Is it time for a new GM?

[DaveW]

Up until this year I have been a big fan and defender of Terry Ryan, but with what has transpired (or more importantly NOT transpired) over the last few weeks and month or so, I think Terry "he is the GM until he tells us other wise" Ryan has gotten a little to conservative for the game and it is slowly but surely passing him by.

 

Tyler Clippard: Traded for next to nothing.

Jonathan Papelbon: Trade for next to nothing.

Tulo and Hawkins: Traded for something, but nothing to amazing.

 

Benoit, K-Rod and more just sitting, waiting to be given away for next to nothing.

AJ, sitting around waiting to be given away for next to nothing.

 

I get "not giving away the farm" but with how deep the Twins current farm is, and how young its current core is: Dozier, Plouffe, Sano, Hicks, Rosario, Gibson, Hughes, Perkins, etc there is just no reason to be so freaking conservative with your entire farm system. It is more than clear at this point that Ryan will never make the blockbuster trade that seemingly every other team in baseball will make, and more often then not he won't even make a noteworthy trade in the grand scheme of things as well.

 

The Twins are finally playing something resembling baseball for the first time in several years, in what is still a brand new ballpark the taxpayers were bamboozled into paying for, Ryan OWES it to the fans to at least pretend to try to upgrade a good but flawed team, SS, C and RP are all embarrassing disasters for the Twins or any major league team this year, much less a playoff leading team.If

 

Ryan is going to sit on his hands again for another deadline and watch this team sink, I think he should be out the door with them at the end of the season.

 

Just like with Gardy, it was a good run, but the game changes and sometimes the boss needs to change as well.

[Mike Sixel]

I have no idea, but some leaders are great at building things, and terrible at running them. It might be that Ryan has the kind of strengths you want to get a team near the brink, but won't do what it takes to put them over. Might was in that sentence, for all you readers.

 

I don't think he'll ever be aggressive enough for me. I don't think he'll ever deal to put the team over the top. But, I don't know that. Frankly, I think he's a bit stuck in the past, but again, I'm not in the room. I can only judge what is done, or not done, not the process, since I don't see the process.

[rghrbek]

I think it's a legit questions, but c'mon, this is the Twins.  No chance they run Terry out of town.  They probably will extend him, after he signs Torii, Pelfrey to extentions, and then brings in 3 - 2 million dollar relievers next year fresh off the scrap heap.

[DaveW]

Ryan has changed in some areas, I will give him that, but this whole "let's rely on these mediocre veteran RP for way too long" is absolutely cripplingly this team right now.

[T.C.]

To answer your question, yes.

[DaveW]

 

 

I think it's a legit questions, but c'mon, this is the Twins.  No chance they run Terry out of town.  They probably will extend him, after he signs Torii, Pelfrey to extentions, and then brings in 3 - 2 million dollar relievers next year fresh off the scrap heap.

Perhaps teh biggest problem is you have an owner who has always cared about money first and the team second, the fact they came out and gave TR "GM for Life" when he has never even taken the team to the world series is just so unfathomable. Can you think of another org in any sport that would crown a guy anything for "life" when they haven't even gotten you to a title game?

[USAFChief]

If I hadn't made up my mind during my blind rage watching last night's fiasco, it was firmed up today watching Shane Robinson bat, down five with two runners on.

 

The opposing manager thinks so little of the hitter you have up there, he brings in a LEFT HANDED reliever to face him.  And Robinson K's.  Doesn't put the bat on the ball, and THERE ISN'T EVEN A PINCH HITTER.  For SHANE ROBINSON.

 

There's your roster construction, under Terry Ryan.

 

That's worse than the bullpen, which is bad enough.

 

Stop and think about that for a second.  

 

[Brock Beauchamp]

I don't know if I think Ryan needs to go but in the past few weeks, the idea has popped into my head a few times.

 

That in itself speaks volumes. This entire roster is completely un-****ing-acceptable.

[drock2190]

Could be worse, the Twins could be run by the Phillies GM or Arizona's. Or old pal Bill Smith.

 

That being said, the dude is old, has to be on his last few years.

[Pardon My Dinger]

Ever since the Mollie hire, I've had a funny feeling that they'd surprise us with a major changing of the guard. I boldly predict that this offseason or next, Ryan steps down, Molitor becomes GM, and Dougie gets to manage the big club.

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

Ryan is old school. He leads an old school front office. That's just how it is. He is too conservative to be involved in a Tulowitzki type deal. There are some "sucker" GMs in the league, I don't think Ryan is one of them.

 

The old school thing to do right now is get a good deal on a good relief pitcher from a team wanting to sell. Ryan should be able to do that, at a bare minimum. Don't leave the fans and the guys in your clubhouse high and dry. Get some relief pitching.

[Vanimal46]

He's gotten way too cozy in the country club atmosphere at One Twins Way. Let's not forget he was quoted at the beginning of this season that he fully expected this team to be in the playoffs. He set the expectations, and if he doesn't get us there, he should certainly be on the hot seat to lose his job.

[Mike Sixel]

Frankly, I'm not sure what Ryan has done to build the farm.......since he's the GM, not head scout.

 

He hasn't successfully signed and flipped guys.

He traded Span for nothing, but got May (who they refuse to use) for Revere

 

Other than making sure the team is bad, and getting a high pick, what has this GM done to build the farm? As for the MLB roster:

 

Signed

Hughes

Nolasco

Pelfrey

Correia

Santana

Hunter (gone after this year)

Stauffer

Boyer

Thompson

Suzuki

et. al.

 

Really, Hughes and May and Santana have been added by the GM (counting guys that will be here and good next year and beyond).....in, what, 4 years?

[Seth Stohs]

I may not be right, but we are still 47 hours from the trade deadline, right?

[SwainZag]

 

He's gotten way too cozy in the country club atmosphere at One Twins Way. Let's not forget he was quoted at the beginning of this season that he fully expected this team to be in the playoffs. He set the expectations, and if he doesn't get us there, he should certainly be on the hot seat to lose his job.

 

Terry Ryan said this year that he fulled expected this to be a playoff team this year?  You sure?

[SwainZag]

How about we wait until after the trade deadline, or hell maybe even the season before canning the GM? 

[Mike Sixel]

 

How about we wait until after the trade deadline, or hell maybe even the season before canning the GM? 

 

How many games would they have to lose for that to happen? Four straight 90 loss seasons. Past two years from now, this GM has added Hughes, May, Santana, Nolasco......that's about it, right? I'm willing to wait, but only if they actually do it if they completely tank again this year.

[DaveW]

 

How about we wait until after the trade deadline, or hell maybe even the season before canning the GM? 

You must have missed this part:

 

I think he should be out the door with them at the end of the season.

[DaveW]

What I disagree with is the people who are in the "well the Twins are better then we thought they were, so Ryan gets a pass and is doing a good job this year" crowd.

 

The reason why expectations were so low is because the Twins were arguably the worst team (or at least worst 3) in the league over the last 4 years.  A team with such a deep farm, decent financial shape (100+ mil payroll potential), etc should not be viewed as a success when they get to .500 ball in year 5. If the Twins continue this trend, I think he has to go, if he makes the playoffs or they win 85-86 games and just miss, then I think he gets one more year.

 

The reality is though, he has no pressure when it comes to his job, so in reality he can just sit back, do nothing major and continue to coast. If there was some pressure and expectations put on him at some point, at lesat he would have the motivation to actually try to make this team better.

 

[DaveW]

 

 

I may not be right, but we are still 47 hours from the trade deadline, right?

True, but I think the 120 days prior to the trade deadline when he has done ZERO to fix the SS, Catcher and RP issues is more telling of a number.

[diehardtwinsfan]

I said before that I think he's the right guy to build the farm.  Not sure he's the guy to run the show once the team is competitive again.  I think my biggest complaint is that there has been no decision to buy or sell.  I can understand selling (this team isn't that good).  I can understand buying cheaply if the right deal comes along.  But they've done nothing.  Don't like that. 

 

Given that they will be transitioning more folks out of the farm in the up coming years, I think it's getting closer.  I could see TR sticking around one more year, which plays into his strengths, but I think that 2016 should be the end for him. 

[DaveW]

If they make the playoffs in 2016, I don't see how that is his last year? The perfect transition time would have been last year, new GM, new coach, new pitching coach etc.

 

Now you are sort of talking about a weird limbo.

[notoriousgod71]

 

Ryan is old school. He leads an old school front office. That's just how it is. He is too conservative to be involved in a Tulowitzki type deal. There are some "sucker" GMs in the league, I don't think Ryan is one of them.

The old school thing to do right now is get a good deal on a good relief pitcher from a team wanting to sell. Ryan should be able to do that, at a bare minimum. Don't leave the fans and the guys in your clubhouse high and dry. Get some relief pitching.

 

It's difficult to be a "sucker" GM when you never do anything.

[Winston Smith]

17 years as GM. Over 100 games under 500 with one playoff series win and that was 13 years ago. 6 playoff games won in 17 years and the last one 11 years ago. Time has passed him by. Please retire and don't give the job to Antony.

[notoriousgod71]

 

17 years as GM. Over 100 games under 500 with one playoff series win and that was 13 years ago. 6 playoff games won in 17 years and the last one 11 years ago. Time has passed him by. Please retire and don't give the job to Antony.

 

 

Infinite like.

[nytwinsfan]

Jeebus, could you at least wait until the trade deadline has passed before you freak out? I know this is Dave's style, but this is seriously ridiculous.

[drjim]

I could go either way - but I do think we should wait until at least after the all star break.

 

I also think if they were muddling along at 500 and playing kids people would be more happy. Funny how that works out.

[Thrylos]

Time?  Ryan is on his 10th overtime.  It was time 15 years ago or so.

 

But.

 

I do prefer him over Anthony.  And just getting rid of Ryan and replacing him with the next Good Ol' Boy in line, will mean that this team will be titleless for another 24+ years.

 

Need a brand new front office.

[USAFChief]

Jeebus, could you at least wait until the trade deadline has passed before you freak out? I know this is Dave's style, but this is seriously ridiculous.

One man's opinion:

 

In this case, I think it's appropriate to have this discussion.

 

And a reasonable point in time to start it.

 

Not saying anyone is right or wrong about the subject matter, just that I think it's reasonable subject matter.

[JB_Iowa]

 

Jeebus, could you at least wait until the trade deadline has passed before you freak out? I know this is Dave's style, but this is seriously ridiculous.

 

Fool me once, shame on you.

 

Fool me twice, shame on me.

 

Try to fool us 3 or more times and fans have a right to be p*ssed.

 

Some things just don't seem to change.  Every year we wait for something to happen at the trade deadline and get the Sounds of Silence.

 

It's ironic to me that they want the players to be aggressive ... when they demonstrate NONE of that trait themselves in the F.O.