So far the Seattle Mariners’ GM search has been very encouraging, but not every candidate is going to be a slam dunk.  Of the six interviews to reportedly take place this week, David Forst, Peter Woodfork, Jerry DiPoto, Kim Ng and Tony LaCava all appear to be very good options.  Tony Bernazard probably isn’t in the same class.

Bernazard played ten seasons in Major League Baseball for six different teams– including 80 games with the Mariners in 1983– as well as three seasons in Japan.  He primarily played second base, and was a league average hitter.

After retiring in 1991 he went to work for the players union as a special assistant to executive director Donald Fehr, holding the position for over a decade.  In this position he was heavily involved in salary arbitration and labor negotiations, among other things.  Like Kim Ng’s experience working in the American League transaction office, Bernazard’s time with the player’s union is something valuable that no other candidates have.

Bernazard joined the Mets toward the end of 2004 as an Special Assistant to GM Omar Minaya, eventually becoming the Vice President of Player Development as well.  Unfortunately for Bernazard, the VP of Player Development title doesn’t sound as impressive once you look at the Mets’ farm system, which is often ranked within the bottom five in all of baseball. 

Bernazard has been in the game a long time, but I think his inexperience within a team’s front office is a mark against him, especially considering that the only GM he’s served under is Omar Minaya, who simply isn’t a good GM. 

Seattle’s clubhouse was a mess this season with all the finger pointing, bad players calling people out, good players being threatened and whatever else, which is perhaps the number one reason why Bernazard shouldn’t be seriously considered for the Seattle GM position. 

Bernazard is best known for being immersed in Mets clubhouse turmoil and scandal, most notably when it came to Willie Randolph’s stint as New York’s manager.  Bernazard never liked the hiring Randolph, causing divisions in the clubhouse and undermining him every chance he had before orchestrating a classless exit for him once he gained enough power in the organization.  He’s been described as “highly political” with character issues and has been called the Mets’ “Vice President of Backstabbing,” among other things. 

Mets fans, bloggers, insiders and others all appear to be sick of Bernazard’s act and are more than ready for him to take it elsewhere.  Not exactly the type of press you want for your potential GM, eh?

Many of the Bernazard inspired clubhouse rifts are said to stem from “alliances” he makes with many Latin players.  While this is a major problem at times, it is also one of the biggest pluses.  In his years working for the player’s union he developed strong relationships with tons of young Latin future stars and is said to be an absolute asset when it comes to recruiting and acquiring Latin stars.  Carlos Beltran was the first case he was credited with shortly after joining the Mets.  The influence he has may help him in his Seattle Mariners GM candidacy as Seattle has long struggled to bring in high profile free agents, Latin or otherwise.

Bernazard isn’t the worst candidate in the world, but the caliber of the other candidates is so high that I don’t expect him to get serious consideration, especially considering the recent controversy.  That said, Howard Lincoln and Chuck Armstrong are making the decision, so anything can happen.

As a side note, Bernazard is said to be close with Joey Cora.  Cora is already considered by some to be the frontrunner for Seattle’s vacancy at manager, so there’s a very good chance that Cora locks it up with a Bernazard hiring.

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