Blue Jays GM says Gibbons will return as manager

TORONTO (AP) - John Gibbons won’t pay the price for the Blue Jays’ disappointing season, general manager Alex Anthopoulos said Tuesday.

Anthopoulos insisted that Gibbons will return as manager in 2014, even though the Blue Jays remain stuck in last place in the AL East with a 59-73 record.

Asked about the possibility of replacing Gibbons, Anthopoulos said “there’s never been any thought on that respect at all.”

Touted as a World Series favorite this spring after remaking their roster with a slew of winter trades and free agent signings, the Blue Jays have slumped badly instead, struggling with a mix of injuries and poor performance.

Gibbons went 305-305 as Blue Jays manager between 2004 and 2008. He was rehired last November after John Farrell was traded to Boston.