Beginning with the hiring of Andrew Friedman in October 2014 as president of baseball operations, the Los Angeles Dodgers aggressively bolstered their front office and scouting department.
Friedman is joined in the front office by general manager Farhan Zaidi, senior vice president of baseball operations Josh Byrnes and vice president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos, among others.
Last February the Dodgers hired Greg Maddux and Raul Ibañez as special assistants. Most recently, former Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Brandon Gomes was added to the organization as pitching coordinator of performance.
Now the Dodgers are expected to add former Toronto Blue Jays scouting director Brian Parker, according to John Manuel of Baseball America:
Expect the @Dodgers to add Brian Parker to their deep scouting staff soon. Ex-Expos, Nats & Jays scout, most recently TOR scouting director
— John Manuel (@johnmanuelba) January 6, 2017
Parker will join a scouting department that’s led by Bill Gasparino, who was hired away from the San Diego Padres shortly after Friedman took the helm of the Los Angeles front office.
Parker was fired by the Blue Jays in August 2016, which didn’t come as much of a surprise considering he didn’t hold a pre-existing relationship with Blue Jays first-year president and CEO Mark Shapiro or general manager Ross Atkins. National crosschecker Blake Davis was also relieved of his duties at the time.
Parker joined the Blue Jays as a pro scout in 2009, and was their scouting director since 2012. His time in Toronto overlapped with that of Anthopoulos, the Blue Jays former general manager. What’s more, Anthopoulos and Parker also worked together with the Montreal Expos.
During his time leading the Blue Jays’ drafts, Parker’s notable selections include Matt Boyd (sixth round in 2013), Kendall Graveman (eighth round in 2013) and Jeff Hoffman (No. 9 overall in 2014).
Boyd was one of three prospects traded to the Detroit Tigers in exchange for David Price, Graveman was included in the package sent to the Oakland Athletics for Josh Donaldson, and Hoffman was used to acquire Troy Tulowitzki.
Parker’s blemishes include failing to sign 2013 first-rounder Phil Bickford and 2015 second-rounder Brady Singer.
