Padres' Hopeful Mood Turns To Concern Following Towers' Firing

The Padres finished "what looked to be a disaster of a 2009 season on a high, winning 37 of their final 62 games," but the mood around the team "changed noticeably immediately after" Exec VP & GM Kevin Towers was fired this past weekend, according to Bill Center of the SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE. Hope for the future "turned to concern," as "few employees totally welcome change at the top, particularly young baseball players." In the weeks "leading up to his dismissal, Towers was talking about minimal changes in 2010." Towers said, "I'm excited about these kids. I love the attitude and how they play." But Center wonders, "Will the next GM be as excited? Will he be more inclined to make changes? The bigger question might be: Can he make changes given the Padres' budget restrictions?" Padres Vice Chair & CEO Jeff Moorad has said that the next GM "will control personnel decisions with one major exception," as Bud Black "will go into 2010 as manager of the Padres." Meanwhile, Moorad last week said that the "first number in the 2010 payroll will be 'four,'" but the Padres "took a huge attendance hit this season [21%] and Moorad is still moving toward the purchase of the team" (SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE, 10/6).

NEXT IN LINE: SI.com's Jon Heyman reported Moorad is "considering highly regarded Red Sox assistant GM Jed Hoyer and possibly one or two others" to replace Towers, and A's Assistant GM David Forst is "another who fits Moorad's profile." Moorad denied that there were "any negative lingering feelings" with Towers "from their dealings when Moorad was an agent." He said that "he 'loves' Towers personally, and says the decision simply was about wanting a different type for the job." Moorad said that he is "looking for someone who was more analytical than intuitive, someone who'd be more 'disciplined' and more 'strategic.'" Heyman noted both Hoyer and Forst "fit that description and both are extremely well respected." Meanwhile, Moorad added that he "would not raid his old Diamondbacks team for the new hire" (SI.com, 10/5).

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