The San Diego Padres said Tuesday that A.J. Hinch, the team’s vice president and assistant general manager, resigned effective immediately to seek other baseball opportunities. His decision comes about six weeks after the Padres fired General Manager Josh Byrnes. Hinch subsequently handled negotiations with other ballclubs in the lead-up to baseball’s July 31 non-waiver trading deadline. At the same time, Padres executives interviewed candidates for a successor to Byrnes. Under Hinch, the Padres sent third-baseman Chase Headley to the Yankees, pitcher Huston Street to the Angels and outfielder Chris Denorfia to the Mariners. The Padres got mostly prospects in return. “I think the organization is ready for a transition and I’ve made a decision and told (owner) Ron Fowler and (CEO) Mike Dee that now is the right time for me to move on,” Hinch said in a statement. “I’m proud to have always operated in the best interest of the organization and to have established long-lasting relationships with people who work on and off the field in San Diego.” Hinch, who was hired in 2010, declined to interview for the general manager’s job. The former player and manager with the Arizona Diamondbacks was recently named to the Stanford athletics Hall of Fame. – City News Service
