The MLB Lockout has dragged on well into January (thanks Manfred) with little hope of progress. With the sport essentially frozen, there has been almost no news to report other than minor league signings and front office hirings. There has been even less Dodgers news. Finally we were informed of some Dodgers news important enough to bring me out of my lockout induced slumber. The Dodgers have promoted former pitcher Brandon Gomes to General Manager.
The Dodgers haven’t had a GM since Farhan Zaidi left to run the Giants. Gomes becomes the twelfth GM in Dodgers history, reporting directly to Andrew Friedman. Gomes had been serving as the AGM (assistant General Manager) and previously the director of player development. His pitching career never took off. He spent five seasons with the Tampa Bay Rays, posting a 4.20 ERA across 167 innings with 11 wins and 7.8 K/9.
I think there are a lot of benefits to having a former player in the front office. It’s good to have that perspective and I am interested to see how he uses his experience as a player in his roster building. Friedman still runs the show, but perhaps the knowledge of a former player that Gomes brings to the table will give the Dodger’s upper front office a different context. I wish Brandon success in his new role.
