According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, the Diamondbacks plan to announce their next general manager on Thursday. Former major league pitcher and current player agent Dave Stewart is viewed as the overwhelming favorite for the job, but Dodgers assistant general manager DeJon Watson is still in the running. CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman hears that Red Sox vice president of player personnel Allard Baird is also under consideration.
The Diamondbacks originally interviewed nine candidates for the job. New chief baseball officer Tony La Russa managed Stewart with the A’s and apparently values his varied experience, which also includes work as a pitching coach with the Padres, Brewers, and Blue Jays and as an assistant GM with Toronto. Watson has been with the Dodgers for seven years and worked as scouting and farm director before moving to his current position. Baird was previously the general manager of the Royals from 2000-2006.
Nightengale also reports that the Diamondbacks plan to promote scouting director Ray Montgomery. He goes on to speculate that this could result in a structure that would keep former general manager Kevin Towers with the organization, but we should have more clarity on the situation in the next few days.