Just before it was announced that the Blue Jays parted ways with J.P. Ricciardi, sources told ESPN.com that San Diego planned to sever ties with Kevin Towers, the longest-tenured general manager in the majors. Padres CEO Jeff Moorad will address the media on Saturday afternoon to comment on the matter.
Towers, who is under contract for $2 million next season, told The Associated Press in an email that he cannot comment.
Towers spent 14 seasons as the GM in San Diego and led the Padres to four NL West titles and one World Series berth in 1998.
Moorad is in the process of buying the Padres from John Moores and spoke earlier this season about making some changes in personnel. He has already eliminated about 12 positions in the business operations department. Some are speculating that he will replace Towers with former Dodgers GM Paul DePodesta, currently in the first year of a three-year contract with San Diego.
Following San Diego's 7-2 loss to the Giants on Friday night, manager Bud Black told the media that he had not heard about Towers getting the boot.
"Let's talk about the game," Black said. "If that's the case, let's give it its due course. If that does happen, we'll talk about it."
