Alex Anthopoulos, the much-maligned general manager of the Blue Jays, will return for his sixth season running the club, a bevy of major-league sources have confirmed.

Apparently, there is no temperature at all to remove Anthopoulos from his job — in fact, quite the opposite sentiment exists — with an appreciation internally for the manner in which he has conducted his business.

Neither Anthopoulos nor club president Paul Beeston would comment on the general manager’s status.

Anthopoulos has taken tremendous heat from fans, and even from some of his players, for his inability to make a significant deal at the non-waiver trade deadline and, of late, the Jays’ playoff chances are fading.

Ownership, however, looks at it somewhat differently. No matter what happens over the final 38 games, it appears pleased that Anthopoulous has put the club’s future in good pitching hands with a potential rotation down the road that includes Marcus Stroman, Aaron Sanchez, Drew Hutchison and minor-league stalwart Daniel Norris — all of whom are 23 years old or younger.

With Anthopoulos certain to return, it is also expected that John Gibbons will be back as manager.

Neither Gibbons nor Anthopoulos have been given any indication personally about their futures in Toronto beyond this season, but the GM’s contract carries into next year while it is assumed that Gibbons’ deal does not.

THIS AND THAT

The cost to acquire David Price, had the Jays finished negotiations in trade talks with Tampa, was Stroman and Hutchison. And that was without being able to open talks to extend Price’s contract beyond next season ... A little truth on the Rogers-Jays-money debate: The Jays never went to Rogers and asked for more money because they were never close enough to a trade that would have required additional funds. They still believe the money was there had they asked for it. You can believe whatever you want ... Melky Cabrera wants to remain a Blue Jay. That’s what he is telling people. Whether he and the Jays can agree on a price going forward is the question ... Never mind options, I wouldn’t have sent Anthony Gose to the minors. I would have released Juan Francisco or put Steve Tolleson on waivers. I want Gose’s defence and speed any time you need it ... There is more than a little George Bell in Jose Bautista and those who know Bell best say that’s not a bad thing ... Desperation, thy name is Kyle Drabek.

HEAR AND THERE

A little bird who usually knows these things whispered this the other day: Brendan Shanahan’s deal with the Maple Leafs is apparently five years and $2.5 million a year ... Another sports watcher wondered: With all the money Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment spends on its executives, shouldn’t it demand the people running the Leafs — Shanahan (left) and Dave Nonis — live here? ... When J-S Giguere retires in a few days, so go the Hartford Whalers. He was the last Whaler in the NHL ... My favourite Whalers: Gordie Howe, Dave Keon, Bobby Hull and Chris Pronger ... And did you know that Ken Holland’s first of four NHL games was played in goal for Hartford? ... The Hockey Forecaster arrived in the mail, as it does every year. Digger Turnbull’s annual magazine is projecting a 48-goal season for Phil Kessel. Kessel scored 37 last year, but only four in the final 20 games ... Don’t know if this will help the Leafs it can’t hurt, can it? David Clarkson is in Florida training with Sidney Crosby, John Tavares and Matt Duchene, among others, in preparation for the new season.

SCENE AND HEARD

Two things we feel certain about: 1) The Jon Bon Jovi-Larry Tanenbaum-Rogers family bid for the Buffalo Bills is all but done; 2) No matter what Bon Jovi or others contend, the intention was to move the team to Toronto ... One more thing: A Bills move to Toronto would have enhanced the Argos, not hurt them. Now, what’s the incentive for MLSE to support the Argos by either ownership or outdoor stadium possibilities? ... What seemed certain a week ago seems less certain now: Anthony Bennett may end up staying with the Minnesota Timberwolves rather than be traded to the Philadelphia 76ers. At least, that is today’s rumour ... This happens only in basketball, where celebrity matters more than the game: Now entertainer-agent Jay-Z is being blamed for Kevin Durant walking out on Team USA ... It’s 11 o’clock, do you know where Martin Brodeur is? ... Almost 200 players who made an appearance in the NHL last season, many of whom played an entire season, are without contracts this close to training camp. Among them: Mike Komisarek ... When the analytics website @extraskater disappeared on Friday, my assumption was that creater Darryl Metcalf had been hired by an NHL team ... If capgeek.com disappeared, we’d all be out of work ... Roger Clemens has now been inducted into the Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame, which may be as close as he ever gets to the Baseball Hall of Fame ... He can play on my team: Jose Altuve ... Ted Kennedy had his best NHL season in 1950-51. It means you pretty much have to be over 70 years old to have ever seen the honoured Leaf play. It’s lovely to honour history: But it’s difficult to engage the youth when it can’t relate to a player it has never heard of or seen ... The next two Leafs on the Legends bench beside Kennedy should be Keon and Darryl Sittler, with Borje Salming, Johnny Bower, Tim Horton and Mats Sundin as honourable mentions.

AND ANOTHER THING

So what’s the first thing Rob Manfred must do as new commissioner of baseball? Find a way to shorten games? Market the stars of the game better? Change the all-star format? Probably all of the above and more ... The Argos would like to bring in former first-round pick Cory Greenwood, an early cut by the Detroit Lions, but so far the two sides haven’t been able to make a deal ... And don’t be surprised if the Argos take a run at Weston Dressler, after he is let go in Kansas City, which is expected to happen ... Is it just me or can someone explain the Argos slogan: “It only takes One Look.” Is this supposed to make me buy a ticket? ... If you believe in the baseball calculation, Wins Above Replacement (WAR), the five best players in baseball are Mike Trout, Josh Donaldson, Giancarlo Stanton, Felix Hernandez and Clayton Kershaw ... An ESPN poll recognizes Edwin Encarnacion as the third best power hitter in baseball. Other Jays recognized: Bautista in numerous categories; Brett Lawrie for fielding; Jose Reyes for base-running, his glove and his arm and Mark Buehrle for his fielding ... The Tampa Bay Rays after 64 games: 24-42. The next 56 games: 37-19. From 18-games under to .500. Ridiculous ... Happy birthday to Dave Lemanczyk (64), Jamie Macoun (53), Jim Dorey (67), Jon Gruden (50), Rudy Gay (28), Dustin Pedroia (31), and Jorge Posada (43) ... And, hey, whatever became of Hillbilly Jim?

SHANNY'S MAKING IT HIS TEAM

Brendan Shanahan met with Dion Phaneuf for a couple of days in Prince Edward Island. This came after a three-hour dinner with Phil Kessel, which is at least two hours more than most of us could handle.

This is what Shanahan is doing with the Maple Leafs: In every department, in every way. He is talking but more than that he is listening. He is asking all kind of questions. He wants to know what everybody does, more than that, he wants to know what everybody is thinking.

And in a short time on the job, without any headline of a singular move, he has maintained Randy Carlyle, but wiped out his coaching staff; maintained Dave Nonis, but wiped out much of his front office; maintained one of his media relations people, fired his PR chief, and sent one to the Marlies and called one up.

That’s three departments turned upside down and more to come.

It may not sound like much, overall. It may not excite Leafs fans. But it’s Shanahan’s belief that a whole lot of small changes can result in large change down the road for the organization. Shanahan is building his organization, his way.

BOUCHARD LEAVES US WONDERING

When Genie Bouchard played for the Wimbledon championship, after being eliminated in the semifinals of the French and Australian Opens, I kind of assumed she had clinched the Lou Marsh Trophy, as Canada’s athlete of the year, five months early.

Now, like a lot of us, I’m not sure what to think.

Bouchard lost terribly in the first round of the Rogers Cup in Montreal, after being crushed in the Wimbledon final, and followed up Montreal with another unimpressive loss in the first round at Cincinnati. So we have now seen the great Genie and the not-so-great Genie.

If I’m voting for the Lou Marsh today, not knowing what the U.S. Open might bring, I’m confused about Bouchard’s year and would probably lean towards someone such as Drew Doughty, who won a Stanley Cup and an Olympic gold medal this year and was dominant in both venues.

But if Bouchard returns in New York with another semifinal performance, then we’ll talk. Then this gets interesting.

SAFETY CONCERNS ABOUT TICATS' NEW STADIUM

One of the people working on Tim Hortons Field, the eventual new home of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, believes the stadium is unfit for usage this football season and could potentially be dangerous if opened prematurely. He says that privately. He says that seriously.

He won’t say it for the record.

But his words are strong, nonetheless.

The last concern in this case should be for the Ticats and a rush to have the stadium open for the usually sold-out Labour Day game against the Argonauts. The first concern must be for the safety of everyone involved.

The delays in the building of the eventual Pan Am Games facility have been monumental and well-documented. But now it’s close to serious decision-making time and structural problems, among others, I’m told, still need to be addressed.

CFL commissioner Mark Cohon must insist upon full disclosure this close to Labour Day and the league and the Ticats had better have a sensible alternative for the Sept. 1 game and maybe for the rest of this season.

steve.simmons@sunmedia.ca