Brewers GM Stearns receives promotion, contract extension

Jan. 23 (UPI) -- The Milwaukee Brewers have promoted David Stearns as the new president of baseball operations and general manager, the team announced Wednesday.

In addition to the Stearns announcement, the Brewers promoted Rick Schlesinger as the president of business operations.

Both Stearns and Schlesinger received contract extensions, per the team.

"David and Rick have developed processes and standards of excellence that are embraced by everyone in our organization," Brewers owner Mark Attanasio said. "David's approach to acquiring, developing and retaining talent has been instrumental in our success, both on the field and in the front office, and we believe it has created a strong foundation that will continue to pay dividends in future years."

Stearns was hired as GM in 2015.

The Brewers tied a franchise-best record of 96-67 last season and won the NL Central Division. They defeated the Colorado Rockies in an NL Division Series before falling to the Los Angeles Dodgers in seven games in the NL Championship Series.

"Since the day I took this job and moved to Milwaukee, I've felt privileged to live in this community, serve our passionate fan base, and help lead this organization," Stearns said. "I'm thankful to Mark and our entire ownership group that I will continue to enjoy that privilege for years to come.

"The success we've enjoyed during my time with the Brewers stems from the hard work and skill of our entire front office staff, scouts, coaches, and, most importantly, our players."