Jordan HammWhen Tony La Russa took control of the Arizona Diamondbacks, many thought general manager Kevin Towers and manager Kirk Gibson were all but out the door.
That may not necessarily be the case.
ESPN baseball insider Pedro Gomez hinted that Kevin Towers may be here to stay for the Diamondbacks when he joined the Brad Cesmat Show in his weekly segment. Cesmat asked if Kevin Towers was using the upcoming trade deadline as a way to try out for his next job. Gomez’s response was a bit surprising.
“Let’s not think that Kevin Towers is gone,” Gomez said. “There is a very good possibility that Towers will still be the G.M. here next season.”
Tony La Russa was brought in to evaluate the Diamondbacks organization from top to bottom. He essentially has final say in all baseball decisions, including who stays and who goes. While La Russa has not given any indication on the futures of Kirk Gibson and Kevin Towers, the perception was La Russa’s presence seemed to make both of their seats a little bit hotter.
Gomez stressed there was still plenty up in the air, but the odds were not completely against Towers.
“Tony La Russa is here and he is the new boss and he may want change. A lot of times they do want change,” Gomez said, “But in terms of a high level general manager, there’s still a pretty good chance (Towers) will be here, I think”.
When asked about the details of Gomez’s insight, he simply stated: “You just hear people talk”.
He then explained how Towers’ resume and tenure with the San Diego Padres and Diamondbacks could provide stability for the club over the coming years.
“Maybe the D-backs are tired of every four or five years hitting the reset button in terms of their front office. Towers had a very good run for about 15 years with San Diego. That’s a long run, and the Padres were a very competitive team for that time,” Gomez said. “So (the Diamondbacks) may be in business of saying, ‘You know what? We can’t just keep hitting reset all the time. Let’s maybe look for a little bit of stability here and see what happens’”.
As the trade deadline approaches, many Diamondbacks players are waiting to see how their future with the club pans out. The team’s general manager may be feeling that very same uncertainty, but according to Gomez, he may be here for longer than the public anticipated.
“I’m not saying it definitively. I don’t make that call. It wouldn’t surprise people within the game if Towers were still here”.
