A.J. Hinch gave his notice to Padres Chairman Ron Fowler that he'll be seeking employment elsewhere, effective immediately. He was left in a tough situation when the Padres fired General Manager Josh Byrnes and President Mike Dee took control of Baseball Operations.

He must have known his time with the Padres would soon come to an end, by either his choice or theirs. Still he handled his last month and the trade deadline in a professional manner and worked in the best interest of the club.

VP/Assistant General Manager A.J. Hinch to Leave Organization " Friar Wire

PADRES ANNOUNCE VICE PRESIDENT/ASSISTANT GENERAL MANAGER A.J. HINCH TO LEAVE ORGANIZATION SAN DIEGO – The San Diego Padres today announced Vice President/Assistant General Manager A.J. Hinch has informed Executive Chairman Ron Fowler that he will be departing the organization to pursue other opportunities in baseball, effective immediately. "I want to thank A.J. for his hard work and commitment to the Padres over the past four years," said Fowler. "He has represented the organization well, and we wish him nothing but the best in his future endeavors." "During my time in San Diego, I dedicated myself to do everything I could to help this team win, in the short-term and for the long-term. These last several weeks were no exception," said Hinch. "I think the organization is ready for a transition and I’ve made a decision and told Ron Fowler and Mike Dee that now is the right time for me to move on. I’m proud to have always operated in the best interest of the organization and to have established long lasting relationships with people who work on and off the field in San Diego. I wish the Padres and the new GM well in the future and look forward to the next chapter of my baseball career."

As we've come to understand through the Padres' new GM search it's hard for fans to judge the job of an Assistant GM. I can say this about Hinch though, he's always been a good communicator during his radio interviews. He has a way of breaking down complex topics into simple terms. Particularly in his last interview with Darren Smith explaining the recent trades of Huston Street and Chase Headley, he was very forthcoming. I noted that many fans seemed to appreciate that candor.