San Diego Padres fire GM Josh Byrnes

Stuck in the midst of another disappointing season and seeing little hope on the immediate horizon for a drastic turnaround, the San Diego Padres have relieved General Manager Josh Byrnes of his responsibilities according to a release by the team. Byrnes’ job had reportedly been on the line in recent weeks, but it seems as though the organization has elected to make the move now rather than wait any longer.

Senior Vice President of Baseball Operations Omar Minaya and Assistant GMs A.J. Hinch and Fred Uhlman will assume Byrnes’ responsibilities in the interim, but the team is hoping to have a new GM in place before the season ends, according to Bleacher Report’s Scott Miller.

Team President and COO Mike Dee released a statement on Byrnes’ firing (via MLB.com):

"This ownership group is committed to fielding a team that constantly competes for postseason play. Thus far this season, the results on the field have been mixed at best and clearly have not lived up to the expectations. After a lengthy evaluation of every facet of our baseball operations, we have decided to make this change today. The search for a new general manager begins immediately. We are looking for someone who can define, direct, and lead this franchise’s baseball philosophy for years to come."

Entering play Sunday the Padres sit at 32-43, fourth place in the NL West and 12.5 games behind the division-leading San Francisco Giants.