Report: Arizona Diamondbacks to announce new GM by Thursday
Sep 22, 2014, 11:15 PM | Updated: Sep 23, 2014, 3:38 pm
The Arizona Diamondbacks have left no stone unturned in their search for a new general manager to replace Kevin Towers.
Chief baseball officer Tony La Russa brought in no fewer than seven candidates for interviews, and according to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale, it appears he is close to making a decision.
The #Dbacks plan to announce their next GM on Thursday, and all indications point towards Dave Stewart while Dejon Watson still in running.
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) September 22, 2014
Stewart, a four-time 20-game winner in his playing days with the Oakland Athletics, is currently a sports agent, but does have front office experience. The 57-year-old served as an assistant general manager for the Toronto Blue Jays from 1998 to 2001. He left the organization when he was passed up for the GM job in favor of J.P. Ricciardi, blasting the Blue Jays and baseball for their lack of minority hiring on his way out the door.
He also spent two years in the late 90s as a special assistant to Towers when he was the GM of the San Diego Padres.
It would not be far-fetched to see Dave Stewart as #Dbacks GM,Dejon Watson as assistant GM, Ray Montgomery promoted,and Kevin Towers staying
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) September 22, 2014
Watson, 48, played minor league ball in the Kansas City organization from 1985 to 1989 and has been in the Los Angeles Dodgers front office since 2006.
CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman is reporting that Boston Red Sox vice president of player personnel Allard Baird is also a finalist for the job. Baird served as the GM of the Kansas City Royals from 2000 to 2006.