SAN DIEGO (AP) — The San Diego Padres have introduced Josh Byrnes as their third general manager in just more than two calendar years.
He replaces Jed Hoyer, who made a lateral move to the Chicago Cubs to work under Theo Epstein.
Byrnes was given a five-year contract with an option year to try to turn around a team that finished last in the NL West at 71-91 and has struggled offensively at spacious Petco Park.
Byrnes is a GM again under CEO Jeff Moorad.
Moorad hired Byrnes as GM in Arizona in 2005 and gave him an eight-year contract extension in February 2008. In 2010, a year after Moorad moved to the Padres, Byrnes was fired by the Diamondbacks. He joined the Padres’ front office in December.
Moorad says that if Byrnes hadn’t been with the Padres, he wouldn’t have given the Cubs permission to interview Hoyer.
