| Mike Hazen | |
|---|---|
| Arizona Diamondbacks | |
| Executive vice-president andgeneral manager | |
| Born: (1976-01-07)January 7, 1976 (age 49) Weymouth, Massachusetts, U.S. | |
| Teams | |
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Michael Norman Hazen (born January 7, 1976) is anAmericanprofessional baseball executive and current executive vice president andgeneral manager of theArizona Diamondbacks ofMajor League Baseball (MLB).[1] APrinceton University graduate and formerminor league outfielder, he previously served as the GM and senior vice president of theBoston Red Sox, working underBen Cherington.[2]
Hazen played four years of college baseball for thePrinceton Tigers and was selected in the 31st round by theSan Diego Padres in the1998 Major League Baseball draft. Afterbatting .307 with 62 hits in theRookie-levelPioneer League with theIdaho Falls Chukars in 1998, he was promoted to theClass AFort Wayne Wizards of theMidwest League. He batted only .203 in 72 games in 1999, and a chronic shoulder injury ended his playing career.[3] He was an outfielder who threw left-handed and batted right-handed.[4]
After his playing career, Hazen scouted theCape Cod League forPeter Gammons. Gammons and Hazen's Princeton coach,Scott Bradley, recommended him to theCleveland Indians, where he was an intern then anadvance scout in 2001 and 2002.[5][3] Promoted to assistant director of professional scouting in 2003, he then spent 2004 and 2005 as Cleveland's assistant director of player development, working directly underJohn Farrell, who would serve asmanager of the Red Sox from 2013 to 2017.[6]
Hazen joined theBoston Red Sox as director of player development in February 2006. Farrell would follow as the team'spitching coach eight months later. Hazen was promoted to vice president, player development and amateur scouting, in 2011. He was promoted to vice president and assistant general manager (GM) under Ben Cherington in 2012, then named a senior vice president and keeping his assistant GM title in early 2015.[6] On September 23, 2015, Hazen was named GM by Red Sox president of baseball operationsDave Dombrowski.[7] Though Dombrowski assumed final authority for baseball decisions, Hazen served as a top aide and had input in the club's decision-making.[8] During his one full season in the post, Boston won the2016 American League East Division championship but lost in theALDS to the eventual league champions, the Indians.
On October 16, 2016, Hazen agreed to become the executive vice president and GM of theArizona Diamondbacks, serving as the team's top baseball operations executive.[9]
On June 11, 2021, Hazen announced he would be taking a physical leave of absence to spend more time with his wife Nicole, who was battling brain cancer. Hazen stated that he didn’t feel he could devote the time required to lead the team’s trade deadline and draft preparation while attending to his family responsibilities.[10]
In October 2023, Hazen signed a contract extension with the Diamondbacks lasting until 2028.[11] That month, the Diamondbacks won theNational League pennant before losing in theWorld Series to theTexas Rangers.[12]
Hazen and his wife Nicole married in 2004. She died of brain cancer on August 4, 2022. They had four sons together.[13][14]
Hazen was born inWeymouth, Massachusetts, and grew up in nearbyAbington.[6]
| Sporting positions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Boston Red SoxGeneral Manager 2015–2016 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Arizona DiamondbacksGeneral Manager 2017–present | Succeeded by Incumbent |