With the search for a new Diamondbacks GM expected to get started right away, we’re already seeing some initial reports on possible matches. Of course, many of the names that surfaced in the Padres’ recent hiring process could once again come up, but chief baseball officer Tony LaRussa could have others in mind. One hypothetical possibility is Cardinals vice president Gary LaRocque, tweets Peter Gammons of GammonsDaily.com. Two former playes — Angels exec Hal Morris and agent Dave Stewart — could potentially become candidates, according to MLB.com’s Steve Gilbert (Twitter links), though the latter tells Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter) that it would be “really, really difficult” to transition out of his current line of work.
- If Towers decides to stay with the Diamondbacks, it would be in a senior scouting role, tweets Bob Nightengale of USA Today. It appears that the sides have agreed to delay any decision on continued employment of the deposed GM until after his replacement is hired, meaning he’ll have plenty of time to track down a new opportunity if he prefers.
- The Rockies’ recent two-year, $25MM extension of starter Jorge De La Rosa was in some ways the first move of the offseason. As Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post writes, Colorado was never going to be able to get a similarly valuable veteran — let alone one with De La Rosa’s history of success at Coors Field — to join the club at that kind of rate. (Of course, it should be noted, the team also held the threat of a qualifying offer, which threatened to crash the market for the solid-but-aging De La Rosa.) Saunders goes on to discuss some of the team’s other in-house options, concluding that at least one or two more veteran additions would be necessary to move the ball forward in 2015.
- Pablo Sandoval and the Giants are still not discussing an extension, tweets Chris Cotillo of MLBDailyDish.com. As things stand, the 28-year-old figures to be a hot commodity on the free agent market; he checked in at fifth on MLBTR’s latest free agent power ranking. It is still too early to count out an extension, though. After all, San Francisco GM Brian Sabean re-upped two veterans (Hunter Pence and Tim Lincecum) late last year.
I don’t wish the Diamondbacks ownership on anyone. Poor future-GM.
The Diamondbacks ownership is fine. The fan experience has generally been very positive and they’re open to spending money now that the Colangelo deferred payments are complete.
The owner berates his players in the press, reducing their trade value, then he personally goes down to the $3,500 suite behind home plate and demands fans take off their opposing-team gear and put on Diamondbacks t-shirts or get ejected.
Please tell me where “fine” fits rationally into any of that.
Fan of team having bad year hates team’s owners … the only time this has ever happened in the history of forever.
Not.
The public berating only happened twice (not a regular occurrence like KT seemed to do with everyone else he traded) and the home plate story, which you’re blowing out of proportion (they just had to put on neutral colors which was adamantly spelled out in the rules for the seats – the fans violated this intentionally), has no effect on being a GM.
The “fine” aspect is that the GM generally has strong reign over what to do in AZ (unlike some other teams) and the ownership is spending money. That’s a -good- situation for a GM, not a bad one. Move along.
It happened to both of their star players, who were traded for $0.25 on the dollar. It’s a key reason why the Diamondbacks are in the situation they are in. The Diamondbacks have since learned, waiting until Eaton leaves for Chicago to start airing the dirty laundry about how he was bad in the clubhouse (which in of itself is hilarious).
And no, I’m being completely honest about the seat situation, it’s stated in multiple articles and he was even on video making the fans put on Diamondbacks gear. Most recently the Diamondbacks tried to eject an LA Dodgers fan who wore a shirt making fun of the pool incident. It’s a toxic ownership group.
If Pablo and his agent are still set on a Hunter Pence type deal he’s not getting an extension. Also I’m not sure how hot a commodity Sandoval will be when the Giants give him a qualifing offer
He’s up and away the most appealing 3B option so he’ll still be a hot commodity.
Sandavol would be less risk for an AL team that could play him at DH, if he starts eating again and is too out of shape to play in the field. His numbers don’t warrant a big contract. The QO would lower his value.
I don’t know I think Sandoval easily could get a Pence type deal. Firstly, he is a fan favorite in SF and has been with the team a lot longer then Pence. 2nd, 3B is a much harder position to fill then OF. 3rd, hes two years younger then Pence last year. 4th he is a much better defender. Lastly, the Panda’s career WRC+ is 123 which is pratically the same as Pence at 122