D-Backs cut 31 employees from front office

Sorry, levski…Eric Byrnes remains safe.

The Diamondbacks cut 31 employees from their front office Friday, moves that team President Derrick Hall said were a result of rising expenses and a sluggish economy.

“This move was strictly about efficiency,” Hall said. “We had to take a good, hard look at how efficiently we were operating, especially in a challenging economic climate.”

The cuts amounted to about a 9 percent reduction in staff, leaving the club with close to 300 full-time employees. Hall said the team had the largest full-time workforce in baseball and still is among the top 5

Several of the job eliminations came from the broadcasting department, moves that resulted from the club’s on-air switch before last season. The team signed an eight-year deal last year with Fox Sports Arizona, which went from splitting games with Channel 3 to becoming the club’s exclusive television home.