Dec 7, 2014
Report: Blue Jays seeking replacement for Beeston, Orioles GM Duquette a top candidate
The Toronto Blue Jays look ready to make a change at the President position. According to ESPN’s Buster Olney, Blue Jays ownership is actively seeking a replacement for long-time President and CEO Paul Beeston, and that Baltimore Orioles GM Dan Duquette is among the candidates.
TSN.ca Staff
The Toronto Blue Jays look ready to make a change at the President position.
According to ESPN’s Buster Olney, Blue Jays ownership is actively seeking a replacement for long-time President and CEO Paul Beeston, and that Baltimore Orioles GM Dan Duquette is among the candidates.
Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal took it one step farther in saying that Duquette was a top candidate to replace Beeston and that because the move would be a promotion, it would be hard for the Orioles to stand in the way.
“We signed (Duquette). He has a commitment for four more years, and he has done quite a job for us," Orioles owner Peter Angelos told The Baltimore Sun. "We are very pleased with his performance, and we expect him to satisfy his contract. We not only want him to, but we expect him to. We don’t want him to go away, and we don’t expect him to go away. And he’s given no indication he wants to go away.”
Duquette has been with the Orioles the past three seasons and credited for helping turn the team’s fortunes. Prior to his stint with Baltimore, Duquette was out of MLB for nearly a decade, but also has successful stints as general manager with the Boston Red Sox and Montreal Expos.
“He is a sophisticated individual,” Angelos told The Baltimore Sun about Duquette. “He has a certain performance that is required in terms of the contract and, under those terms, he has four more years of service to be performed. I’m sure he is prepared to do that, and I am sure he understands that.”
Beeston began with the Blue Jays when they entered the league and became President and CEO for the first time in 1989. He left for the commissioner’s office in 1997 but returned to Toronto for his second stint in 2009. According to ESPN, there is speculation Beeston, 69, is contemplating retiring soon.
ESPN also mentioned Chicago White Sox executive vice-president Ken Williams as someone the Jays have discussed for the position.
St. Paul Pioneer Press is reporting that Minnesota Twins general manager Terry Ryan is also on the Blue Jays radar as a possible replacement for Beeston.