Speaking at an end-of-season press conference, Los Angeles Dodgers general manager Farhan Zaidi said there was comfort in the expectation there would be little turnover in a roster that was one win shy of winning the World Series. The same hardly applies to the front office, however.
The exodus began with Jeremy Zoll, the Dodgers assistant to director of player development. He was hired by the Minnesota Twins as director of Minor League operations. Two weeks ago, Gabe Kapler was named manager of the Philadelphia Phillies.
That left the Dodgers without a director of player development. On Monday, Alex Anthopoulos became the latest executive to leave the organization. He accepted an executive vice president and general manager role with the Atlanta Braves.
Anthopoulos spent the previous two seasons with the Dodgers as senior vice president of baseball operations. It was a position specially created for the addition of the former Toronto Blue Jays general manager.
While there is now a void in the Dodgers front office, Zaidi intimated the club may not find a direct replacement for Anthopoulos, according to Andy McCullough of the L.A. Times:
Zaidi indicated the team may not pursue a direct replacement for Anthopoulos. “It’s a chance for us to reset and maybe reorient a couple of those leadership positions,” Zaidi said.
With the Dodgers, Anthopoulos assisted in the molding of the Major League roster, scouting for the MLB Draft, and with coordinating the scouting staff. The expansive front office and think tank was a model he embraced upon moving to Los Angeles.
Before a possible replacement is found for Anthopoulos, or his duties are redistributed, the Dodgers presumably will first look to finalize contracts for their coaching staff, and hire a new Minor League director.
