ESPN’s Kurkjian: Diamondbacks’ Tony La Russa could be big part of trade deadline talks

The addition of Tony La Russa to the Arizona Diamondbacks’ front office may complicate some decisions as the trade deadline nears says ESPN baseball insider Tim Kurkjian.

“Tony La Russa is a very methodical man. He is very smart,” Kurkjian told Burns & Gambo Thursday afternoon on Arizona Sports 98.7 FM. “If Tony La Russa has the power we think he does, he might have the ability to tell Kevin Towers, ‘Tell me what you’re going to do here and I want to be a part of this, I have to be a part of this.'”

Ever since La Russa was brought into the organization, questions have festered about whether or not he and Towers can coexist. Towers reports to La Russa, but part of any general manager’s duties usually include pulling the trigger on trades.

Kurkjian mentioned that La Russa may intervene if he sees Towers taking action on a trade he doesn’t like.

“He (La Russa) might be able to say, ‘I don’t think we should do that, and then perhaps a trade is not made,'” Kurkjian said.

Kurkjian also advised La Russa to wait out the rest of the season before reaching any conclusions about the future of the club, including whether or not Towers or manager Kirk Gibson have a place in it. The reporter also ruled out any notion that Towers might try to sabotage the organization’s future plans.

“I don’t think he would do anything trade-wise that wouldn’t make any sense at all,” Kurkjian said. “Since the year is already lost to making the playoffs, then make a determination after the season; that to me would be the right thing to do.”

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