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Bill Schmidt named the Colorado Rockies interim general manager

Bill Schmidt was named Colorado Rockies interim general manager, the team announced Monday.

Schmidt has been with the team since 1999, and has been the vice president of scouting since 2007. He’s replacing Jeff Bridich, who stepped down April 26 after seven years in the position. A search will be conducted after the season for a new general manager.

“After discussions with the baseball department heads, we have come to the conclusion that Bill is the right person for interim GM,” team President Greg Feasel said in a statement. “Bill’s experience and his relationships from top to bottom throughout our organization, including the players, coaches and staff on the field, more than qualify him for this role.”

Schmidt has over 30 years of experience working in Major League Baseball. He started his career with the Reds in 1982, and worked for the Yankees and Indians before joining the Rockies. He also worked with the MLB Scouting Bureau and coached on the high school, collegiate and professional levels. 

Manager Bud Black has known Schmidt for over 25 years, since he worked for the Indians. Black said Schmidt is a “very solid baseball man” and that his familiarity with the players on the Rockies, and across the league, will be a big advantage. 

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“I think Billy brings a great deal of baseball experience to this new role,” Black said. “He has a great perspective on the game.”

Schmidt has an uphill battle to regain trust for the organization. Bridich’s cornerstone decisions included trading All-Star third baseman Nolan Arenado to St. Louis. The deal had the Rockies sending $50 million to the Cardinals and Colorado didn’t receive a top-100 prospect in return. Bridich also did not re-sign DJ LeMahieu during free agency in 2019, opting instead to sign Ian Desmond and convert him to a first baseman, a move that later flopped.

Schmidt will have some big decisions to make right away. Starter Jon Gray, shortstop Trevor Story and reliever Mychal Givens are all eligible for free agency at the end of the season. The Rockies are 10-18 and in last place in the NL west.

As director of scouting, Schmidt has overseen all of the Rockies draft picks since 2000. His selections included future stars like Arenado and shortstop Trevor Story. Schmidt was named West Coast Scout of the Year during the 2019 Baseball Winter Meetings. 

Schmidt is the first appointment by Feasel, who was promoted to president when Bridich resigned. As Schmidt takes over as interim general manager, others will likely be given more responsibility for the upcoming draft, which will be held in Denver as part of the All-Star Game festivities. 

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