Dodgers Could Lose Key Front Office Member to Nationals: Report

Then-Arizona Diamondbacks general manager Josh Byrnes (left) and Los Angeles Dodgers vice president and assistant general manager Kim Ng before a game at Dodger Stadium on Sept. 2, 2009. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

In October 2020, as the Los Angeles Dodgers prepared to face the Atlanta Braves in the postseason, former Dodgers executive Alex Anthopoulos took a moment to reflect. Two years after he left the front office in Los Angeles to become the Braves' president of baseball operations, the two teams were meeting in the National League Championship Series.

“I felt like going to L.A. was like going to grad school,” Anthopoulos told the Los Angeles Times, citing the chance to learn from Andrew Friedman and Farhan Zaidi.

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Zaidi eventually left to take the top baseball executive's job in San Francisco. Could another member of the Dodgers' front office be on his way out soon?

According to The Athletic, Dodgers senior vice president Josh Byrnes is one of three men the Washington Nationals have contacted about possibly filling their GM vacancy. Longtime executive Mike Rizzo was fired in July, and replaced on an interim basis by Mike DeBartolo.

Ken Rosenthal, Sahadev Sharma and Patrick Mooney reported Tuesday that the Nationals have also contacted Chicago Cubs general manager Carter Hawkins and Arizona Diamondbacks senior vice president and assistant general manager Amiel Sawdaye in addition to Byrnes.

Byrnes is in his 11th season in his role with the Dodgers, in which he supervises the club’s scouting and player development.

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As one of Friedman's top executives, the Dodgers have posted the best record in baseball, winning nine division titles, four National League pennants and two World Series championships (2020, 2024) since Byrnes was hired in 2015.

Byrnes previously served as executive vice president/general manager for two of the Dodgers’ NL West rivals, the Arizona Diamondbacks (October 2005 to July 2010) and San Diego Padres (October 2011-June 2014).

Byrnes began his baseball front office career in 1994 with the Cleveland Indians under John Hart working as an advance scout in 1995 and 1996 before being promoted to director of scouting in June 1998.

In 1999, Byrnes became assistant general manager of the Rockies and moved to the Red Sox in the same role for the 2003-05 seasons, helping Boston to the 2004 World Series title.

Byrnes is originally from Washington D.C., where he graduated from St. Albans School. If he's interested in returning to the area, the Baltimore Orioles are also reportedly in the market for a GM after promoting Mike Elias to President of Baseball Operations last offseason.

However, the Orioles are seeking a lieutant to Elias, while the Nationals are looking for a head of their baseball operations department. Typically teams like to have that job filled with as much lead time as possible going into the offseason.

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