Kevin Towers is out as Padres GM

[Waterston_Fan]

I don't know about this but I got a feeling this might be more like the D-Back organization and maybe Moorad wants his own guys..

Grant it, he had a very small payroll so he couldn't really get a big bat but maybe this means a big bat will come... not..

Towers

Towers is first but likely not the last out the door
By Bill Center
Union-Tribune Staff Writer

11:50 p.m. October 3, 2009

Kevin Towers was the first to go.

He won't be the last.

Padres CEO Jeff Moorad said yesterday he hopes to have the Padres' next general manager in place “by the end of the World Series” and likely much sooner.

And when Towers' successor comes on board, more heads will roll in Baseball Operations – although Towers is the only move made thus far.

When asked yesterday if he is happy with the Padres' department of Scouting and Player Development, Moorad paused for a noticeable amount of time and replied: “No.”

Moorad said the Padres' strong focus on scouting and player development will be keys in selecting Towers' successor.

“We need to excel in the draft and player development,” said Moorad, who said the eighth general manager in Padres history is not someone currently in the organization.

“The new general manager will make any decision in other areas.”

Moorad said the Padres already had interviewed three GM candidates before Towers officially was notified he wouldn't be completing the final season of his current contract.

“We're fairly along in the process,” Moorad said of the search, which will be extended to other candidates.

One apparent candidate not being considered is Arizona Diamondbacks Vice President of Player Personnel Jerry DiPoto.

“There's a gentleman's agreement to avoid Arizona,” said Moorad, who was the CEO of the Diamondbacks before entering into an agreement to purchase the Padres from John Moores early last spring.

“DiPoto is not on our list.”

Moorad was mum on who is.

Shortly after Moorad completed his news conference at Petco Park yesterday afternoon, Towers addressed the media and reflected on his 14 seasons in charge of the Padres – a span that covered three ownership groups and six CEOs.

Looking back, Towers pointed to the Padres' National League pennant season of 1998 as “the highlight of my life” and pointed to the trade that brought Kevin Brown from Florida for first baseman Derrek Lee the most important trade he made.

“That trade was vital to building this ballpark and moving forward,” Towers explained. “We had a good club going into '98, but that trade put us over the top. That trade had bigger impact.”

Towers also said he “probably enjoyed this season as much as I've enjoyed any year.”

“I remember spending late nights in Bud Black's office last spring and wondering, 'What are we going to do?' I thought we could lose 120 games.

“But the last two months ... it's hard to believe where we are today based on where we were in the spring.”

Towers singled out Tony Gwynn Sr. and Trevor Hoffman among the players he's worked with during his time as the Padres general manager and gave special mention to his career-long assistant general manager Fred Uhlman Jr. and special assistants Ken Bracey, Bill Bryk and Ray Krone.

“I'm a Padre at heart,” Towers said. “After 25 years with this organization, how could I not be?”

Towers hinted his salary could have been a factor in his dismissal.

Moorad yesterday stated the Padres' payroll budget for 2010 “will begin with a four” (meaning in the $40 millions). Towers was going to make just under $2 million in the final year of his contract and said he wasn't going to take a pay cut to have his contract extended.

“I don't think they wanted the general manager to be making $2 million when they're cutting the budget for players,” Towers said.

Moorad said the decision came down to extending Towers' contract or terminating him. Having Towers serve out the final year of his contact as a lame duck was not an option.

[icecream]

I know the Padres have good minor league players. The Fort Wayne Tin Caps (low single a affiliate of the Padres) won their first league championship in Fort Wayne's history this year.