The D-Back's former interim General Manager, Jerry Dipoto, earned a well-deserved promotion after his work in the second half of the season. Dipoto proved to have an eye for talent, making several shrewd trades throughout the last couple months.
D-BACKS PROMOTE DIPOTO TO SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, SCOUTING & PLAYER DEVELOPMENT
(PHOENIX) - The Arizona Diamondbacks announced today they have promoted Jerry Dipoto to Senior Vice President, Scouting & Player Development after the former right-handed pitcher had served as interim General Manager since July 1, according to D-backs' Executive Vice President & General Manager Kevin Towers.
Dipoto will continue to oversee all areas of scouting within the organization, including professional and amateur scouting, and will now be responsible for player development throughout the minor leagues.
"Jerry has been a huge asset to the D-backs and will continue be with this highly deserved promotion in the baseball operations department," Towers said. "I am looking forward to spending more time with Jerry and learn more about the organization from him as we work together to improve the club throughout the offseason."
Within his first month in leading the D-backs' baseball operations department as interim General Manager, Dipoto aggressively reshaped the roster and refocused the organization by making four trades prior to the July 31 non-waiver trading deadline to restock the player development system with high-impact pitching prospects along with key additions to the Major League roster. The trades also shed payroll to put the organization in an improved financial situation to compete for the 2011 season and beyond.
With those trades, Dipoto acquired All-Star left-handed pitcher Joe Saunders along with three other pitchers from the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim for Dan Haren on July 25 and right-handed rookie pitcher Daniel Hudson along with a minor league pitcher from the Chicago White Sox for Edwin Jackson on July 30. Hudson did not disappoint after securing a spot in the D-backs' starting rotation, as he posted a 7-1 record with a 1.69 ERA while also striking out 70 in 79.2 innings over 11 starts since Aug. 1. Also included in the trades were left-handed pitching prospects Tyler Skaggs and Patrick Corbin, who were both top draft selections by the Angels in the 2009 First-Year Player Draft, and left-handed pitcher David Holmberg, who was the eighth-best prospect in the White Sox organization according to Baseball America. Dipoto also moved Chris Snyder to the Pittsburgh Pirates in a five-player trade and Chad Qualls to the Tampa Bay Rays for minor-league pitcher Matt Gorgen on July 31.
Prior to being named interim General Manager, Dipoto oversaw all aspects of the organization's scouting efforts and the evaluation of players at all levels as Vice President, Player Personnel. Dipoto came to Arizona prior to the 2006 season after serving as the Colorado Rockies' Director of Player Personnel during the 2005 season following two seasons in the scouting department for the Boston Red Sox from 2003-04.
"We are a better organization with both Kevin and Jerry in our baseball operations department," D-backs' President & CEO Derrick Hall said. "Jerry did a tremendous job leading our baseball operations department on an interim basis for the last three months while we conducted the search for a general manager. His new title will allow him to grow by having more oversight in our baseball decisions while also providing Kevin insight about the organization. There is no doubt in my opinion Jerry will become a GM one day."
Dipoto posted a 27-24 record with 49 saves and 4.05 ERA in 390 appearances as a reliever during his eight-year career with the Cleveland Indians, New York Mets and Rockies from 1993-2000. He was forced to retire during Spring Training in 2001 due to a bulging disc in his neck and immediately became Special Assistant to the General Manager for the Rockies. Dipoto was originally selected in the third round of the 1989 First-Year Player Draft by the Indians out of Virginia Commonwealth University.
Matt Williams and Glenn Sherlock have also been retained for their current coaching roles.
D-BACKS RETAIN WILLIAMS, SHERLOCK FOR 2011 COACHING STAFF
(PHOENIX) - The Arizona Diamondbacks announced today they have retained Matt Williams and Glenn Sherlock on manager Kirk Gibson's coaching staff for the 2011 season, according to D-backs' Executive Vice President and General Manager Kevin Towers.
Williams was the D-backs' first base coach in 2010 in his first year on the Major League coaching staff. His other coaching experience came as the interim manager at Double-A Mobile for the final two months of the 2007 season after manager Brett Butler suffered a stroke. Williams was one of baseball's premier third basemen during a 17-year career with the San Francisco Giants, Cleveland Indians and D-backs from 1987-2003.
Sherlock has been the D-backs' bullpen coach since 2005 after serving as a first and third base coach in 2004 and bench coach in 2003. He also was the club's bullpen coach from 1998-2002 and has served on the Major League coaching staff for all of the D-backs' 13 years in Major League Baseball.
Third base coach Joel Youngblood accepted a position in the organization's minor league system while pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre, Jr. was offered the opportunity to stay in the organization in a different capacity. Hitting coach Jack Howell and bench coach Bo Porter were not retained.