Milwaukee Brewers Assistant GM Matt Arnold linked to San Francisco Giants opening

The Milwaukee Brewers have quickly built a winning roster, ascending from rebuilder to National League Central division champions within David Stearns’ first three years at the helm as General Manager. The young Stearns has assembled an enviable group of talent within the front office that have played an integral role in getting the team to this point, and other teams around the league are taking notice.

The San Francisco Giants are among the teams looking for a new GM of their own, and according to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe, they may be interested in poaching a candidate from Milwaukee’s management staff. Assistant General Manager Matt Arnold, who was one of Stearns’ first hires when he arrived in the Cream City, is one of a handful of names that has surfaced in connection to San Francisco’s GM gig. Other candidates that are thought to be on San Francisco’s radar include former Red Sox GM and current Toronto VP of Player Personnel Ben Cherington, and Royals Assistant General Manager Scott Sharp. The Giants are believed to be looking for a “modern-thinking” candidate who can blend new-school analytics with on-field scouting, and Arnold would fit that mold to a T.

Arnold began his career in professional baseball back in 2006 when he was hired as a scout by the Tampa Bay (Devil) Rays. He later served as Director of Pro Scouting and then Director of Player Personnel, and he also oversaw Tampa Bay’s biomechanics and human movement analyses at all levels of the organization. Arnold joined Milwaukee’s front office in late 2015 and has been David Stearns’ right-hand man ever since.

Beyond Arnold, Milwaukee’s VP of Amateur Scouting Ray Montgomery is someone who has heard their name come up frequently when there is a GM opening around the league. Heck, even Stearns himself has been linked to the Mets’ vacancy, although the belief is that owner Mark Attanasio wouldn’t let that happen. Clearly, the front office staff of our Menomonee Valley Nine is one that is highly respected around the game, and it shouldn’t come as a surprise if/when we start seeing some of these intelligent baseball folks get offered new (and more lucrative) opportunities with other franchises.