Angels hire Jerry Dipoto as general manager

Seeking a replacement for Tony Reagins strong in both scouting and analytics – and mindful a similar search could bring the Baltimore Orioles to the same candidate – the Los Angeles Angels hired Jerry Dipoto to be their general manager, Yahoo! Sports confirmed Friday.

The club will announce the decision Saturday.

Dipoto was senior vice president for scouting and player development for the Arizona Diamondbacks. He had been the club's interim general manager – between the tenures of Josh Byrnes and current GM Kevin Towers – in the summer of 2010, during which time he traded starting pitcher Dan Haren(notes) to the Angels.

Following a decade in which they mostly ruled the American League West then finished out of the playoffs in consecutive seasons, the Angels reassigned Reagins – the team insisted he stepped down – and cleared out a handful of others in baseball operations.

Those left behind spoke of recapturing the philosophies and energy that had made them contenders, beginning with a stronger general manager.

Through much of October, the Angels gathered candidates (some put the original list at about three dozen), interviewed as many as seven, targeted Tampa Bay Rays general manager Andrew Friedman and, when he declined, hired Dipoto.

Through meetings with owner Arte Moreno and president John Carpino, though not manager Mike Scioscia, the Angels were taken by Dipoto's expertise in the new metrics and traditional scouting and development. Although Scioscia is often assumed to have a stronger voice in front office decisions than most other managers, a source said the decision to hire Dipoto was made by Moreno and Carpino, with input from former GM Bill Stoneman.

Dipoto was believed to be among the Orioles' leading candidates to replace Andy MacPhail, who resigned as president of baseball operations this month. Toronto Blue Jays assistant general manager Tony LaCava and Los Angeles Dodgers assistant general manager De Jon Watson are in the running. Watson, according to sources, met with Orioles brass three times, and most recently had dinner Wednesday with manager Buck Showalter.

Fox Sports first reported the Dipoto hire.