Paul Beeston, President and CEO of the Toronto Blue Jays smokes a cigar as he watches the Blue Jays during baseball spring training in Dunedin, Fla., on Sunday, Feb. 17, 2013.Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press
Paul Beeston has been telling people privately for weeks that he would remain as the president and chief executive officer of the Toronto Blue Jays through the 2015 Major League Baseball season. The team's owner, Rogers Communications Inc., finally made it official Monday, announcing that one of the baseball club's original employees was coming back for one more year.
"We have been in discussions with Paul about his future with the team since his contract expired in October," Edward Rogers, the Jays' chairman, said in a news release. "There were many rumours flying about, but it would have been inappropriate to comment on such matters publicly."
"I love this ball club and the fans," Beeston, 69, is quoted as saying., adding: "I'm excited for the season ahead – we've got a great group of guys who are fiercely competitive and hope to be playing ball in October."
The announcement ends an unseemly period in which ownership was actively seeking Beeston's successor even as he continued on the job. Dan Duquette of the Baltimore Orioles was the executive most often reported as a replacement.
A report on Sunday said Duquette was out of the running after the Jays determined the compensation the Baltimore Orioles were asking in order to free him from his contract was too high. The next day, Rogers announced Beeston will be back.