Report: Blue Jays, Gibbons likely to part ways following season

The 2018 campaign will likely be the last for John Gibbons at the helm of the Toronto Blue Jays, as the team and skipper are prepared to part ways in the offseason, according to a report from Jon Heyman of Fancred.

Though nothing is final, Heyman's sources stated that it's "99.9 percent done" that Toronto will hire a new manager for next season. No candidates were named, but the Blue Jays reportedly plan to to hire a younger manager with an eye on competing in 2020 and '21.

Gibbons, 56, is in his second stint with Toronto after being hired in the middle of the 2004 season and keeping the job until 2008, when Cito Gaston was brought back for a second time. Following the 2012 campaign, when manager John Farrell was traded to the Boston Red Sox, Gibbons was appointed to the gig once again.

Over 11 years with the Blue Jays, Gibbons owns a 783-776 record. He's led the club to one first-place finish in the AL East and consecutive playoff berths in 2015 and '16, falling in the ALCS both times.

Gibbons previously said he was uncertain about wanting to oversee a full rebuild in Toronto. And with the Blue Jays continuing to trade away assets - most recently shipping Josh Donaldson to the Cleveland Indians - the club will likely need some time to become a championship contender once again.