Report: Blue Jays interview Royals assistant Francisco for GM job

Toronto Blue Jays new president Mark Shapiro is leaning on Tony LaCava in the short term.

It appears the Toronto Blue Jays have started their search for a full-time general manager.

According to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports, the Blue Jays have interviewed Kansas City Royals assistant general manager of major-league and international relations Rene Francisco.

Francisco, 47, has held a position in the Royals front office since 2006 when he joined the organization as a special assistant to the general manager and international operations.

Prior to joining the Royals, Francisco worked with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Atlanta Braves in various international scouting roles. He began his scouting career in 1993.

The Blue Jays currently do not have a full-time general manager after Alex Anthopoulos walked away from the organization once his contract expired at the end of the 2015 season while Mark Shapiro replaced Paul Beeston as CEO and team president.

Tony LaCava is serving as the team’s general manager in the interim.

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