. The manager? Dusty Baker, who was Black’s main competitor for the Nats’ manager job.