Amiel Sawdaye

Rockies Narrow Front Office Search To At Least Two Finalists

By Mark Polishuk | October 22, 2025 at 1:31pm CDT

Reports emerged a few days ago that the Rockies were entering the finalist stage of their search for a new front office leader, and the field has now been whittled down to perhaps just two names. The Athletic’s Brittany Ghiroli and Ken Rosenthal report that Guardians assistant GM Matt Forman and Diamondbacks assistant GM Amiel Sawdaye are under consideration for the job, though it is possible another unknown finalist may also still be in the mix. Former Astros GM James Click and Royals assistant GM Scott Sharp had been candidates for the Rockies job but are no longer in consideration.

Forman, Sharp, and Click were the only names linked to the Rockies’ search, though naturally the team has likely been speaking with other candidates like Sawdaye who weren’t publicly known until now. Sawdaye has previously been a candidate for top front office posts with the Giants (before Farhan Zaidi was hired) and Angels (who hired Perry Minasian), plus he was at least contacted by the Nationals about their president of baseball operations opening this offseason before Paul Toboni was hired. Sawdaye has never held the top post in a front office before, but he did take over day-to-day operations for the D’Backs in 2021 when GM Mike Hazen took a temporary leave of absence.

Sawdaye is a longtime executive who started his baseball career with a 15-year stint in the Red Sox front office, rising to the levels of VP of international and amateur scouting. He worked closely with Hazen for a decade of that time, and when Hazen was hired as Arizona’s GM in October 2016, Sawdaye followed as Hazen’s assistant GM and has since been the de facto chief lieutenant within the Diamondbacks front office.

All this time in the NL West has given Sawdaye plenty of familiarity with the Rockies, and thus Sawdaye may well have some insight into how the Rox can get their organization on track. Colorado’s search for a new front office head is particularly intriguing since owner Dick Monfort is finally looking at external hires, as a way of bringing some fresh perspective into an organization that has long been accused of being too insular and outmoded in its thinking.

Seven straight losing seasons will tend to convince a team that things need to be changed, especially after the particular embarrassment of the Rockies’ near-record 119-loss campaign in 2025. Whether it’s Sawdaye, Forman, or another finalist who gets the job, a massive task lies in front of them in simply modernizing the Rockies’ baseball operations department, before getting around to upgrading the on-field roster.

The latest round of interviews for the finalists will take place later this week, Ghiroli and Rosenthal write, with the assumption being that the Rockies will have someone hired before the GM Meetings in early November. Interim manager Warren Schaeffer technically remains a candidate for the full-time managerial position, but chances are the new GM/president of baseball operations would want to make their own choice as Colorado’s next skipper.

Nationals Interview Cubs’ GM Carter Hawkins In Front Office Search

By Anthony Franco | September 9, 2025 at 8:36pm CDT

8:36pm: The Nats have also contacted Diamondbacks assistant GM Amiel Sawdaye and Dodgers senior vice president Josh Byrnes, report Ken Rosenthal, Patrick Mooney and Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic. Sawdaye has worked as one of Mike Hazen’s top executives in Arizona for nearly a decade. Byrnes, a former head of baseball operations in San Diego and Arizona, has been part of Andrew Friedman’s team in Los Angeles since 2014. Byrnes and Sawdaye have both been in consideration in various front office searches over the past few years.

8:28pm: The Nationals interviewed Cubs general manger Carter Hawkins in their search for a baseball operations leader, reports Bob Nightengale of USA Today. Washington dismissed longtime front office head Mike Rizzo alongside manager Dave Martinez in July.

Assistant general manager Mike DeBartolo has taken over operations on an interim basis for the past three months. That included the pivotal decision to select Eli Willits with the #1 pick in the draft and overseeing their relatively quiet trade deadline. DeBartolo has been a member of the organization for over a decade and worked as one of Rizzo’s top lieutenants for the past six seasons. Barry Svrluga of The Washington Post suggested this evening that DeBartolo is likely to get some consideration for the full-time position.

The final call should only be a few weeks away. Svrluga indicates the Nationals hope to have a decision made by the end of the season. It’s sensible they wouldn’t want an interim GM going into the offseason. Nightengale writes that Hawkins interviewed last week and calls him a “finalist” for the position. That suggests ownership has already begun to narrow the field.

Hawkins, 41, has been Chicago’s general manager since the beginning of the 2021-22 offseason. As is increasingly common, that makes him the #2 decision-maker. Title inflation around the league means that few teams now have a “general manager” atop their front office hierarchy. That’s usually held by a president of baseball operations (Jed Hoyer, in the Cubs’ case) with the GM standing as the second in command.

That’s why the Cubs would permit Hawkins to interview with the Nationals. If he were to get the job, it would represent a promotion and presumably come with his own president of baseball operations title. Before going to Chicago, Hawkins spent over a decade working his way up the Cleveland front office. He worked as an assistant GM there for five seasons.

Diamondbacks General Manager Mike Hazen To Take Physical Leave Of Absence

By Anthony Franco | June 11, 2021 at 10:59pm CDT

The Diamondbacks announced that executive vice president and general manager Mike Hazen is taking a “physical leave of absence” from the team. Assistant GM Amiel Sawdaye will take over day-to-day baseball operations, with Hazen consulting regularly.

Sawdaye has been one of Hazen’s primary lieutenants throughout the duration of their tenures in Arizona. The pair worked together in the Red Sox front office, and Sawdaye followed Hazen to the desert less than two weeks after the latter was hired as Diamondbacks general manager. Sawdaye has long been viewed as a potential future GM, and he was among the finalists for the Angels job that went to Perry Minasian last winter.

Hazen’s wife Nicole has been battling brain cancer, notes Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic. Hazen told reporters (including Bob Nightengale of USA Today) he didn’t feel he could devote the time required to lead the team’s trade deadline and draft preparation while attending to his family responsibilities. MLBTR sends our best wishes to the Hazen family.

Minasian, Hollander Finalists For Angels GM Job

By Jeff Todd | November 11, 2020 at 11:03pm CDT

11:29pm: Minasian is seen as the “front-runner,” Rosenthal tweets.

11:03pm: The Angels have narrowed their search for a new GM. They’ll choose between Braves assistant GM Perry Minasian and Mariners AGM Justin Hollander, according to Ken Rosenthal and Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic (via Twitter).

Other serious candidates included Jason McLeod of the Cubs and Jared Porter of the Diamondbacks. Both were among the finalists recently removed from consideration, per Joel Sherman of the New York Post (Twitter link). Another Arizona exec, Amiel Sawdaye, was also among the finalists, Rosenthal adds.

It seems we’ll soon know which of the remaining candidates will get the gig. The Halos will likely announce their choice tomorrow, Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Registers reports on Twitter.

The top baseball operations position came open in late September, on the heels of another disappointing season. Owner Arte Moreno elected to cut bait on GM Billy Eppler despite recently extending his contract by one additional year.

Despite a five-year run of losing campaigns under Eppler, the Angels aren’t expected to present a rebuilding opportunity for a new front office leader. The club still features some premium talent, headlined by living legend Mike Trout, with the payroll commitments to match.

Though the Angels reportedly considered a wide array of potential hires, including some with previous experience in a GM seat, the team clearly homed in on a certain archetype as its search progressed. The five finalists are all relatively youthful, rising-star types who’ve yet to run their own department.

Angels Down To Five GM Finalists

By TC Zencka | November 11, 2020 at 8:34am CDT

Nov. 11: Braves assistant general manager Perry Minasian is the fifth finalist for the job, Rosenthal tweets.

Nov. 10: The Los Angeles Angels are closing in on their next general manager. Per the Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal (via Twitter), the Angels have narrowed the field to a final five candidates. Granted, the field was said to have narrowed to three as of a couple of days ago, but regardless of how many remain in contention, Rosenthal adds that a decision could be made by the end of the week.

The known candidates are Cubs senior VP Jason McLeod, Diamondbacks assistant GMs Jared Porter and Amiel Sawdaye, and Mariners assistant GM Justin Hollander. The unknown fifth candidate fits a similar mold as an assistant GM type, per Rosenthal. Porter and McLeod both connect back to manager Joe Maddon and his time with the Cubs, while Hollander spent 9 years in the Angels’ front office before moving to the Mariners, notes Rosenthal.

As many as 14 different candidates were said to have interviewed for the role, most notably Michael Hill, formerly of the Marlins. Dave Dombrowski was rumored to be a consideration, but he proved unavailable for front office roles at this time. The Angels have apparently chosen to go the promotion route, selecting someone without significant prior experience in the role.

Latest On Angels’ GM Search

By Connor Byrne | October 30, 2020 at 6:07pm CDT

OCT. 30, 6:07pm: Brewers assistant GM Matt Arnold has also interviewed with the Angels, per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. Arnold was a candidate for Pittsburgh’s GM vacancy last winter, but that position went to Ben Cherington.

3:47pm: Ricciardi is not a candidate, Fletcher tweets. Former Giants GM Bobby Evans has received an interview, though, and Mariners assistant GM Justin Hollander (formerly with the Angels) is also in the mix, according to Fletcher. Additionally, they’ve reached out to Eddie Bane, their former scouting director, to gauge his interest in the GM job, Robert Murray reports.

OCT. 29, 11:01pm; Former Marlins president of baseball operations Michael Hill, Nationals special assistant to the GM Dan Jennings and Cubs VP of player personnel Jason McLeod are also in the running, according to Kiley McDaniel of ESPN.

10:28pm: The Angels have moved slowly to find a new general since firing Billy Eppler at the end of September, but at least a few names have emerged for the job, per reports from Robert Murray, Jon Heyman of MLB Network, Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register, Maria Torres of the Los Angeles Times and Mike Puma of the New York Post.

According to the aforementioned group of reporters, Diamondbacks assistant general managers Jared Porter and Amiel Sawdaye, Athletics assistant Billy Owens and Padres senior advisor Logan White have all interviewed for the job in Anaheim. Giants special advisor J.P. Ricciardi, once the Blue Jays’ GM, is also in the running. The Angels also contacted Cubs vice president of scouting Dan Kantrovitz to gauge his interest in the position, but he’s not a candidate. Kantrovitz turned down the Angels’ overtures and will stay with the Cubs in 2021, Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic reports.

While both Porter and Sawdaye received new contracts with the Diamondbacks just over a year ago, perhaps they’re amenable to taking over another team’s baseball operations. Owens just finished his 19th season in the A’s front office, though he may be open to a change with executive VP Billy Beane possibly set to pursue other interests. And then there’s White, who previously worked for the Dodgers but has been with the Padres since before 2015.

Of course, anyone succeeding Eppler will be taking over a fairly appealing situation. The Angels have missed the postseason six times in a row, but they have the game’s best player, center fielder Mike Trout, as well as a great complement in third baseman Anthony Rendon. Infielder David Fletcher, two-way player Shohei Ohtani, young outfielder Jo Adell and starters Dylan Bundy and Andrew Heaney are also on hand. Plus, owner Arte Moreno has typically been willing to spend, so the budget shouldn’t be a hindrance for the club’s next GM.

Coaching/Front Office Notes: Bucs, D-backs, Giants, O’s

By Connor Byrne | November 21, 2019 at 10:32pm CDT

Rays bench coach Matt Quatraro remains in the running to become the Pirates’ next manager, per Jon Heyman of MLB Network. The race is seemingly down to Quatraro, Athletics quality control coach Mark Kotsay and Twins bench coach Derek Shelton, though Heyman notes there may be other unreported names in the mix. Hiring a manager could end up as the first important order of business for new GM Ben Cherington, whom the Pirates brought aboard earlier this week.

Diamondbacks executives Amiel Sawdaye and Jared Porter have been mentioned as future general managers, though the two told Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic (subscription link) they’re content to stay in Arizona working under GM Mike Hazen. “It would be really hard to leave Arizona not just because of the culture Mike has created, the ease of living, the obvious excitement over the organization. But coming in and building something and wanting to see it through is so important,” said Sawdaye, who added, “If I never become a GM and this is my ultimate job and I’m here for the next 25 years, I can tell you I’ll be darned happy.” Porter echoed Sawdaye, saying: “I’ve never been more excited about working somewhere. I’ve never been more determined and focused to make a team and an organization better.” The feeling’s mutual on the D-backs’ end, as the franchise recently signed the two assistant GMs to extensions.
Greg E. Johnson has grabbed the reins as the Giants’ control person, Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle reports. He’ll take over for Rob Dean, who held the position on an interim basis after MLB suspended now-reinstated president/CEO Larry Baer in March, though Dean is still with the organization. Baer and president of baseball ops Farhan Zaidi are now expected to report to Johnson and Dean, but “day-to-day operations should not be affected by Thursday’s moves,” Schulman writes. Johnson’s the son of Charles B. Johnson, who was part of the investment group that bought the Giants in 1993.
The Orioles are close to hiring Rockies assistant Anthony Sanders as their first base coach, Jon Morosi of MLB.com tweets. Sanders is a former major league outfielder who managed at the rookie level with the Rockies, though he was most recently their outfield and base-running coordinator. Assuming Sanders takes over as the O’s first base coach, he’ll succeed Arnie Beyeler.

Top D-Backs Execs Received New Contracts

By Jeff Todd | September 24, 2019 at 6:35am CDT

The Diamondbacks recently extended GM Mike Hazen in hopes of staying off of the upcoming offseason’s hiring carousel. But prying eyes are still scanning an Arizona front office that has performed quite well over the past several seasons.

Assistant general managers Amiel Sawdaye and Jared Porter are among the execs around the game that figure to draw interest from other teams. But neither will be easy to poach, as Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports.

As it turns out, both Sawdaye and Porter received new deals long before Hazen’s new contract was hammered out. They are each now a full season into extensions, the details of which remain unknown. Both originally landed with the club along with Hazen, in advance of the 2017 season.

The new contracts may not fully protect the club from a front-office raid, as D-Backs CEO Derrick Hall acknowledges. He says that the team “tried to give [Sawdaye and Porter] a little more security” with those deals. But that’s likely just a temporary protection.

Per Hall:

“We are going to try to do all we can to keep them happy, but we know realistically that the point will come when one or both will move on for a higher position. They both are deserving and will get that chance.”

The expectation in Arizona is that Porter and Sawdaye will remain in place unless there’s an opportunity at a clear promotion. As Piecoro understands it, a position serving as a GM beneath a president of baseball operations would likely not qualify. At the same time, there’s obviously some room for interpretation. And Hall says the organization isn’t taking a black-and-white view of the matter. He expects the duo will mostly be interested in exploring outside possibilities that represent “an advancement,” but the club will consider interview requests on a case-by-case basis.

At the moment, there’s only one major opening in baseball — but it’s a big one, and a notable one for these particular executives. The Red Sox are in need of a new baseball ops chief. Both Sawdaye and Porter have deep roots in the Boston organization, which has continued to make baseball ops moves after parting ways with Dave Dombrowski — perhaps suggesting an internal or old-friend hiring is most likely. At this point, though, it’s mostly conjecture. It remains to be seen what other front office opportunities may present themselves.

Farhan Zaidi “Top Choice” To Run Giants’ Baseball Ops

By Jeff Todd | November 5, 2018 at 7:17pm CDT

At the end of a disappointing 2018 campaign, the Giants decided it was time to shake up the leadership of the baseball operations department. President of baseball operations Brian Sabean will work to find replacements for himself and Bobby Evans, who had held the general manager role. It’s the end of a successful era in San Francisco that culminated in three World Series championships in a five-year span. Whoever takes the reins will be put in charge of one of the game’s most venerable, highest-budget franchises, and tasked with implementing the strategic pitch that wins them the job.

Equal parts opportunity and challenge await a new ops boss. Here’s the latest on the search:

Latest Update — Nov. 5

There are increasing indications that the Giants would like to hire Dodgers GM Farhan Zaidi. Morosi cites a rival official for the proposition that the San Francisco organization is “prepared to offer a position” to Zaidi, who has worked alongside president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman for the past four seasons. (Twitter link.) An unnamed source tells Joel Sherman of the New York Post (via Twitter) that Zaidi is the “top choice” of the Giants’ brass, with Bloom “seen as a fallback.” At this point, though, it remains unclear whether Zaidi is interested in moving over from the rival Dodgers.

Click to review other candidates and prior updates to the Giants’ front office search:

Under Consideration

The Giants have interest in Dodgers GM Farhan Zaidi, MLB.com’s Jon Morosi tweeted earlier this week, and The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reports (subscription required) that Zaidi is “likely” to interview with San Francisco. While it would be certainly interesting to see such a major executive jump between the two NL West arch-rivals, clubs generally don’t stand in the way of front office employees interviewing for jobs that would offer a promotion — Zaidi would be the head man in San Francisco, whereas Zaidi is behind Andrew Friedman on the Dodgers’ baseball operations hierarchy. Rosenthal speculates that Los Angeles could give Zaidi a raise to keep him in the fold. Zaidi joined the Dodgers following the 2014 season and his contract terms aren’t known, though since Friedman’s deal is up after the 2019 season, it stands to reason that Zaidi may also only have one more year remaining on his pact.
The Giants have interviewed Diamondbacks senior vice president of baseball operations/assistant general manager Amiel Sawdaye, reports USA Today’s Bob Nightengale (via Twitter). The interview seemingly went well, as Nightengale adds that the 41-year-old Sawdaye is expected to be among the finalists for the position. Sawdaye has been with the D-backs in his current role for two seasons and was previously an integral part of the Red Sox’ front office, where he most recently oversaw the team’s international and amateur scouting efforts. During his time in that role, the Sox drafted the likes of Mookie Betts, Andrew Benintendi, Travis Shaw, Jackie Bradley Jr. and Matt Barnes.
There are at least four other names under consideration. Per Jon Heyman of Fancred, the club is taking a look at Rays senior VP of baseball operations Chaim Bloom, Brewers assistant GM Matt Arnold, and Dodgers exec Josh Byrnes. Meanwhile, the Giants will interview league executive Kim Ng, Chris Haft of MLB.com reports. Bloom has paired with Erik Neander atop the Tampa Bay baseball ops hierarchy and was a finalist for the just-filled Mets opening. Arnold came from the Rays organization to Milwaukee to serve as a wingman to GM David Stearns. Those two mid-thirties execs are part of a class of rising talents; Byrnes, on the other hand, has already sat in the GM chair for two organizations (the D-Backs and Padres). If hired, Ng would become the first female GM in the history of the majors. Formerly with the Dodgers, Yankees and White Sox, Ng has been a legitimate GM candidate with other clubs. She recently interviewed, according to MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubatko, and has also been mentioned in the Orioles and Mets front office searches.
Cubs senior VP of player development and amateur scouting Jason McLeod interviewed last week with the San Francisco organization, per Bruce Levine of 670thescore.com. McLeod has long been seen as a strong candidate to lead a baseball operations department, though he has thus far remained content in his significant role with the Cubs. Levine adds that McLeod’s five-year contract already pays him “close to $1 million annually.”

Possible Candidates

Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle speculates that the Giants will speak with Astros’ Assistant GM Mike Elias for their head of baseball ops opening now that Houston has been eliminated from the playoffs. Fancred’s Jon Heyman had suggested previously that Elias might be a name the Giants would consider if moving towards a more analytically-inclined candidate.

Not Under Consideration

Prior Giants farm director David Bell was believed to be an in-house option to take over as head of baseball operations, Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle tweeted. But Schulman later tweeted that Bell “apparently” was no longer a candidate to become the Giants’ head of baseball ops. Ultimately, he took over as Reds manager.
Ben Cherington, an executive with the Blue Jays and former GM of the Red Sox, will not pursue the open position with the Giants, per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic (via Twitter). The phrasing of the report seemingly indicates that he was seen as a candidate by the San Francisco organization. Rosenthal says, though, that Cherington would only be intrigued by an opportunity to “build an organization from [the] ground up.” Previously, of course, Cherington was knocked from the perch in Boston after a short run in which he oversaw both champion and cellar-dwelling rosters for the large-budget franchise.
Not surprisingly, the Brewers have rejected the Giants’ request to interview GM David Stearns, according to Rosenthal (via Twitter). Given the successes of the Milwaukee organization since Stearns took the helm, it stands to reason that owner Mark Attanasio is more interested in discussing a new contract with the youthful executive than in allowing him to chat with other organizations.

Twins Hire Rangers’ Thad Levine As GM

By Steve Adams | November 3, 2016 at 10:45am CDT

The Twins have announced the hiring of former Rangers assistant general manager Thad Levine as their new senior vice president and GM. Though he’ll receive a promotion in terms of title, Levine will still serve as second-in-command to newly tabbed executive vice president/chief baseball officer Derek Falvey in the Twins’ baseball operations hierarchy.

“I couldn’t envision a better partner to help return championship-caliber baseball to Minnesota,” said Falvey. “Thad’s leadership and management experiences across all facets of baseball operations make him the perfect fit for the role, and I’m looking forward to executing our vision together.”

Levine, who will turn 45 on Nov. 12, had been with the Rangers since the 2005 season. His responsibilities in Texas included assisting GM Jon Daniels with player acquisition, roster composition, contract negotiations and statistical/financial analysis. He also oversaw the team’s international scouting operations. The veteran baseball executive also previously served as the senior director of baseball operations with the Rockies. He’ll bring to the Twins an executive with a long background in player development but also one who is quite familiar with more modern trends in statistical analysis.

According to La Velle E. Neal III of the Minnapolis Star Tribune, the Twins had interest in now-former Red Sox vice president of international scouting Amiel Sawdaye before he followed colleague Mike Hazen to Arizona. Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reported that the Twins’ offer to Sawdaye was an assistant GM position, so he apparently was never in the running for the No. 2 spot that ultimately went to Levine. The fact that Minnesota was offering additional AGM slots to outside hires, though, does suggest that there could be further changes to the Twins’ front office even after adding Falvey and Levine.

Neal and Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News first reported that the Twins would hire Levine. FanRag’s Jon Heyman reported Thursday that Levine’s hiring was imminent.

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