Friedman: Dodgers Will Wait To Hire New GM To Replace Zaidi

The Dodgers have decided to take their time in filling the position left open recently by former GM Farhan Zaidi, president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman told reporters including Pedro Moura of The Athletic (Twitter link). A hiring search will not take place during the current offseason.

Friedman, of course, remains the top baseball operations decisionmaker in Los Angeles, so it’s hardly as if this is a rudderless ship. And the organization continues to employ former GM Josh Byrnes in a senior capacity. Another former GM, Gerry Hunsicker, remains on hand in addition to the remainder of the club’s baseball ops staff.

Still, it’s notable that the Dodgers have seen the departures of several well-known figures of late. Zaidi left to become the president of baseball operations of the Giants. Alex Anthopoulos departed to run the baseball side of the Atlanta Braves as their general manager. And Friedman’s predecessor, Ned Colletti, is no longer with the organization.

The news will allow other organizations to breathe easier, as their top non-GM execs won’t be lured by the L.A. behemoth — at least, not just yet. It seems likely that the Dodgers will, before too long, seek to bring in another voice to assist Friedman in assessing opportunities and engaging with agents and rival ballclubs.