Padres CEO Jeff Moorad said in a phone interview that he is looking for a general manager who is "disciplined and strategic" rather than "intuitive" like Towers. Take nothing away from Kevin Towers, whose style earned him national acclaim as being one of the best in the business. Let's take a look at some of his possible replacements:

Jed Hoyer, Red Sox: Working with Theo Epstein and the Red Sox holds a lot of weight, meaning the young executive could have the inside track to the Padres job, assuming he wants it. 

David Forst, Athletics: Forst has been very loyal to Billy Beane and the A's, but he is regarded as one of the best executives around, who will certainly be a GM in the future. That could be sooner than we think.

Peter Woodfork, Diamondbacks: Woodfork interviewed for the Cardinals job before they gave it to Jon Mozeliak, and could have a job in the future as well. We'll see if he is interested in making the move to the rival Padres. However, MLB must approve any hiring from the Diamondbacks because Moorad is still affiliated with the club. 

Jerry DiPoto, Diamondbacks: DiPoto nearly signed with the Nationals over the summer, but talks fell through. Now DiPoto is one of the favorites to replace Towers, in large part because of his history with CEO Jeff Moorad. 

Other possibilities include Rays executive Gerry Hunsicker and Marlins executive Dan Jennings. However, neither names have emerged as possibilities as of yet. 

More candidates to be explored later. In the meantime, let's hear of some more candidates you think could replace Kevin Towers?