Alex Anthopoulos is out as Blue Jays GM after rejecting contract extension: reports

Alex Anthopoulos talked Monday about finally hitting his stride as a baseball executive in making the moves that took the Toronto Blue Jays back to the MLB postseason in 2015. Anthopoulos' next move won't be made as the general manager of Jays, however.

According to Shi Davidi of Rogers Sportsnet, citing multiple sources, Anthopoulos has rejected a contract extension and is leaving the franchise. It's a stunning development as the Montreal-born Anthopoulos, 38, was lauded around the baseball world for his work building a team that won the American League East for the first time since 1993 and then came two wins away from giving the franchise its first World Series appearance in 22 years. The Blue Jays fell to the Kansas City Royals in a six-game American League Championship Series after rallying from a 2-0 deficit to beat the Texas Rangers in the American League Division Series.

Davidi reported that money wasn't a stumbling block, leading to speculation that Mark Shapiro - who takes over Nov. 1 as club presiden and CEO - and Anthopoulos couldn't reach an agreement on how decisions around baseball operations would be made moving forward.

TSN's Rick Westhead also reported that Anthopoulos was offered a three-year contract extension over the past week. Anthopoulos told Rogers executives in a meeting Wednesday that he wouldn't be returning, according to Westhead.

Rogers released a statement through team chairman Ed Rogers acknowleding Anthopoulos' departure and expressing disappointment that Anthopoulos had not accepted a five-year contract extension to stay on a GM.

Anthopoulos, who was promoted from assistant GM in Toronto to replace J.P. Ricciardi in 2009, had three fourth-place finishes in the AL East, a fifth-place finish and a third-place finish before the team won the division with a 93-69 record this year.

The Blue Jays were hovering around the .500 mark at the trade deadline when Anthopoulos was able to acquire starting pitcher David Price, shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, outfielder Ben Revere and relievers Mark Lowe and LaTroy Hawkins. Toronto took off, going 40-18 over the final two months of the regular season and clinching the division title in Baltimore on the final Wednesday of the regular season. A group of Blue Jays fans at Camden Yards that afternoon serenaded Anthopoulos - sitting behind the Blue Jays dugout - with chants of "Thank you, Alex".

During his six years in Toronto, Anthopoulos earned plaudits for his drafting ability and for signing international free agents to be developed as prospects for the Blue Jays, or to be included in trades. Marcus Stroman, Aaron Sanchez, Roberto Osuna, Kevin Pillar and Dalton Pompey are on the current roster while Noah Syndergaard, Travis d'Arnaud (both sent to the New York Mets in the deal that brought R.A. Dickey to Toronto), Daniel Norris, Adeiny Hechavarria, Jeff Hoffman and Justin Nicolino were among the prospects dealt.