Diamondbacks fire Chip Hale, Dave Stewart

The Diamondbacks have fired manager Chip Hale and general manager Dave Stewart, as first reported by Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic. No decision has been made yet on chief baseball officer Tony La Russa.

Arizona was said to be considering widespread changes after a dismal 69-93 season, and followed through with two key firings within 24 hours of the season’s end.

As Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported in August, Stewart and La Russa considered firing Hale earlier in the summer before ownership blocked the move and hold off on decisions until after the season. Triple-A manager Phil Nevin has long been considered a strong candidate to replace Hale, though it is unclear if Nevin is the favorite at this point.

The Diamondbacks have undergone five GM changes and four managerial changes since the 2004 season, establishing themselves as the pinnacle of instability within the majors. Both Stewart and Hale joined the organization before the 2015 season.

ESPN.com’s Keith Law called for the firings of Stewart and La Russa in an article in late August, in an article that is highly recommended. Stewart has been at the center of many public gaffes over his 2-year tenure, including making multiple questionable trades, showing a lack of understanding of the rules and, at times, lying to various media members.

Arizona is the second team with significant front office change this fall, joining the Twins, who hired Indians assistant GM Derek Falvey as chief baseball officer Monday. The D-Backs are the fourth team to make a managerial change, and will compete with the Braves and Rockies within the next month as they search for a new skipper.