Rob Antony's Audition

As for a highly qualified candidate already employed with a winning team considering a promotion to GM with the Twins--it's the age old question: "would you rather serve in heaven or rule in hell?" Anybody who spurns the GM job because of that thinking ​is the wrong candidate.

If you are speaking about the Twins job, I think $2m is quite a bit high. I think Terry was making around $500k and my guess is the new GM does not sniff much more than that. Salary will likely be the biggest issue with us attracting top talent, moreso than weather, roster, etc.

Cashman was the highest paid GM at $2m for some time. Now Epstein signed a 5 year, $18m deal and then Friedman signed a huge 5 year, $35m deal. I believe those guys may all have two titles though.

Keep in mind that I am just reciting things I read and my memory could be off but I read an article last year that I thought said the lowest paid GMs made over $1M/yr and the top GMs were $5M+.  Again, just an old recollection of an article so take it for what its worth.  

Now I am curious.  Might have to search for some articles this weekend.

I don't know how Jim Pohlad could possibly make the decision to keep RA Why fire TR to hire RA?  Just tell him he is retiring at the end of the year and RA is taking his place.  Why create the drama?

Lets sincerely hope that this is NOT an audition The cancer needs to be completely eradicated..

Boy, if his only hope of getting the job is a splashy trade, he has no hope. He doesn't have anybody very exciting to offer, so there's no way of getting anybody very exciting back.

I don't think there's much mgmt can do other than start throwing big money at top free agents in the off-season, which they've never done. None of their players have much trade value.

Their strategy for the past several years has been basically "Wait till Buxton and Sano get here". Well, they're here and they're not doing much. Now what? They gambled on Buxton and Sano just like they gambled on Morneau and Mauer. The jury's still out on B & S but the M & M gamble was a bust because of Morneau's injuries and Mauer deciding that .270, 10 HR, 70 RBI is just fine for $21M/year, no need to change his approach.

So they're stuck hoping that their current young talent will blossom. But that's what they were relying on for this season and it didn't happen. That's a tough sell for fans who are rapidly losing patience. 

(Warning: in the following post, I have quoted my own thoughts of what may have been actual words. These are not quotes you can find elsewhere, just in my brain)

So Ryan was dismissed right after the All Star break which is when many trades come to fruition.

TR was told a few weeks ago that he's leaving after this season, he sticks around a little while longer and two weeks before the deadline, out of the blue says "Well, if that's the case, I might as well go now!". Just two weeks to deadline!

Reusse's reports that its all about PR!

My thought: Who did Ryan try to trade that Pohlad said "no" about leading to Terry saying "Well, if that's the case, I might as well go now!" If Ryan was unable to make those big trades we are all hoping for, it makes no difference if Antony is in charge now or after the deadline. If TR had big trades brewing that could still happen if he sticks around, why leave everyone in the lurch?

To make a big trade Ryan would be trading highly ranked prospects or first and second year players. That is not, has not nor will ever be Ryan's method of doing things. Anything else the Twins have  to trade would not fall into the big trade category

The trade deadline is of little importance compared to the need to overhaul the front office. They need a real analytics department, a real medical department and minds from the outside. Even if Antony were to get a great return for Suzuki or Nunez, that should not be the deciding factor in whether he stays as GM. What is his plan to overhaul the front office? What is his vision for the future and how will the Twins not only catch up to the curve but stay ahead of it? What is his vision for skills from a manager? Can he pinpoint where the current management has failed and areas where he needs to replace staff? Trades are a very small part of this job.

Andy McPhail went from genius in Minnesota to idiot in Chicago.  Sandy Alderson has been from genius to bum and back.  Time will tell if the "bold" move of Larussa's hiring shows much.  Glen Taylor got rid of the country club and ended up with Kahn. Outside isn't always better.  If Antony is auditioning the first thing he better do is bring in a mind that understands pitching as an assistant, special assistant and/or   minor league pitching directory.  After that, if he can sell his organizational philosophy to Pohlad and get a job, he probably wouldn't have a hard time selling players on Minnesota.  He wouldn't have to complain about not being able to give money away.

I read the LaVelle Q&A and listened to his in-game interview last night. I don't think there is much chance of Antony getting the job long-term, but he has the spot for an important stretch now, so it's important to see what he says.

I appreciate how much more open he is than TR was. Clear that he wants to move several players. Talks about how many teams he is talking to, and what stage they are at in those discussions. Will not be trading prospects. Wants young players to get some time in the majors this year getting their feet wet (ahem Berrios). Thinks Ervin might not be traded, because he has value as a mid-to-high (for the Twins) rotation arm on a fairly reasonable two-year deal. (This stance, which I don't agree with per se, represents BUILDING up a player's value, unlike TR's penchant for doing the opposite.) Isn't going to be making any extensions of the Suzuki or Nunez variety.

I'm optimistic that he will trade away several players in the next ten days that will accomplish three things: clear some space for more young players to get playing time, clear a bit of salary space which can be utilized in the free agent market later by the next GM, and bring back a few prospects (no big expectations) that might contribute. If he could land a catching prospect that is close, so much the better.

I'd like a journalist to ask him what his thinking is about May getting another shot at the rotation. And Meyer as well.

I found Antony's quote during the game that "we aren't going to give guys away to cut payroll" to be interesting. It was about the second comment he made if I remember right. Terry seemed to go out of his way and force comments about how much support he has from the Pohlads regarding budget.

It seems like the Pohlad's are aware of their reputation and it is possible they tell their GM to say these things.

The first thing Antony should do is get rid of Plouffe.  Not that that would save his job, just something that should of been done 3 years ago and it cost TR his job.

Glen Taylor got rid of the country club and ended up with Kahn. Outside isn't always better.  If Antony is auditioning the first thing he better do is bring in a mind that understands pitching as an assistant, special assistant and/or   minor league pitching directory.

So that's... one example of an organization, one that's not even a major league baseball team, that hired an 'outsider' and failed.

And it's interesting that you chose an executive whose most noteworthy and defining trait was not that he came from outside the organization that hired him, but rather that he came from outside the ranks of executives with player personnel experience, and with predictable results.

Maybe it would be more compelling, or at least relevant, to list the major league baseball teams that have achieved noteworthy success with a GM who was promoted from an executive spot that he held through over half a decade of averaging more than 90 losses per season.

Finding those names may take a good long while, but my guess is that typing them all probably won't.

if this is his audition......and Berrios is still not up after yesterday.....well, I'd not hire him.

Oh, c'mon, Mike, don't not hire Antony for that when there are so many even better reasons not to hire him!  That's like filling up on salad and dinner rolls at OCB!

So that's... one example of an organization, one that's not even a major league baseball team, that hired an 'outsider' and failed.

 

And it's interesting that you chose an executive whose most noteworthy and defining trait was not that he came from outside the organization that hired him, but rather that he came from outside the ranks of executives with player personnel experience, and with predictable results.

 

Maybe it would be more compelling, or at least relevant, to list the major league baseball teams that have achieved noteworthy success with a GM who was promoted from an executive spot that he held through over half a decade of averaging more than 90 losses per season.

 

Finding those names may take a good long while, but my guess is that typing them all probably won't.

Kahn was a local example of a miserable fail. The point that sailed past you is that hiring outside is not a sure answer. The Reds hired the assistant GM of a mid market team that was doing well. It didn't work out. They then hired  an experienced GM from a team with a winning tradition, it still hasn't worked.  San Diego hired a bright assistant GM .  3 bad drafts, trades that produced only one prospect it would be hard to say Hoyers time in San Diego was anything special yet some say he should be hired here.  If Antony can in a couple months on the job articulate the strengths and the weakness of the Twins system  and how the fixes will work he might be the best candidate. He certainly had a front row seat as to what went wrong, nor was he in a position to change it.  It would not be certain either way because I don't think anyone here knows what he knows. I know he can articulate the company line, I don't know if he had ideas on how to do things differently.  I have worked with people who could espouse the company line and when they went into management changed the garbage in tolerable. Had one who turned the place into hell. You just don't know.