For the first time since 2014, the Rockies are in the market for a new general manager. Jeff Bridich spent the past six-plus years as the Rockies’ GM, but he and the team went their separate ways Monday. Colorado will appoint an interim GM for the rest of the 2021 campaign – likely scouting director Bill Schmidt or assistant GM Zack Rosenthal, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports – and then hire a permanent replacement for Bridich after the season.
Although Bridich has only been out of a job for a few hours, a potential successor from outside the organization has already emerged. Twins GM Thad Levine is “[t]he leading candidate” for the opening in Colorado, Nightengale writes. There’s familiarity between the Rockies and the 49-year-old Levine, who worked in their front office in various roles – including senior director of baseball operations – from 1999-2005. He then left to become the Rangers’ assistant GM, but not before earning the respect of Rockies owner Dick Monfort, according to Nightengale.
Along with president of baseball operations Derek Falvey, Levine has helped lead a turnaround in Minnesota since his hiring after the 2016 season. The Twins, then coming off a 59-win season, have gone to the playoffs three times and won two American League Central titles during the Falvey-Levine reign. As a result of the positive on-field results, Levine has garnered interest from other organizations during his time with the Twins. The Mets wanted to interview Levine for their GM job back in 2018, and he was a legitimate candidate to take over the Phillies’ front office this past offseason. Levine backed out of the running for that post, which ultimately went to Dave Dombrowski.
It’s not known whether Levine would have interest in leaving Minnesota for Colorado. Levine is currently under contract with the Twins through 2024 on the extension he signed in 2019.
CluHaywood
Bridich did the right thing. I have zero doubt in my mind ownership told him to ship Story by the deadline, and given the recent history, would likely get back a couple of top 25-30 organizational prospects and a lottery ticket.
jessaumodesto
Hearing Art Howe’s name floated out a bit for this role…more to come
meckert
I’m sure he’ll light up the room when he interviews.
JOHNSmith2778
Any chance Brodie van wagenen gets an interview?
whynot 2
Watch him go there and succeed
ExileInLA 2
The Mets will send him Canó for Story…
Egon Spengler
Where’s Bob Gebhard nowadays?
Has he studied any of Bill James formulas for sabermetrics and algorithms? If he has even a halfway decent understanding of them, just so he knows what the Ivy Leaguers (who never played baseball) might use against him, then bring back the Glory Days!
Who cares about developing pitching? The fans showed up when the scores were 13-11 and you had four players hitting 30-plus home runs.
Throw away Moneyball, get rid of the humidor, and let them fly!
I Beg To Differ
Dave Dombrowski!!!!! Trader Dave!
Arnold Ziffel
All I ask is that they bring someone from the outside, no more internal promotions as they need new ideas and fresh eyes to assess team needs.
Inside Out
Seems like the perfect team for Jeff luhnow
Peart of the game
Billy Eppler should be a good choice who has experience in the role.
bobtillman
Kaitlyn Jenner.
bmack
How about bringing back Dan O’Dowd?
bmack
Too obvious….
powerslave777
Elway’s already taken the job and promoted himself out of it
bobtillman
Phillie fans will go nuts, but Reuben Amaro deserves another shot. It wasn’t all his fault.
aussiegiants53
Someone with a trigger finger and 5 year plan, Rockies looking up in the NLW, they have some pieces to trade and start stocking up on talent, now is the time to do it.
hiflew
What about the fans that don’t want to wait 5 years? Or the ones that don’t have 5 years? What about them? It’s always the young kids that think they are going to live forever that have no problem with extended rebuilds. I have no problem with a team selling at the deadline when they are out of it. But this whole “let’s just forget about this half-decade” mentality is what is driving so many fans away. Trade Story and 1 or 2 others for prospects and then sign free agents this offseason. You don’t have to stink long enough to build the #1 farm system. Improve the farm system a little this summer and then buy some free agents and try to compete with the Dodgers and Padres instead of just rolling over and saying they are too good so let’s not try.
jimthegoat
LOL
hiflew
Excellent input. Really made me think.
jimthegoat
LOL
1984wasntamanual
Those fans can think about how it’s not all about them, go follow another team, or if they don’t like it, find another sport to watch. Not all teams need to blow it up completely, but the Rockies do.
Who are you going to sign that makes that team compete with the Dodgers and Padres (I’d put the Giants ahead of the Rockies as well. ARI is arguable)….especially after getting rid of Story? Your suggestion is exactly how you get a team that’s just constantly stuck in mediocrity.
hiflew
Who can they sign? How about Story? Trade him and then sign him (or Correa or Seager) this offseason. The Yankees pulled that off with Chapman and it netted them Gleyber as well.
To be honest, I would rather follow a team that tries every year and comes up short instead of one that just doesn’t try for 5 years and hopes that it gets better later.
1984wasntamanual
Ok, you sign Story and you’re just a more expensive 4th or 5th place team. Good idea…hoping it gets better without addressing the core issues, surely that’ll work!
oldmansteve
Are you saying the Rockies should YOLO it because some 90 year old fan might die before they rebuild?
1984wasntamanual
The entitled old people rebuild plan is definitely a new one for me..
bigguccisosa300
The Rays have the number 1 farm system and they didn’t have to stink to get it
1984wasntamanual
They were bad for a decade.
bigguccisosa300
They have been good for like 13 years
LetGoOfMyLeg
I would look to the Rays first off if I was the owner. All their former execs seem to be well trained and successful.
jay13
Matt Arnold from the Milwaukee Brewers. Wouldn’t be shocked to see Stearns right hand man get a little look.
Ultimately, I think Levine is almost a lock if he wants it.
rpreston32
John Mozeliak. He’s from there and would probably welcome the chance to go home. He’s already shown the Rockies how a trade should work. The pitching development would instantly improve.
seamaholic 2
Have you seen Arenado’s numbers so far? I wouldn’t be so sure who’s gonna end up showing the other how a trade is done. That contract is gonna kill the Cards in years 4-6.
georgebell 2
He’s hitting slightly above league average less than one month into the season…don’t see what the concern is so far
Yes, most of these long term contracts end up net negative.
1984wasntamanual
Because a 100 wCR+ 3rd basemen, even a very, very good defensive 3rd basemen, isn’t the type you pay 20m/yr.
Lanidrac
Why would Mo take a demotion to go to a much worse organization?! That would be absolutely nuts!
rondon
With that ownership? 5 years of job security.
azcrook
Follow what is slowly happening in SF. Creating a plan is essential and sticking to it is even more important. A few bumps along the road, but the results will come if ownership keeps their fingers off of the plan once it is set into motion.
BasedBall
Rockies should offer Zaidi a promotion and make him president of baseball ops.
If they were making the best FO move to win.
Just hand the reigns to Farhan.
Monfort could never give a baseball guy full control.
georgebell 2
That would be amazing for Rockies fans, to let Zaidi have full control.
I know Harvard man Jeff Bridich thinks he’s a smart guy, but Zaidi is a freakin wizard in comparison.
Orel Saxhiser
Some great FO minds in that division. Whoever gets that Rockies job will really be behind the eight-ball. Immediately, too, since it will behoove that person to move Story, Blackmon, Marquez, and Gray at the trade deadline. Not much desirable talent beyond those four and not much time to get acclimated. Among the other Rockies, I wouldn’t mind Tapia on the Dodgers.
Amazing what Farhan has done while waiting for contracts to expire.
theodore glass
Zaidi is barely getting started on the Giants. He’s not leaving. Also not leaving a big market for a small one.
Lanidrac
Why would Levine want to make a lateral move into such a mess of an organization? Unless he really likes the team for some reason or really wants a more challenging job, there’s absolutely no benefit for him to leave Minnesota for Colorado!
hobie004
Hopefully the Twins can hang on to Thad.
Joel Peterson
Good gosh. Geez I wonder who will get the job. Maybe a middle aged white guy with an ivy league degree……..
Baseball is lame. Pro sports in general are lame in 2021 but baseball is really lame. I am tired of intelligent white people finding ways to get rich and not actually do any work. And I doubt I am the only one.
1984wasntamanual
Yeah! Stupid smart people…Did you learn this in one of your intro courses?
caryloyd
The Rockies are an embarrassment. They are the Detroit Lions of baseball. I would have said the Cleveland browns, but they turned the ship around after only 20 years of horror.