November 3, 2009 at 11:02 AM
Hazen stays with Sox, turns down San Diego
Red Sox Director of Player Development Mike Hazen will be staying in Boston after turning down the chance to become Jed Hoyer's assistant general manager in San Diego. Hazen is a native of Abington, MA and has been with his home-town Red Sox since 2006 after spending five seasons as a member of the Cleveland Indians front office. Coincidentally, Hazen was drafted by the Padres in the thirty-first round of the 1998 MLB draft out of Princeton University. He played parts of two seasons in the Padres minor league system as an outfielder before a shoulder injury derailed his career.
Under Hazen's watch, the Red Sox have drafted and developed players such as Daniel Bard, Justin Masterson, Lars Anderson, Casey Kelly, and Ryan Westmoreland. Hazen cited the Boston organization's "uniqueness and spirit", as well as having a lot of work yet to be completed, as reasons for staying.
When Hoyer became general manager of the Padres, Ben Cherington moved into a more traditional assistant general manager role and away from his previous duties overseeing scouting and player development. Hazen and Jason McLeod are believed to now have total authority in their fields and will report directly to General Manager Theo Epstein.