Alex Anthopoulos insists he isn’t going anywhere.
The former Blue Jays GM and current Dodgers vice-president of baseball operations has been rumoured as a candidate for the role of Minnesota Twins GM, but Anthopoulos joined Jeff Blair, Kevin Barker and Stephen Brunt on Sportsnet 590 The Fan on Friday, indicating that the timing isn’t right for another move.
“I’m not the type to want to jump around my family all the time,” Anthopoulos said, explaining that his kids just started school this week and have settled into life in Southern California. “Otherwise if we thought L.A. was going to be a place-holder or be in a holding pattern, we would have stayed in Toronto and just waited around for other opportunities. But that’s not what the plan was.”
While Anthopoulos wouldn’t give an unequivocal “no” with respect to the Twins job, noting that his current role allows him to speak with teams about other opportunities, he made clear that he’s happy in his position with the Dodgers.
“My interest is in being here,” he said. “This is as good a job as I’m probably gonna find that fits everything I want.”
Anthopoulos also addressed the issue of Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig, who, after struggling this season, was demoted to the minors. Puig, 25, recently returned to the big club and has already contributed with his bat.
“He was almost a victim of his own success early on,” Anthopoulos said. “But he cares deeply, he wants to be good player, wants to be a great player. High energy, smile on his face. Is he perfect? Of course not. But I think the biggest thing has been the expectations have always been very, very high. You see the talent and you see what he can be, and ultimately it’s our job as an organization to get him there.”
Anthopoulos praised the Dodgers’ clubhouse dynamic, and spoke about how his stats-driven approach has evolved over time to include some consideration of player attributes that can’t be quantified.
Speaking of Blue Jays catcher Russell Martin, Anthopoulos said his durability and athleticism had been key reasons for bringing him on during his time as Toronto’s GM. But so, too, were Martin’s other qualities.
“He’s a complete player, and he’s intense, too,” he said. “And he’s not always smiling and happy, but he’s all about winning. And with the respect that he carries in that clubhouse, it has a carry-over effect.”
