Report: Diamondbacks ownership blocked Shelby Miller trade, Chip Hale firing
Arizona Diamondbacks ownership is strongly considering front office changes, and they’ve been meddling in affairs for a while now.
USA Today’s Bob Nightengale shed light on the situation, with the struggling Diamondbacks having been one of baseball’s biggest disappointments in 2016. Owner Ken Kendrick is reportedly considering the futures of CEO Tony La Russa and general manager Dave Stewart, with their contracts coming close to an end.
According to Nightengale, Kendrick blocked recent efforts by his front office to fire manager Chip Hale and trade Shelby Miller to the Miami Marlins because the moves would look bad to outsiders.
Rumors of a managerial change have lingered for a while now, and with this report, it seems clear that there was something to them. On one hand, the La Russa/Stewart combination have done a horrible job, and it would be completely understandable if the Diamondbacks went in a different direction. On the other, if Kendrick and ownership hired them, they should trust them to do their jobs and stop meddling. That seems to indicate that they don’t, and may well be the surest sign that Arizona is looking to go in a different direction.
