CHICAGO -- After nearly 13 years as Brewers general manager, Doug Melvin has decided it's time to pass the baton.The Brewers formally began the search for a new GM on Tuesday, with Melvin continuing to lead the team's baseball operations department before transitioning into an advisory role. Principal owner Mark Attanasio hired the executive search firm Korn Ferry to organize the process, and said he would begin asking for permission to interview candidates this week during Owners' Meetings in Chicago. 
"I'm 63 years old and I've been doing this for 20 years," said Melvin, who was GM of the Rangers before being hired by the Brewers. "My gut feeling tells me it's time to give Mark the opportunity to look over the next generation of general managers."Attanasio expressed an interest in having the Brewers join the wave of teams that have turned to young GMs with a focus on analytics, but said he was open to a wide range of potential candidates."We are at the front end of a process," Attanasio said. "I think there is momentum for the new general manager."Hired by the family of former owner Bud Selig on Sept. 26, 2002, Melvin joined the Brewers front office as part of a major organizational restructuring that occurred days before the end of a 106-loss season. He initiated a full-blown rebuild that brought the team's payroll down to about $40 million by the start of 2003, and $27 million in 2004.At the same time, the Brewers were making critical Draft picks that fueled a rise in the years that followed. After selecting Prince Fielder in the first round in 2002, months before Melvin came on, the Brewers took Rickie Weeks second overall in 2003, Yovani Gallardo in the second round in 2004, and Ryan Braun fifth overall in 2005.In 2005, the Brewers went 81-81 for their first non-losing season in 13 years. In 2007, Fielder hit 50 home runs, Braun won National League Rookie of the Year honors and the Brewers finished second in the NL Central, two games behind the division-champion Cubs.The breakthrough came in 2008, when Melvin's midseason trade for left-hander CC Sabathia helped the Brewers snap a 26-year postseason drought. Sabathia carried the team during a September offensive collapse that included the sudden dismissal of manager Ned Yost with only 12 regular-season games remaining.The 2009 and 2010 seasons were disappointments under manager Ken Macha, but the Brewers hired Ron Roenicke and Melvin made big trades for pitchers Zack Greinke and Shaun Marcum -- and a minor one for outspoken outfielder Nyjer Morgan -- that led to the Brewers' best season in franchise history in 2011. The team won a franchise-record 96 games during the regular season, beat the D-backs in a thrilling Division Series and played to within two wins of the World Series in the NL Championship Series against the Cardinals.But the team has underperformed in the three seasons since then, falling back into rebuilding mode this year in the wake of a 5-17 start that prompted Roenicke's dismissal. In the past two weeks, Melvin has traded three mainstays of the starting lineup -- Aramis Ramirez, Carlos Gomez and Gerardo Parra -- in exchange for prospects. Melvin made those moves while operating in the final year of his contract, saying little about his plans beyond this season.That changed on Tuesday."Mark and I have talked about this for a couple years," Melvin said. "At some point, there has to be a transition."
Adam McCalvy/ MLB.com
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