Derrick Hall and Mike Hazen Discuss Extending D-backs GM

A deal months in the making was announced amidst rumors of a potential Red Sox poaching

MLB

Derrick Hall and Mike Hazen sat down to address the media yesterday afternoon, covering a wide range of topics.  As reported October 4th, Hazen was extended by the Diamondbacks organization through the 2028 season with a club option for 2029. His title and role will remain as Executive Vice President and General Manager. This was the first time they were able to appear together to discuss the extension and what it means for the organization. 

There were rumors recently that Hazen was a top target of the Boston Red Sox organization, but Hall insisted the discussions to extend Hazen predated those rumors.  "So we started talking, really, two or three months before all the rumors came out with some of the recent news that had taken place. And it just gave us a reason to accelerate it."

Prior to hiring Hazen during 2016-17 offseason, there had been a revolving door at the General Manager position in Arizona. Josh Byrnes was fired mid season during 2010, being replaced by interim GM, Jerry Dipoto. Kevin Towers was hired to fill the role prior to the 2011, and the team won the NL West that year with the core that Byrnes built plus a revamped bullpen. Towers was fired just three years later, however following the 2014 season.  The D-backs experimented with a new structure, hiring Tony LaRussa to be Chief Baseball Officer and Dave Stewart as GM. That lasted just two years as well without producing a winning season.  

Through all of that change, with GMs fighting to keep their jobs, the one constant theme was difficulty developing a farm system and pipeline to the majors that could provide sustainable winning. That began to change with the hiring of Hazen and his team, many of which came with him from the Red Sox organization, such as Senior Vice President and Assistant GM Amiel Sawdaye. Hall said that was a main reason they decided to extend Hazen at this time.

"When we first hired Mike in '17, one of the top priorities then was let's fix the farm system. And we went from a bottom five to a top five in quick fashion. And at the same time he was also building what we were hoping would be a very sustainable model."

For Hazen's part, he acknowledged the ties back to Boston and the friends and family there. Leaving Arizona was never something he wanted to however, as he feels there is a job left undone.  

"We committed when we came out here to building something that involved winning, not just doing this job to do this job or some perception of what could be deemed doing this job well -- building a farm system or finishing .500, I don't know -- going deep into the playoffs and winning a World Series. That's not done. We're not even close to that yet."

The men and women that he's brought in to help him run the Baseball Operations of the club all look up to him as their leader, and he felt a responsibility not to be the first one to leave. In fact along with Hazen receiving an extension, Hazen revealed that Sawdaye and Mike Fitzgerald, Vice President of Research and Development were also extended. 

"It's very important to me that the group around me gets done too. So I'm even more appreciative that Fitz and Amiel got taken care of the way they did. And the trust they showed those two guys who are the backbone of what we do, who are literally the reason we have been successful to this point -- those two guys and the people underneath in our front office."

Hall talked about the change in course from revolving door to stability in the role and the people around Hazen

"The stability has been great. It's been a breath of fresh air for the organization and for our entire leadership team to know that they have the same baseball leadership and place. And that's our field manager [Torey Lovullo] as well"

There was a light moment when Hazen responded to a question about Boston again, and insisted he told Derrick and owner Ken Kendrick he wanted to stay as he felt he had unfinished business. Hall chirped in "He's our shrewd chief negotiator and he took away all of his leverage, which was really fun to see. (Laughter)."

The mood turned somewhat somber later in the interviews however. Both the organization, and Hazen in particular, had walked through the darkest of period. Several years ago Hazen's wife Nicole had been diagnosed with a form of brain cancer, Glioblastoma that has less than a 1% survival rate past 10 years. At the same time the team started a downward spiral on the field culminating in a 110 loss season in 2021.  

Sadly, Nicole passed away last summer at the age of 45, leaving Hazen as a young widower with four teenaged sons. Through all of that the leadership of the organization stuck with Hazen and his family both on and off the field. 

He's family. We felt it. We were going through it with him. And looking back on that, there were no regrets whatsoever. We knew we had to give him as much time away as needed. Mike just complimented the rest of his staff, his leadership team. And we know how vital they are and important. They stepped up at a time when we needed them to and they were willing to. They wanted Mike to take as much time with his family as he needed. He did take time away, but I can tell you he was never really away. And so we almost felt guilty because Mike never stopped working. And he's tireless. He's committed.

It's bittersweet for Mike Hazen. During the celebrations clinching the wild card berth he spoke poignantly about how his wife was as much a part of everything he did as anyone, and how much the Diamondbacks meant to her. Nothing can prepare a person for the crushing loss off a loving wife and mother who died so young.  But Hazen and his family, and his Diamondbacks family carry on.  And now he'll have the opportunity to finish the job he came here to do. To build a world series champion. 

If you would like to support the Nicole Hazen Fund for Hope you can do so at this link. The Website states:

In her memory, the Hazens remain committed to funding the innovative therapies, cutting-edge research, and pioneering discoveries in hopes of solving one of medicine’s most complex, incurable diseases - glioblastoma.

The Nicole Hazen Fund For Hope will offer more patients with aggressive brain tumors access to rapid, state-of-the-art treatment as well as compassionate support throughout the entire journey.