LOS ANGELES — Brandon Gomes continues his rapid rise in the front-office ranks, as the Dodgers promoted the former big league pitcher to the role of general manager as part of a realignment within their baseball operations department. He is the 12th general manager since the team moved to Los Angeles.
Gomes, 37, has been in the Dodgers’ organization since 2016 following a five-year Major League career with the Rays. He served two seasons as the Dodgers’ director of player development, replacing current Giants manager Gabe Kapler. Gomes was then promoted to vice president and assistant general manager in March ‘19. During that time, Gomes has become an integral part of the Dodgers’ front office. He’s one of the fastest risers in the industry since his retirement.
Earlier this offseason, the Mets reportedly interviewed Gomes for their general manager job. He was expected to continue to receive interest for future job openings. Gomes becomes the first Dodgers GM to work under president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman since Farhan Zaidi left the organization to run the Giants following the 2018 season.
“I’m thrilled to announce the promotion of Brandon to general manager, as he has been an integral part of our success since joining the Dodgers in 2016,” Friedman said in a statement. “I look forward to our continued partnership as we strive for another world championship.”
Gomes and Friedman’s relationship dates back over a decade. Friedman, then the general manager of the Rays, executed a trade with the Padres in 2010 that landed Gomes in Tampa Bay. Gomes made his Major League debut the following season. Friedman and Gomes both attended and played baseball at the University of Tulane.
Tuesday’s announcement won’t significantly change how the Dodgers operate. Gomes already played a large role in the decision-making. The promotion, however, gives the Dodgers more structure in balancing the big picture and day-to-day responsibilities.
Promoting Gomes wasn’t the only notable move the Dodgers made on Tuesday. Alex Slater, who has served as the team’s director of baseball operations over the last three seasons, was promoted to assistant general manager.
Damon Jones also joins the Dodgers as an assistant general manager. Jones comes from the National Football League, where he served as the chief legal officer for the Washington Football Team since 2020. Jones has previous experience in baseball, working 13 years with the Nationals as senior vice president of baseball and business operations.
Slater and Jones join Jeffrey Kingston as the team’s three assistant GMs.
Additionally, the Dodgers promoted Brandon McDaniel to vice president of player performance. Thomas Albert was also elevated to head athletic trainer after serving as the Dodgers’ assistant athletic trainer since 2016. Rob Hill is the new director of Minor League pitching.