Nick Piecoro

azcentral sports

Dave Stewart did not sound bitter or angry about being fired as Diamondbacks general manager on Monday. But he does think he did a better job the past two years than what his former bosses apparently believe.

“What I see and how I see the things that I did here are different from how Ken and Derrick see the things that I’ve done here,” Stewart said, referring to owner Ken Kendrick and CEO Derrick Hall. “That’s really what it comes down to.”

Stewart and manager Chip Hale were fired on Monday afternoon, one day after the Diamondbacks completed a disappointing 69-93 season in which they fell short of internal and external expectations.

Before being named GM in September 2014, Stewart had spent about a decade as a player agent with a small roster of clients including outfielder Matt Kemp and slugger Chris Carter.

Stewart didn’t want to relive decisions or experiences with the Diamondbacks, nor would he say anything critical of his former bosses, but he clearly did not believe he received enough time for his performance to be fairly evaluated.

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“Obviously, if I had known this was just going to be a two-year stint I would not have left the business I was doing,” he said. “It was a good business and I worked for myself. Had I known it was going to be two years I would have never left what I was doing.”

He said he might return to being an agent, but he said he also has received messages from GMs with other clubs about possible opportunities elsewhere.

“I’ve got stuff that’s coming at me already,” he said. “I’ll figure it out.”

Stewart’s track record included some hits and misses, with his most infamous being the trade that sent former No. 1 overall pick Dansby Swanson and outfielder Ender Inciarte to the Braves in a deal for right-hander Shelby Miller, who flopped in his first season with the Diamondbacks.

But he said he believes he’s leaving the organization in far better shape than how it’s perceived.

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“The thing about being an incoming GM is you reap the benefits of what GMs before you have done, and I think we have some really nice players who are going to be coming to the big leagues in the next two, three, four years,” he said. “I think the minor league system is trending up.”

Stewart pointed to deals that landed second baseman Jean Segura and pitchers Robbie Ray and Rubby De La Rosa as a few he thought worked out well.

Asked what explanation he was given for the change, he said he didn’t think it was strictly a result of the club’s disappointing season.

“It didn’t come down to wins and losses,” Stewart said. “From my conversation with Tony (La Russa), I don’t think they had an appreciation for my method and how I made trades.”

Reach Piecoro at (602) 444-8680 or nick.piecoro@arizonarepublic.com. Follow him on Twitter @nickpiecoro.