Report: Shapiro 'scolded' Anthopoulos for trading top prospects

The baseball world was shocked by reports Thursday that Toronto Blue Jays general manager Alex Anthopoulos is leaving the club, and now people want to know why the potential executive of the year is jumping ship.

A strained relationship between new president and CEO Mark Shapiro and Anthopoulos is likely the cause, according to TSN's Rick Westhead.

Related: Anthopoulos not returning as Blue Jays GM

Shapiro, a two-time baseball executive of the year with the Cleveland Indians, scolded Anthopoulos and other members of the front office for trading away so many high-end prospects this year, according to a source.

"Mark is a pretty direct guy and he was basically questioning giving up so many great prospects," a source, who was involved in Anthopoulos' contract negotiations, told Westhead. "He basically was trying to point out Alex really was going for broke."

Anthopoulos pulled off blockbuster deals to bring Ben Revere, Troy Tulowitzki, and David Price to the club at the non-waiver trade deadline, unloading top prospects such as Miguel Castro, Jeff Hoffman, and Daniel Norris in the process.

Neither the Blue Jays nor Anthopoulos have addressed the reports at this point.