Jerry Dipoto Rumors
Nightengale On D-Backs, Dipoto, Gibson, Managers
As expected, there has been plenty of talk about change around the Diamondbacks since new GM Kevin Towers took over last week, and that figures to continue on into the offseason. Bob Nightengale of USA Today brings us up to speed with everything going on around the team, plus more. All of the links go to his Twitter feed...
- Arizona is planning to overhaul their scouting department, and they believe Jerry Dipoto will stay if he isn't offered the Mets GM job.
- Kirk Gibson is expected to sign a two-year extension to remain on as the D-Backs manager, but the rest of his coaching staff isn't safe. Nightengale says all but two unidentified coaches will be let go.
- Nightengale lists the popular new managerial candidates for the winter: Dodgers Triple-A manager Tim Wallach, Padres bench coach Ted Simmons, Angels bench coach Ron Roenicke, Rays bench coach Dave Martinez, and Mets third base coach Chip Hale. As many as ten teams could be looking for new skippers this offseason.
Dipoto "Likely" To Remain With Diamondbacks
4:46pm: Fanhouse's Tom Krasovic reports that Dipoto is likely to remain within the Diamondbacks organization.
Towers met with Dipoto for four hours and came away with a great impression and respect for the interim GM. He's told Dipoto that he'd like him to remain in the organization as the team's vice president of scouting and player development. Towers also said he liked the trades made by Dipoto in his run as general manager, and feels that Dipoto will be a permanent GM someday.
The decision is up to Dipoto now, but according to Krasovic, indications are strong that he will accept the position sometime within the next ten days.
9:23am: When the Diamondbacks gave their vacant general manager job to Kevin Towers earlier this week, interim GM and long time executive Jerry Dipoto informed the team that he would not remain with the club and move on. He may be changing his mind, however, as sources tell FoxSports.com's Jon Paul Morosi that Dipoto and the D-Backs are in discussions to keep him in the organization in a "high-level position." One source even said the odds of him remaining were as high as 80%.
Club president Derrick Hall didn't offer a prediction as to whether Dipoto would return or not, but he is known to have a "great affinity" for him. Dipoto's familiarity with the organization could ease Towers' transition period. Morosi says that Dipoto could choose to remain if he buys into Towers' plan because he knows at some point another GM job will come his way. The Mets are far and away the most likely club to be looking for a new GM this offseason.
One industry person told Morosi that Towers and Dipoto have different philosophies when it comes to assessing talent. In his ESPN chat earlier this week (Insider req'd.), Keith Law said that Towers' strength was "big league trades" while his weakness was "the draft and the farm system." He then called Dipoto "an excellent choice [at GM] for a team looking to rebuild its farm system through the draft," and said "he's a very open-minded guy with a strong interest in using data to increase the effectiveness of his team's scouting efforts."
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