Josh Byrnes Information & Josh Byrnes Links at HealthHaven.com

Josh Byrnes

Josh "Organizational Advocacy" Byrnes is the General Manager of the Arizona Diamondbacks of Major League Baseball.

[edit] Biography

Byrnes grew up in Washington, D.C., where he attended and played second base for St. Albans School. A 1992 graduate of Haverford College, where he starred on the baseball team, he went to work for a health-care consulting company after school. He began his baseball career for the Cleveland Indians in 1994, quickly working his way up the organizational ladder, first as an intern, then as a video scout, and, eventually, to the position of scouting director in 1998. In 1999, he was hired by colleague Dan O'Dowd to fill the assistant GM position for the Colorado Rockies, a job he held for two years. He then took the same job under Theo Epstein and the Boston Red Sox until October 2005, when he was hired by the Diamondbacks to replace the departing interim GM Joe Garagiola, Jr.

Part of the new breed of young general managers, Byrnes was 35 when he was hired by the Diamondbacks in 2005. In February of 2008, he was given an 8-year extension that lasts through the 2015 season.

[edit] Notable Deals

During the 2007 season, Josh was quoted by the Arizona Republic as saying the team had decided not to offer Eric Byrnes a long term contract. It seemed a straightforward decision given Eric Byrnes high asking price, age, and the teams surplus of young outfield prospects. But Eric was widely regarded as the "face of the franchise" the team's most popular player, and fan support for an extension was strong. Late in the season, when it was still unclear whether the Diamondbacks would make the playoffs, team president Jeff Moorad decided to negotiate personally with Eric. The result was their agreement on a 3 year $30 million contract with a complete no trade clause, which has greatly influenced team decisions ever since.

Scott Hairston to the Padres for Leo Rosales

Not a major trade, but the Padres got the more beneficial production out of it. Hairston hit 33 home runs and drove in 80 RBI for the Padres in roughly two seasons. Rosales has appeared in forty-five games for the Diamondbacks with a 4.45 ERA and a 1.314 WHIP.

Carlos Quentin to White Sox for minor league first baseman Chris Carter

Moorads signing of Eric Byrnes seemed to make Quentin expendable, and his frequent injuries and penchant for being hit by pitches also produced concerns whether he would be able to stay healthy. Chris Carter was a trade chip immediately used as part of the Dan Haren deal. Carlos Quentin in the immediate year he went to Chicago: 47 home runs, 129 RBI, All-Star appearance, Silver Slugger Award and a fifth place AL MVP finish. But Carlos missed the last 32 games of the season due to injury, and was hurt again in 2009, this time missing 63 games. And when he played in 2009 he was not productive, he had a negative $2.1M value according to FanGraph's Value measure, ranking 32nd among MLB left fielders, ironically behind Diamondbacks rookie Gerardo Parra. In contrast, Dan Haren has been a work-horse since the trade and one of the most valuable pitchers in baseball, ranked 5th in 2008 and 9th in 2009 among MLB starters by FanGraph's value measure.

Dallas Buck, Wilkin Castillo and Micah Owings to Reds for Adam Dunn

Adam Dunn amounted to a rental player that didn’t help the Diamondbacks win the division or make the playoffs in 2008. The sudden economic downturn not only forced the team to reduce payroll, but it also meant it was not able to offer Dunn arbitration for fear that he would accept, instead of testing the weak free agent market. Consequently Arizona didn’t receive any compensation draft picks when Adam Dunn left for free agency, signing with the Nationals in 2009.

Emillio Bonifacio to Washington for Jon Rauch

Bonifacio was the Diamondbacks top 2nd base prospect, renowned for his speed, but the biggest question was whether he would be a useful hitter at the major league level. Rauch went from closer for the Nationals to only being used in blowouts for the Diamondbacks. Bonifacio started the season in 2009 on fire for the Nationals while Rauch struggled until the hiring of new manager AJ Hinch. He then returned to form as one of the better relievers in the league, compiling a 2.81 ERA from April 28th until the seasons end. Rauch was subsequently traded to Minnesota in late 2009 for Kevin Mulvey. Bonifacio, after his opening 5 game hot streak, slumped over the remainder of the season, finishing with the lowest OPS among qualifying 2009 MLB batters.

[edit] Manager Controversy

After firing Bob Melvin on May 8, 2009 Josh Byrnes turned the club fortunes over to A.J. Hinch, his right-hand man as Director of Player Personnel. The move to hire Hinch was roundly criticized by the press, players, and public for the quizzical nature of hiring a 34-year-old former catcher with no experience as a manager at any level. Further criticism about Byrnes leadership abilities was cited by the press for giving an untested and unproved manager a guaranteed contract through 2012.

A.J. Hinch was introduced as Melvin's replacement at a news conference, where general manager Josh Byrnes acknowledged the hiring was "unconventional." Byrnes further defended his choice saying about A.J. Hinch, "He brings unique leadership and perspective to the job. The lack of experience is overwhelmed by [Hinch] understanding what organizational advocacy is."

Overall, the hiring of Hinch was perceived as an extension of Josh Byrnes' franchise control, and the general manager's haughty performance during the introductory press conference only fueled that belief.

[edit] Famous Quotes

“The lack of experience is overwhelmed by [Hinch] understanding what organizational advocacy is.”

- GM Josh Byrnes defending the promotion of A.J. Hinch to field Manager.

[edit] References

Byrnes a Rising Star on Deck, The Boston Globe, (4/17/05)
D-Backs Name Byrnes New GM, MLB.com, (10/29/05)
Baseball Lifer Has Risen Quickly to D-Backs’ GM Job, East Valley Tribune, (11/9/05)
Haverford Scores Double Play, The Philadelphia Inquirer, (6/11/07)
For D-Backs' GM, Path Never Lacked Direction, The Washington Post, (7/8/08)
GM Byrnes Studies the Game, The Arizona Republic, (9/14/08)

Preceded by Bob Gebhard (interim)	Arizona Diamondbacks General Manager October 28, 2005-present	Succeeded by incumbent

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Contents

[edit] Biography

[edit] Notable Deals

[edit] Manager Controversy

[edit] Famous Quotes

[edit] References