Could Former Padres GM Josh Byrnes Go to LA?

Earlier this season the Padres decided to part ways with their GM Josh Byrnes after 2 1/2 years with the club. It marked his second unsuccessful stint as a GM in the NL West, but as the saying goes third time’s the charm.

That third time could be coming from the Los Angeles Dodgers. Jon Heyman of CBS Sports is reporting that “Josh Byrnes [is] seen as a leader for job under Dodgers president [Andrew] Friedman”. Heyman says it would likely be the same situation that Byrnes predecessor is San Diego, Jed Hoyer, has in Chicago under Theo Epstein.

Having Friedman behind Byrnes could only benefit him, as his biggest fault was handing out undeserved extensions and paying for it directly after. Friedman was the exact opposite in Tampa, working out team friendly contracts with young players on a shoe string budget that paid off in a huge way.

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Despite his faults he’s seen as a good fit with Friedman, because of his knowledge of the NL West and his ability to acquire value in trades at a low cost, like the Tyson Ross and Ian Kennedy deals. With Friedman having to give the final blessing on all his moves, his results might look a lot better than they did in Arizona and here in San Diego.

What will also help Byrnes is the seemingly unlimited budget in LA. After working in a small market in San Diego, a move to LA with all the endless budget could make any GM look 10 times better. He’ll have the luxury of being able to overspend for players, take more risks and not have to look for the value in every last dollar spent.

Overall, I don’t see how Byrnes could turn down an opportunity like this. He’s already talked with the Dodgers about the move, and it appears to be a no-lose situation. If he’s successful he repairs his image as a GM, if not, Friedman will shoulder the blame. Also I assume the money won’t be that bad either.

So what do Padres’ fans think? Do you think that Byrnes can finally find success, or will his failures follow him, if he does indeed take the the job?