New Padres CEO Jeff Moorad Trying To Unify Team's Front Office

Moorad Hosts Padres Staff, Players At Home Friday Night

New Padres Vice Chair & CEO Jeff Moorad is "seen as a potentially unifying force" for the team, according to Tom Krasovic of the SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE. MLB team execs said that Padres officials have "complained of front office and player evaluation turmoil in recent months, creating the impression of considerable finger-pointing, frustration and angst." Moorad "took a step toward team-building" Friday night, "hosting Padres front-office staff, scouts, manager Bud Black, coaches and players at his home in Paradise Valley, Ariz." Moorad replaces Sandy Alderson, who was "well-respected by many in the front office." Alderson's "concern for his entire front-office staff factored into his retaining all of those employees this past offseason during an economic recession that led many clubs to lay off even low-salary staff." But there is "no denying that acrimony and frustration surfaced among Padres front-office staff and scouts in recent months." A Padres source said that Alderson "created an unwieldy executive structure that sowed confusion and turmoil when he had Executive Vice President Paul DePodesta report to him instead" of to Padres Exec VP & GM Kevin Towers (SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE, 3/28). In California, Dan Hayes noted "not all Padres players were at odds with management during" Alderson's tenure. But "several -- current and past -- have voiced concerns in the clubhouse about a lack of communication from the front office." Most players surveyed said that they are "receptive toward Moorad's attempt to reach out" (NORTH COUNTY TIMES, 3/29). Moorad said current Padres front-office execs do not need "to fear for their jobs," but instead should "focus on their performance." Moorad: "The bottom line of what they’re hired to do, obviously, comes into focus at times like this. But I’m interested in having good people go forward with us" ("MLB Tonight,” MLB Network, 3/29).

FORWARD THINKING: ESPN’s Buster Olney said of the Padres, “There’s a lot of uncertainty in that organization. [Former Padres Majority Owner] John Moores had become sort of the ‘Wizard of Oz.’ No one ever saw him. There were chain-of-command issues within the organization. In-fighting between members of the front office and some of the coaching staff, and now with Jeff Moorad taking over, the Padres can move forward.” Moorad: “What we’re committed to do … in San Diego going forward is to build a successful, consistently winning ball club that has a chance to compete and go out and win the division each and every year. I can’t say we’re in that position today, but we hope to put a plan together in the near-future to be able to achieve that going forward.” Meanwhile, Moorad said, “There are opportunities that lie south of the border (in Mexico). People think of San Diego as a market with three million-plus people and sometimes it’s forgotten that another three-and-a-half million people are just over the border in Tijuana." Moorad: "Although it’s fair that some number of those really can’t afford baseball or be part of it, there’s no reason why we can’t bring fans from Mexico into the ballpark” (“Baseball Tonight,” ESPN, 3/27).

INVESTING IN THE FUTURE: Agent Scott Boras said that he "believes Moorad, perhaps after gaining more financial control in years ahead, will be more willing than" Moores to "invest in the more expensive amateurs advised by Boras and other agents." The UNION-TRIBUNE's Krasovic noted the Padres "went without drafting and signing a Boras player from 2002-07." Boras said that Moorad, after becoming D'Backs CEO in '04, "didn't shy away from tough-sign draftees" (SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE, 3/27). BIZOFBASEBALL.com's Maury Brown wrote, "I see good things for the San Diego Padres from Jeff Moorad's ownership group." Moorad "will not be jumping directly into the ownership role," but he has the "unique ability to understand both sides of the baseball table." Moorad is the "only owner in baseball that was once a player agent and has his experience with the Diamondbacks to work from." Brown: "I would look for good things from the Padres after Moorad's arrival. It may not be this season, or the season after, but shortly, things should begin to turn back around for San Diego" (BIZOFBASEBALL.com, 3/27).