Former Colorado Rockies executive Dan O'Dowd is one of several candidates to fill the Atlanta Braves' vacant general manager position, according to Yahoo! Sports' Jeff Passan.
O'Dowd, Braves assistant GM John Coppolella and Kansas City Royals GM Dayton Moore are potential options for the job, per Passan. Atlanta previously offered the position to former Cleveland Indians and Texas Rangers GM John Hart, but the 66-year-old longtime executive instead opted to remain with the team in an advisory role only.
After spending 15 years as the Rockies' GM, O'Dowd -- along with assistant (or fellow, depending on who you ask) GM Bill Geivett -- resigned last week, not long after finishing up a 66-96 season. That opened the door for 37-year-old director of player development Jeff Bridich to become Colorado's third-ever GM.
O'Dowd was reportedly offered a contract extension to remain with the Rockies in a lesser role, but the 55-year-old New Jersey native declined. Now he could find himself in Atlanta working alongside Hart, who was O'Dowd's boss in Cleveland for eight years in the 1990s.
While with the Rockies, whom he joined before the 2000 campaign, O'Dowd was the architect of two playoff teams but fielded just four winning clubs in 16 seasons. During the same timeframe, the Braves made nine postseason appearances and finished below .500 just three times. In fairness to O'Dowd and the Rockies, Denver has hosted one more World Series than Atlanta has this millennium.