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COLORADO ROCKIES Team Audit | Player Cards | Depth Chart |
Announced GM Dan O'Dowd and senior VP of operations Bill Geivett had resigned; named senior director of player development Jeff Bridich GM. [10/8]
Perhaps the end of times are upon us. The Rockies front office, long one of the most stable in the game, experienced an unexpected shake-up on Wednesday, when two former point men resigned. In their place, the Rockies handed the GM reins to Bridich, a member of the organization since 2011.
It would be tough to argue the previous regime didn't receive enough time. Both O'Dowd and Geivett held positions in Colorado dating back more than a decade, with the pair combining to make the big personnel decisions over the past few years. Despite the continuity, the Rockies hadn't posted a winning record since 2010, and haven't appeared in the postseason since a year before that. Otherwise, Colorado has finished at least 20 games back in the NL West in three of the past four years.
While Rockies supporters have to appreciate the change, bristling over Bridich's promotion is a natural response; the last thing they want is more of the same old. But there is room for hope. Just because Bridich, a former Harvard ballplayer, shared a building with O'Dowd and Geivett doesn't mean he shared their vision and processes. It's possible he's as different as an external candidate would have been, and it's likely that his hiring would've been viewed more favorably were he coming from another organization with identical credentials.
That's not to suggest Bridich has an easy job ahead of him. Finding good pitching has proved problematic throughout the franchise's history, and the fates of Troy Tulowizki and Carlos Gonzalez must be decided in short order. There's also the matter of Dick Monfort, Colorado's reportedly intrusive owner. Maybe the fresh face can persuade Monfort to take on a lesser role, or maybe an inexperienced GM is in place so the owner can become even more hands-on.
Whatever the case, and however Bridich's tenure plays out, one decision has seemingly been made already, as Walt Weiss will return as manager.
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