Arizona Diamondbacks issue statement on Kevin Towers and the GM position
Sep 5, 2014, 3:22 PM | Updated: 3:22 pm
Late Thursday night, news broke that general manager Kevin Towers had been fired by the Arizona Diamondbacks.
One thing is certain: Towers is no longer in that position, but it turns out “fired” might not be exactly the right word to use in describing what went down.
The D-backs released a statement Friday morning saying that chief baseball officer Tony La Russa will begin to interview candidates for the GM spot, and that Towers has been offered another position in the organization.
“Over the past three months, I have had the opportunity to evaluate all aspects of our baseball operations and have decided to restructure our staff in order to improve our decision-making process,” La Russa said in the statement. “I have the utmost respect for Kevin and a friendship with him that dates back many years which has allowed me to appreciate his talents and experience. I have offered him a new role in the front office, as I believe his skills fit well within the framework of what we are building. Understandably, he would like to see who the general manager is before making his own decision.
“We are extremely grateful for all that he has done for the D-backs during his four-plus years here, particularly given that he has always put the organization ahead of his own self-interests. That tells you all you need to know about him as a person.”
Towers took over the GM post for the Diamondbacks in September of 2010 after spending 14 seasons in the same position with the San Diego Padres.
In 2011, his first full year on the job, the D-backs won the National League West with a 94-68 record.
Since then, the team is 221-243.
