D-backs May Lose Key Executive to Rockies GM Opening

One of the key members of the Arizona Diamondbacks' front office is a finalist for a rival club's GM opening.

Oct 27, 2023; Arlington, TX, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks senior vice president and assistant general manager Amiel Sawdaye before game one of the 2023 World Series against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images | Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images

The Arizona Diamondbacks may be set to lose one of the key members of their front office to a division rival.

On Wednesday,The Athletic's Brittany Ghiroli and Ken Rosenthal reported D-backs Senior Vice President and Assistant General Manager Amiel Sawdaye is a finalist for the Colorado Rockies' vacant GM position.

The Rockies opted to part with former GM Bill Schmidt after a brutal 119-loss season. Colorado has lost 100 or more games in three straight years.

Arizona Diamondbacks' Amiel Sawdaye is Finalist for Rockies GM Position

Feb 21, 2022; Scottsdale, Ariz., U.S.; Diamondbacks senior vice-president & assistant general manager Amiel Sawdaye watches a select training camp for minor-league players not covered by the Players Association at Salt River Fields. MLB continues to be in a lockout after the expiration of the collective bargaining agreement Dec. 2. Mandatory Credit: Michael Chow-Arizona Republic Baseball Diamondbacks Select Minor League Camp | Michael Chow/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK

"The Colorado Rockies have begun to pare down their list for their next head of baseball operations, with Arizona’s Amiel Sawdaye and Cleveland’s Matt Forman two of the finalists for the job, league sources told The Athletic on Wednesday," wrote Ghiroli and Rosenthal.

According to the report, Sawdaye and Forman may or may not be the only finalists remaining, although the Rockies have begun to cross other names off the list.

"The notoriously insular Rockies publicly committed to hiring someone externally this time around. The front office search is being led by executive vice president Walker Monfort, the son of owner Dick Monfort, with the next round of interviews expected to begin later this week. Whether the new hire gets the title of president or GM depends on who it is," they wrote.

Sawdaye has worked alongside D-backs GM Mike Hazen for the better part of a decade, beginning his career with the Boston Red Sox, where he was eventually promoted to director of amateur scouting.

Sawdaye then followed Hazen over to Arizona as assistant GM prior to the 2017 season. He's served as Hazen's No. 2 ever since. He filled in as interim GM in the 2021 season when Hazen took a leave of absence.

Certainly, Sawdaye is quite familiar with the Rockies, with Arizona occupying the same NL West division. The D-backs' coaches, players and front office have seen plenty from Colorado in their many matchups.

Sawdaye has also experienced a climb back into relevance from a dismal 100-loss season.

Arizona went 52-110 in the brutal 2021 season, then improved by 22 wins in 2022, before winning a pennant and advancing all the way to game five of the World Series in 2023 — just two years removed from rock bottom. Perhaps that turnaround helped catch Colorado's eye.

The Rockies are searching for some amount of relevance after the disappointing seasons continue to fall one after another.

Whether or not Sawdaye ultimately earns (and accepts) the job remains to be seen, as will the impact of his potential departure from the D-backs' front office. Sawdaye certainly works closely with Hazen with regard to Arizona's operation, assumedly with a high degree of influence on decisions made.