Alex Anthopoulos out as Toronto Blue Jays GM

Saying he will always remain a Toronto Blue Jays fan at heart,Alex Anthopoulos did notoffer specifics Thursday when asked why he will not return as general manager of the team he built into a playoff contender, saying only "this was the right fit for me going forward."

Earlier in the day, news broke thatAnthopoulos, 38,had rejected a contract extension with the team, leaving fans frustrated at news that the architect of the team's recent playoff run is now on his way out.

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The Montreal native expressedthanks to the team in a telephone news conference held hours after the news broke.

"I just felt this was the right move for me at this time," he said. "I love the Blue Jays. By no means is this an easy decision, but it's one that I needed to make."

He said the team made every effort to bring him back. "This decision is solely mine," he said. "I own this decision. This is on me 100 per cent."

The developmentcomes less than a week after the team enthralled baseball fans Canada-widewithits first playoff appearance in 22 years.

Anthopoulos was named baseball's executive of the year by the Sporting News on Thursday afternoon, after his departure from the Blue Jays had been announced.

In a news release issued a few hours after the news broke, the Blue Jaysthanked Anthopoulosfor "a job extremely well done."

The news comes ahead of the arrival of new team president and CEOMarkShapiro,who is taking over from PaulBeeston.

Mike Wilner, who covers the Blue Jays for the Fan 590 radio station, said the team has made a "terrible move" in allowing the man behindtheir recent successto leave.

"It's a huge mistake on the Blue Jayspart," said Wilnerin an interview on CBC News Network shortly after the story broke. "[Anthopoulos]had a fantastic year, he might have had the best trade deadline ever."

The Blue Jays weren't considered a playoff contender at the mid-point of the Major League Baseball season. ThenAnthopoulosmade a handful of high-profile acquisitionsat the trade deadline, including star pitcher David Price, shortstop TroyTulowitzkiand outfielder Ben Revere. Those moves catapulted the team to the American League East title.

The Jays beat the Texas Rangers in the American League Division Series before falling to the Royals in the league Championship Series.

There are reports the split may have happened over speculation about which man -Shapiro or Anthopoulos would have final say on player decisions. Some team presidents give their GMs a free hand in this area, others require sign-off from the president.

When asked whether a conflict about responsibility forplayer decisions with the incoming team was what made him decide to leave,Anthopoulosdidn't answer the question directly.

"I don't think specifics need to be discussed," he said. "I want to keep that private."

Anthopoulos said he is not leaving theBlue Jays for another baseball job.

"I have no job lined up," he said. "My focus was on the Toronto Blue Jays. What happens after that, I have no idea."

He also said the decision to leave was not money related, saying team ownerRogers Communications was "more than generous" during contract talks.

Fans not happy

Anthopoulos's departureraises questions about the future of a Blue Jaysteam whose return to the playoffs renewed excitement among Canadian baseball fans after years of losing. Fans packed Toronto's Rogers Centre and were glued to their television sets throughout the team's run.Moments from the playoffs including Jose Bautista's bat flip and the heart-stopping (andheartbreaking) loss to the Royals had many fans feeling confidentthe team would return to contention next year.

Now, with the architect of the team's recent successnow heading out the door, fans expressed their frustration on Twitter. Much of that frustration was directed at Rogers.

Toronto Mayor John Tory, whose resumincludes stints in executive positions at Rogers, said he was not happyto hear thatAnthopoulos is leaving.

"He'll be sadly missed," said Tory. "He was somebody who engineered a team that put us into a very exciting position this fall."

The Blue Jays are also facing a number of key roster decisions this off-season, with pitchers Price and Marco Estrada's contracts expiring at the end of this season.