Diamondbacks remove general manager Towers from posititon

The Arizona Diamondbacks have relieved general manager Kevin Towers of his duties on Friday, they announce. Even though they have relieved Towers of his general managing duties, they announced that they have offered him another position within the organization of which he is considering. 

The 52-year-old Towers has been on the hot seat since the Diamondbacks came out with a very slow start to begin the season, and now becomes the second National League West general manager to have been fired this season. Towers' firing comes just months after Arizona hired Tony LaRussa to oversee all baseball operations. The search for a new general manager will begin very soon, with interview process being held this week. 

Towers has a lot of experience running a baseball team, as he ranks tied for fourth in the major leagues in terms of years at the helm of the team. Towers entered 2014 with 18 years of experience as a general manager, tied with Oakland Athletics' GM Billy Beane and San Francisco Giants' GM Brian Sabean.

Chief baseball officer La Russa made a statement on the removal of Towers from his position:

Over the past three months, I have had the opportunity to evaluate all aspects of our baseball operations and have decided to restructure our staff in order to improve our decision-making process...I have the utmost respect for Kevin and a friendship with him that dates back many years, which has allowed me to appreciate his talents and experience...I have offered him a new role in the front office, as I believe his skills fit well within the framework of what we are building. Understandably, he would like to see who the general manager is before making his own decision.

Towers has worked in baseball operations as a scout, scouting director, and general manager since 1989. In 1995, he was hired to become the San Diego Padres' seventh general manager. He lead the team to four division championships and an appearance in the 1998 World Series. He was known for finding talented pitchers that other teams had released. 

In 2009, the Padres fired Towers as their general manager, and he joined the New York Yankees as a special assignment scout for the 2010. Then, on September 22, 2010, he was hired to become the next general manager of the Arizona Diamondbacks.