The Diamondbacks worked quickly in their hiring of new executive vice president and general manager Mike Hazen, details Alex Speier of the Boston Globe.
Once it decided to move on from ex-GM Dave Stewart at the end of the regular season, Arizona reached out to Boston for permission to speak with Hazen, who served under president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski as the Red Sox’s GM. The BoSox didn’t allow Hazen to interview until after the Indians knocked them out of the ALDS last Monday. Hazen then met with the Diamondbacks on Friday and agreed to become the head of their baseball department Sunday morning.
In response to Hazen’s departure, Dombrowski released a congratulatory statement in which he revealed that “a search for a new general manager for the Boston Red Sox is underway.”
Reports already have senior vice president of baseball operations Frank Wren and pro scouting director Gus Quattlebaum as potential in-house successors to Hazen. If the Red Sox do want to promote Wren, it’s not a guarantee he’ll accept. Rob Bradford of WEEI notes that Wren – formerly the Braves’ GM – still lives in Atlanta, making it unclear if he’d be willing to move to Boston for a bigger role.
Other than Wren, Speier lists assistant GM Brian O’Halloran, VP of amateur and international scouting Amiel Sawdaye, senior VP Allard Baird and VP of international scouting Eddie Romero as other GM possibilities currently with the Red Sox. Speier also points out that Dombrowski interviewed Astros director of player development Quinton McCracken for the team’s GM job before he hired Hazen in 2015. The only member of the group with GM experience is Baird, who held that position with the Royals from 2000-06.
Of course, Hazen could lure certain front office members away from Boston to work with him and Tony La Russa in Arizona. La Russa is now an advisor, no longer the Diamondbacks’ chief baseball officer, but Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports reports (on Twitter) that the longtime manager still has power within the organization. La Russa seemingly had a hand in the hiring of Hazen, having sat in with owner Ken Kendrick during their interviews with GM candidates.
Hazen doesn’t intend to raid the Red Sox of their personnel, according to Speier, though Bradford writes that O’Halloran, Quattlebaum and Sawdaye are candidates to take jobs with the Diamondbacks.
Amiel Sawdaye is the man who oversaw the development of the youth movement in Boston that brought Betts, Bogaerts, Bradley, among others to the team. He would be an excellent choice.
Not much development from him, either the guys who signed the talent or the coaches who were there on a daily basis, he was one of many who happen to benefit
It seems the Diamondbacks might be interested in poaching Torey Lovullo as well. Think he has a better long term upside than John Farrel who sometimes doesn’t seem to get late game moves correctly. Give him a “promotion to GM for his good work this year” and keep Lovullo in the Sox dugout.
Colletti is a much better call than Wren or Farrel as GM, leave the MGR alone
Ned Colletti? Is he still alive? Simple Google says yes so I guess it was just his career who died. Why hire the idiot who took it on the chin in the Crawford/Gonzo dump? Sorry I’d rather have a manager AND a GM who doesn’t make errors
Arizona didn’t even want him.
It’s Brian O’Halloran, not Rob
Thanks. I must’ve had “Rob” on the brain after writing Rob Bradford’s name in the previous sentence.
Any situation that leaves TLR in a position of power is a bad one. At this point, you have to assume the problem is the owner.
Offer Beane the job. It’s a long shot, but worth a try.
@Connor Byrne
Do you think, after hiring Hazen as their new GM, Arizona and Hazen will now go after Lovullo to be their next manager?
I mean, from everything I have read, Lovullo was already a serious candidate for the D-Backs managerial opening, so I would assume, especially now with Hazen on board, Lovullo getting the job just about has to be a lock, right?
Do you think I would be wrong making that assumption??
I’m not going to say “lock” without knowing Hazen’s thoughts on other possible candidates, but Lovullo does seem like a logical bet.