Report: Gibbons to return as Blue Jays manager next season

Manager John Gibbons is expected to be at the helm for the Toronto Blue Jays in 2015.

Jon Heyman of CBS Sports is reporting that the Blue Jays front office have no plans of parting ways with the manager, despite the team collapsing over the last two months of the season - they have a 19-26 record since Aug.1 -  and continuing a playoff drought that spans two decades.

Per Heyman:

Unless something crazy and unforeseen happens, Gibbons will be back with two more years in hand. Gibbons' contract is purposely set up whereby a year is added every Jan. 1 so that he's never a lame duck, so he'll be under contract through 2016.

Heyman also notes that Toronto's front-office are pleased with Gibbons' in-game managing and believe lengthy injuries to Brett Lawrie, Edwin Encarnacion, Adam Lind and Melky Cabrera were contributors to the Blue Jays collapse, not the manager.

The 52-year-old began his second tenure with the Blue Jays in 2013, when he was re-hired following his firing in June of 2008. In his seven years of managerial experience - all in Toronto - Gibbons owns a 458-470 record.