More photos » Elise Amendola - AP

4 months ago: Boston Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein walks to the bus at Fenway Park in Boston Monday, Oct. 5, 2009 as the team travels to the West Coast for Game 1 of a baseball division series against the Los Angeles Angels. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)

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One of the Red Sox's assistant general mangers, Jed Hoyer or Ben Cherington, could find themselves as the replacement for Kevin Towers in San Diego:

How seriously will the San Diego Padres consider Jed Hoyer and Ben Cherington for their new GM post? The answer, according to one baseball official, "very seriously."

Question is would Hoyer or Cherington consider the Padres?

Hoyer was certainly a finalist for the Washington Nats job, a job that appealed to Hoyer because of location and an ownership group that may eventually spend money the closer they get to competing. The same can't be said for the Padres under the new Jeff Moorad group. There's no way of knowing how much that group will spend or whether the same economics as the Moores ownership will apply. It would be difficult for candidates coming from a large market to grow in that situation.

It also comes down to how much do the Sox assistants want a GM job?

Nicky, I would say they would want the job -- even if it is the Padres. We have seen other Theo Epstein proteges move on as well, including Josh Byrnes, the GM of the Arizona Diamondbacks. This wouldn't be a surprise if we're missing another boy genius once February comes around.