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Alex Anthopoulos Reportedly Joins the Los Angeles Dodgers Front Office

By Chris Okrainetz

Oct 14, 2015; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays Vice President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Alex Anthopoulos talks with the media in the club house at the end of game five against the Texas Rangers in the ALDS at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 14, 2015; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays Vice President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Alex Anthopoulos talks with the media in the club house at the end of game five against the Texas Rangers in the ALDS at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports /
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According to multiple reports, former Toronto Blue Jays general manager Alex Anthopoulos has been hired by the Los Angeles Dodgers to fill an unspecified role.

After spending 12 years with the Toronto Blue Jays, former general manager Alex Anthopoulos looks to be taking his knowledge to the west coast. According to ESPN and multiple sources, AA has agreed to a deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers to fill an unspecified role.

After going through a very public break up with the Blue Jays that not only saw Anthopoulos turn down a five-year offer from Rogers, but also declare the Blue Jays as not “the right fit for him”, the Dodgers were a very popular destination when it came to guessing where AA might end up next.

His familiarity with the Dodgers’ front office led many to believe that LA was an appealing option for him. When you connect the dots between AA and the Dodgers front office, the move for him does make a lot of sense.

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Thanks to playing each other 19 times each year, Anthopoulous became friends with then Tampa Bay Rays general manager Andrew Friedman, now the Dodgers president. The two think very highly of one another.

It’s not just Friedman who is familiar with Anthopoulos, though. Dodgers general manager Farhan Zaidi used to regularly meet with Anthopoulos from 2003-09 when he was the Oakland Athletics assistant general manager. According to Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun, A’s general manager Billy Beane would bring Zaidi to meet up with then Blue Jays general manager J.P. Ricciardi, and then assistant general manager Alex Anthopoulous, to discuss “the holes in their respective teams and come up with three-team trade suggestions”.

Friendships and familiarities with Friedman and Zaidi aside, Anthopoulos will join a star-studded front office. Now on staff at Chavez Ravine, the Dodgers have vice-president of baseball operations Josh Byrne, who spent nine years as the general manager of the Arizona Diamondbacks and San Diego Padres. Friedman, who was general manager of the Tampa Bay Rays for 10 years. Former general manager Ned Colletti, who spent 10 years running the Dodgers, and Tommy Lasorda, who is an iconic Dodger.

Now add in Montreal native Alex Anthopoulos. Not too shabby of a front office, huh?

While AA’s role with the Dodgers remains unknown, he mentioned his love for scouting and personally evaluating players in numerous interviews. Considering the Dodgers have let go of over 40 scouts and people who work in player development, I’d say there’s a good chance AA has something to do with player development.

Next: Blue Jays Rumors: Toronto Interested in Fernando Rodney

Considering how much success he had with the Blue Jays in 2015, the Dodgers are likely just a “bridge” job for Anthopoulos. Come the end of the 2016 season when a team is in need of a new general manager, you can bet that Anthopoulos will once again become a hot name around the league.

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