Arizona Diamondbacks General Manager Mike Hazen recently headlined the news after suffering a heartbreaking loss in his family. Despite the onerous circumstances, he has continued to serve the team as best he can. Amidst the team’s 2023 playoffs and acquiring a place in the World Series Championship after more than two decades, Hazen has been busy dealing with his life on and off the field.

Today, we’ll take a closer look at the man behind the scenes at the Diamondbacks. Why has his tenure as the team’s manager changed their future for the better?

The destiny of Arizona Diamondbacks

Hazen was appointed as the general manager and executive vice president of the Diamondbacks in 2016. The team recently extended his contract for $111 million through 2028. Before getting into managerial roles, Mike had a history of playing in the minor leagues as an outfielder. He began his management career working as an advance scout for the Cleveland Indians. 2015 saw him work as the general manager for the Red Sox for 11 seasons. The next year, he started with the D-Backs as their general manager, marking the beginning of his Diamondbacks destiny.

Hazen has made considerable strides for the team with a series of careful and calculated choices over the years. It started with his high-draft decisions regarding Corbin Carroll and Alex Thomas. Next on the list was signing Evan Longoria as a stabilizing factor for the third base. He also acquired catcher Gabriel Moreno and outfielder Lourdes Gurriel Junior during the offseason.

Re-signing consistent performers like pitcher Merrill Kelly and infielder Ketel Marte and making that Moreno and Gurriel trade during the breakout season that strengthened both the offense and defense of the team—Hazen’s stay with ‘The Snakes’ has been nothing short of a metamorphic tale to tell. And such an evolution it has been!

A story of perseverance and preservation

After the Arizona Diamondbacks faced a monumental loss during the 2021 playoffs, Hazen almost lost hope of seeing his team back in the World Series anytime soon. A year down the line, he had little time to worry about his team as he was mourning the loss of his wife, Nicole, to brain cancer. People started doubting whether he would be able to continue with the team after that.

He did stay with the D-Backs, and he decided to not stop at that. He made his sons open Game 3 of the NL series as a tribute to his wife and made the necessary changes that helped the team get into the NLCS for the first time since 2007. These notable feats led to people naming him “The Architect” of the Arizona Diamondbacks.

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Amidst a whirlpool of gloom, glory, and gains, Hazen’s grit will be an everlasting reminder that should you trust life and keep putting efforts into living it right, life will seldom let you down.

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