DODGERS ANNOUNCE BASEBALL OPERATIONS MOVES
LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Dodgers announced Damon Jones as Vice President, Assistant General Manager & Baseball Legal Counsel, and the promotions of Alex Slater to Vice President, Assistant General Manager, Brandon McDaniel to Vice President of Player Performance and Thomas Albert to Head Athletic Trainer.
Jones joins the Dodgers after serving the last two seasons as the Washington Football Team’s General Counsel. The Harvard Law School alumnus has over 20 years of experience as a sports, entertainment and media attorney, including 13 seasons with the Washington Nationals organization as the Senior Vice President & General Counsel. The former UC Santa Barbara baseball standout was selected to the 2020 UCSB Intercollegiate Hall of Fame as the Distinguished Gaucho and was on the Nationals staff in 2019 when they won the World Championship.
Slater has been part of the Dodgers front office since 2014, serving various roles, including Director of Baseball Operations (2017-2021), Assistant Director of Scouting (2015-2017) and Senior Manager of Pro Scouting (2014-2015). The UC Berkeley alumnus joined the Dodgers the same offseason in which Andrew Friedman was named President, Baseball Operations. Slater has been in Major League Baseball for 14 seasons, serving as a Baseball Operations Assistant in the professional scouting department of the San Diego Padres from 2009-2014.
McDaniel will enter his 10th season at the Major League level with the Dodgers and his first as the Vice President of Player Performance. He was previously the Dodgers’ Director of Player Performance from 2019-2021 and has held various titles since joining Los Angeles, including Dodgers’ Strength and Conditioning Coach in 2013 and Head Strength and Conditioning Coach from 2014-2018. He originally joined the Dodgers in 2012, working as the Strength Coach for Triple-A Albuquerque. In total, McDaniel enters his 14th season in professional baseball, working three seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates from 2007-2009.
Albert will take over as the Head Athletic Trainer after serving as the Dodgers’ Assistant Athletic Trainer from 2016-2021. He is in his 11th season in professional baseball after serving four seasons with the Cleveland Indians as Medical/Rehabilitation Coordinator from 2012-2015. A native of Burlington, Iowa, earned his Doctorate degree in Physical Therapy from A.T. Still University.
Brandon Gomes Promoted to GM
I predicted this a few weeks ago, although I did not know if it would be Jeff Kingston or Brandon Gomes – It turned out to be Gomes. I guess Andrew Friedman did not have anything else to do. 😉
Discussion (10)
Disagree, not disagreeable
I think Dodgers have more presidents and vise presidents than the rest of the world.
Uh, do as I say, not as I do. Someone’s got to do the work.
What is the latest on Trevor Bauer?
Dodgers prospects ranked in Baseball America’s top 100
Year Top 50 Top 100 Prospects
2022 3 5 Cartaya (23), Miller (38), Vargas (40), Busch (76), Pepiot (99)
2021 0 3 Ruiz (53), Gray (68), Busch (87)
2020 2 7 Lux (4), May (20), Graterol (60), Ruiz (81), Gonsolin (82), Gray (84), Cartaya (97)
2019 3 5 Ruiz (20), Verdugo (35), Lux (40), May (82), Smith (95)
2018 3 4 Buehler (13), Verdugo (37), Ruiz (40), White (69)
2017 2 4 Bellinger (7), Alvarez (26), Verdugo (58), Calhoun (92)
2016 4 7 Seager (1), Urías (4), De Leon (23), Maeda (50), Bellinger (54), Holmes (72), Verdugo (100)
2015 3 4 Seager (5), Pederson (8), Urías (10), Holmes (74)
2014 2 4 Pederson (34), Seager (37), Urías (51), Lee (95)
2013 2 2 Ryu (42), Puig (47)
2012 0 3 Lee (62), Webster (95), Eovaldi (96)
2011 1 3 Gordon (26), Lee (89) De La Rosa (90)
2010 2 2 Gordon (46), Withrow (48)
What are the odds Andrew Heaney has more wins in 2022 than Max Scherzer?
No real surprise on Gomes. More or less heads off outside pursuit. The Dodgers obviously wanted to keep him. Seen as a rising star.
Correa? Who cares? Certainly didn’t want to see the Dodgers sign him for some massive overpay. Carries far too much baggage for Dodgers fan base.
While Freddie Freeman would certainly give the Dodgers a big boost, still think he returns to the Braves. If he doesn’t, Dodgers certainly make a lot of sense. But Dodgers biggest need remains the starting rotation. Hate to see the Dodgers send some of their top prospects to another team. Maybe there is a deal to be had that works, but doesn’t cost top minor league arms.
Even though I think it’s a strong possibility that Clayton Kershaw returns, we still have no idea as to his health.
Right now it’s Buehler, Urias, Gonsolin and Price. Who knows what Price brings to the table? Certainly trades available.
While no transactions can take place now, does that mean GMs can’t discuss potential deals?
Well you can put the Correa to the Dodgers rumors to bed, he signed with Bora’s agency.
I wonder if this means Jeff Kingston will leave?
… maybe not today… but by next season.
Gomes and Andrew go back a long way. He pitched for the Rays during AF’s tenure there.
Andrew absolutely raves about Gomes whenever he has a chance and he’s not the typical Ivy League graduate who never played ball who is now holding down a GM spot. Coincidentally, they both attended Tulane, although not at the same time.
Good for Gomes. Keeps other teams from poaching him from the Dodgers since the Mets had an interest this year.