The Los Angeles Angels are expected to make their hiring of Jerry Dipoto as their next general manager official with a press conference at noon on Saturday. Dipoto, formerly the head of scouting and player development for the Arizona Diamondbacks, beat out a long list of candidates for the Angels' GM job. The response to the hiring of Dipoto has been overwhelmingly positive.
Dipoto's former boss in Arizona, Kevin Towers, had a glowing review of Dipoto in September, telling Nick Piecoro the Arizona Republic, "He has tremendous recall. He knows players. He's very organized, thorough, has people skills and work ethic. Really, there are no negatives. Do I think he'll be a good GM? I think he'll be outstanding."
Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register noted the hiring of Dipoto marked a sizable shift for the Angels, noting "The hiring of Dipoto is a change – it is the first time the Angels have filled a significant position on the baseball side of the front office from outside the organization since then-GM Bill Stoneman hired Eddie Bane as director of scouting in 2003."
As interim GM of the Diamondbacks in 2010, DiPoto traded Dan Haren to the Angels, and the pitcher recalled his time with Dipoto with Mark Saxon of ESPN Los Angeles. "Jerry was great. I really only knew him for a few months, but I interacted quite a bit with him leading up to me being traded to the Angels. He was easy to talk to and very up front. I know he was highly respected and thought-of in the Diamondbacks organization," Haren said. "It's a good signing for our club and a good start to the off-season."
Keith Law of ESPN called DiPoto "one of the most research-oriented people I've come across on the scouting/[player development] side of the business" and said of all the candidates for the Angels' GM job, Law would have chosen Dipoto.
Dipoto will be the 11th general manager in Angels' history.
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