The Arizona Diamondbacks have appointed Mike Hazen as their new general manager and executive vice president, the team announced Sunday.
“We feel very strongly that we have found the ideal candidate to lead our baseball operations,” managing general partner Ken Kendrick said in a statement, via the Boston Herald. “Mike’s reputation throughout the game is impeccable, and his championship experience gives us great confidence in naming him to this position.”
And Hazen noted: “I’m extremely grateful for this incredible opportunity to help the [Diamondbacks] reach the next level.”
The 40-year-old had been with the Boston Red Sox since the 2006 season. He served as a director of player development and amateur scouting before becoming the assistant general manager under Ben Cherington. He was then named the team’s senior vice president and general manager under Dave Dombrowski in Sept. 2015.
Jon Heyman of Today’s Knuckleball had more on the hire:
Buster Olney of ESPN added:
Turning around the Diamondbacks won’t be easy, as the team hasn’t had a winning season since 2011 and went 69-93 this past season.
One of Hazen’s first major decisions will be appointing a manager. Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe speculated on one potential hire:
Torey Lovullo was Boston’s bench coach this past season. If Hazen doesn’t pursue Lovullo—or if Lovullo isn’t interested in the position—Bob Nightengale of USA Today floated the name of another potential manager:
It will be the first of many big decisions to come for Hazen as he looks to turn the Diamondbacks into a contender in the highly competitive National League West.
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