Press Release provided from the San Diego Padres media department:

SAN DIEGO – The San Diego Padres announced today that Josh Byrnes has been named executive vice president/general manager. Vice Chairman/Chief Executive Officer Jeff Moorad made the announcement.

“Josh is one of the most respected and credentialed baseball executives in the game,” said Moorad. “His proven record and extensive background in scouting and player development make a great fit for continuing the same focus that we’ve had for two years.

“Thanks to Jed Hoyer’s leadership, we are in a far better position to win consistently in the future than we were two years ago. We thank Jed for the lasting impact he made on the Padres. We are fortunate to have the bench strength in Josh to have a seamless transition moving forward.”

Byrnes is a veteran of 18 years in Major League Baseball with five organizations, including parts of five seasons as general manager. He began his front office career in 1994 with the Cleveland Indians, contributing to the club’s advance scouting, professional scouting and contract research efforts before being named director of scouting in 1998. Following the 1999 season, he joined the Colorado Rockies as assistant general manager, a post he held for three seasons before serving in the same capacity for the Boston Red Sox from 2003-05.

In 2005, Byrnes was named executive vice president and general manager of the Arizona Diamondbacks. His tenure in Arizona was highlighted by winning the National League West pennant in 2007. Under his guidance, the Diamondbacks’ baseball operations staff acquired or helped develop Major League players Stephen Drew, Justin Upton, Max Scherzer, Ian Kennedy, Dan Haren and Chris Young.

Over his years of front office experience, Byrnes has worked alongside some of the most respected and admired executives in the game, including Cleveland Indians’ President Mark Shapiro and General Manager Chris Antonetti, Texas Rangers’ Senior Advisor and former Major League General Manager John Hart, Red Sox Executive Vice President/General Manager Ben Cherington, Pittsburgh Pirates’ General Manager Neal Huntington, Colorado Rockies Executive Vice President/Chief Baseball Officer & General Manager Dan O’Dowd, Texas Rangers’ General Manager Jon Daniels  and Chicago Cubs’ President of Baseball Operations Theo Esptein.

Originally from Washington, D.C., Byrnes attended Haverford College in Pennsylvania. He and his wife Charity, a San Diego native, have two daughters, Avery and Darby.