Your Turn: What Do You Want From A GM?

I just don't understand the love of drafting hitters. Colon, Ackely, Alonso....

Trout...Harper...

We could go all day with this sort of thing, the reality is that a lot of first round picks in the MLB never pan out, at a much higher rate seemingly then other sports.

One could make the argument that an NFL team should never draft a QB in round one because of Tim Couch, Ryan Leaf etc...again it goes round and round and doesn't really accomplish much.

 

 

but maybe it is something with player health, or something else no one has even thought about yet.

#HireBurns (or Barry Bonds)

http://eatslikeaduck.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Brain-Nerve-Tonic-Screenshot.png

It would be pretty interesting to find out what Terry thinks our competitive advantage is. 

Hate to say it, but I don't think that TR can grasp that concept

Free beer. Everything else is just window dressing.

Of course I am talking about Hughes.  He had a monster year and if he had another year like it would have been a 150 million pitcher.  signing him to a 3 year 42 million extension giving us 5 years of control through his what age 32/ 33 season seemed like a bargain at the time. 

 

Perkins signed below market extensions which was a smart move.  Pelfry was an inexpensive signing to eat innings when we were real bad ...meaning no minor league talent as well as no major league talent.   

Capps was Smith as GM not Ryan.

a. "Monster Year" or "Cy Young Year" does not equate with 7th in the Cy Young award vote with 6 points when the winner got 178 and the second 167.  One of those 2 is a fact.  And, since it was an aberration, like the Suzuki & Dozier "monster years" (read: slightly above league average) that led to extensions, regression was not only written on the wall, was about chiseled on marble.

b. Are you defending Pelfrey's extension?

c. Indeed.  Smith brought Capps to the Twins  (and made the post-season because of the move in 2010).  Ryan was the one who extended him on the December of 2011 (winter meetings) after Smith was "downsized"

The Wolves had a GM come into a terrible position. After four years they realized he was a terrible GM and fired him. The Twins have not moved quite as quick

Huh? I've seen sloths riding on the backs of turtles move more quickly.

Free beer. Everything else is just window dressing.

Sounds like you are in the St Peter camp  

Alright my assumption from this: I am the owner and I am hiring a GM to run the baseball operations.

BACKGROUND

I'm not limiting myself to any possibility. All backgrounds will be considered. Obviously past experience and success is weighted but I would never go into a search of this importance with immediate filters. 

SCOUTING

This is one area where I would change the operation model completely. Long term success can only be sustained by accurate identification of players who can help you achieve long term success. The Twins can't keep up with the Dodgers operation model and spend accordingly. You will need advisers who are capable of finding young talent that will develop and keep the pipeline flowing. Even if you play the Free Agent Market heavily... you will need scouts and advisers at the top of their game for that as well..  

Bottom Line: I would double salaries if necessary to attract and retain the very best in the business from any organization. I would pay more for the best scouts and outbid other organizations to do so and if this creates an arms race... so be it. I will be the first organization to handle scouts with this respect and reward them accordingly. If possible I would add designated analysts to my advanced statistic department to create and implement metrics to track and identify the best in the business and target the top of the list. Success ratios... that sort of thing. Scouting positions will be highly competitive and those who rank toward the bottom of the curve would be replaced. We will be top of the league in quantity and quality and budget. We have player salaries that exceed the cost of this additional expenditure so I'm honestly not sure why this isn't already happening. 

THE DRAFT

The General Manager would set any priorities necessary for each draft and be the final decision maker throughout the draft.  Best player available would be standard however starting pitching would be the preferred emphasis in the first 5 rounds because extra starting pitching will keep you competitive. Starting Pitching suffers more injuries so you need more of it and if you have more than you need... starting pitching is always an easier trade chip to other positions. There is more value in Starting Pitching than any place else so it must be weighted accordingly in the early rounds. There would not be a standard answer for college or high school preference... it would be a priority that you set if necessary before each draft. The GM should be absolutely involved because the results of the draft are critical. 

INTERNATIONAL MARKETS

As part of my increase of the scouting department this would include all international markets. You at least need to be confident in the players available and the potential of these players and if you are confident in someone... you should be aggressive. I for example am not currently qualified to assess slot management and so I'd like an Asst. GM who is fluent. 

ADVANCED SCOUTING

Yes it should continue and all reports should be sent to the General Manager, Assistant General Manager and Advanced Statistics for fine tuning before being submitted to the Field Manager. 

ADVANCED STATISTICS

This department should be increased to the size necessary to be comprehensive. The danger of this department is providing half cooked information and being under staffed will only lead to misleading out-liers or incomplete information. Databases will need to be up to date to the minute. As I mentioned earlier... a separate department for scout metrics will need to be created for identification and recruitment of the best scouts. You will need a department that adds appropriate metric information to each scouting report submitted before it reaches the manager. You also need a department that will solely focus on the creating of new metrics or ways to use new technolgy. Things will keep advancing as time goes by and you will be better off if you are a leader in any new advancements. I'd have a crew on that. You also need a department that simply crunches data.

PLAYER DEVELOPMENT

Be Humble. Never assume that their is a right way or a wrong way with any player's development. Watch what other clubs are doing for possible discovery. Hire consistent leaders at the top for continuity but bring in new people below to bring in fresh new ideas with them. Your Minor League director and his top assistants should be able to database and deploy multiple ideas to almost any issue as the years pass. Make sure that every player has every tool needed to advance. Make sure that a player has enough film to see his mechanics and film of other successful players for compare and contrast. Increase the number of paths to the major leagues. Play players at multiple positions in the lower levels and ween them down when it becomes obvious to do so. By the time a player reaches AAA and is ready for possible major league call up.. ideally they will be skilled enough to be considered at multiple positions. Development and Winning are both important but Development is more important because I believe that Winning is part of Development. Discipline is case by case... simply try to not throw babies out with the bath water. Each player has value and thrown babies is lost value. Do not take decisions lightly. Don't allow a single coach who says a player is not teachable to be the sole opinion which causes a red mark on the top of a player's file. The GM should spend most of his focus on the 40 man roster and rely upon his Minor League Director to provide the candidates for the 40 man. Once a player is identified... then the GM can make a trip to Rochester or Chattanooga. If you trust the people who work for you... there shouldn't be any reason other than curiosity to go to Ft. Myers or Cedar Rapids. 

MEDIA/PRESS RELATIONS

Information will leak because it has since the beginning of time. That said... there is no benefit of revealing your methods to anyone and your methods should be closely guarded. PR/Media Directors should be college educated and control the message that is presented to the public. The GM/Manager and Players must be accessible to the media and fans but properly trained on how. Employees who tend to start fires should be held away from public situations. I see no need and only problems for complete transparency. 

FRONT OFFICE

Asst. GM -- He must have strengths that compliment the GM. Be strong where the GM is weaker. Ideally... I'd like a GM who can focus on the 40 Man Roster so I'd like to see an Asst. GM who is an expert at contract negotiations for example.

The Director of Player Personal would be a very important position and would require the best and the brightest. He or she would be a future GM in training... and he would know more about every player in the organization than anyone including the GM. He would be vital in all player decision and discussion. He would be in charge of player recruitment and player support.  

Minor League Director... I covered this earlier but I'd like the guy to be open minded first and foremost.

Keep Historical Figures that make sense but don't force it. I am not qualified to asses anybody current at this time as far as who stays and who goes... I am qualified to say that something isn't working and I'm hoping someone is finding out and changes are forthcoming.

THE ON-FIELD STAFF

Manager --  I want Joe Maddon or someone who can do Joe Maddon. I want creativity and the guts to try something different. I want a manager who isn't afraid to ask Joe Mauer to play RF if it improves the team. I don't want anyone to stubbornly cling to what could be false assessments made a month ago waiting for things to change. I want the manager to know who has the hot hand and play them accordingly. I don't want the manager worrying about how much a player is making unless the GM tells him to. I want a manager who understands and listens to the GM so he can properly consider future needs to today's need when asked. The Manager will be given every tool available and the Manager will need to know what it all means and use what works and report back on what doesn't. The Manager must be able to manage the players and staff and be able to manage up when talking with the GM and down when working closely with the analytic department and he needs to know when to ignore it all and use his gut (hopefully not too often) and he must be able to be an amateur psychologist.  The Manager opinions on his current team will carry enormous weight. The manager's opinions on players outside the 25 man roster will have very little weight. Ultimately if a conflict arises between the GM and Manager on personnel decisions such as lineup construction or in-game decisions. They will hopefully have the type of relationship where they can talk about it stress-free. If they persist and the results are not working... and communication begins to shut down. It's time to look for a new one. Otherwise... trust the guy you hired or hire someone that you will trust. 

THE CURRENT SITUATION

1. Take responsibility for it... This is on the GM primarily... take full responsibility. 

2. Realize that you can't fix it tomorrow and start getting ready for 2017 the best you can. Moving 4 players off the 40 man in one day was wrong even if each move was the right thing to do. Take your time and get the holes in your evaluation fixed first and foremost or you won't get anywhere while you are trying to bail water. 

3. Identify everything that went wrong and address each thing. 

4. Don't rush but walk a little faster and try to get prospects up for next year when they demonstrate consideration and when they are called up... Make sure that the Manager doesn't waste those chances to assess value for 2017. 

5. Only Sano should be considered for everyday play. Everybody else can rest a game here and there so others can play. It's open audition time for 2017. Nobody on the 25 man roster should spend large amounts of time on the bench. If Mastro is not considered a 2017 possibility... get him off the 25 man. If Grossman is now considered an option for 2017.. continue to play him. 

6. Look for your chances to bring up Berrios and Meyer and start them. Don't worry about trade value or feelings for Nolasco or Hughes or Gibson if they are struggling. It's open audition time for 2017. 

7. If you have young power arms with talent for the bullpen... find out if they will be ready for 2017. If you still have holes and you do... Take the bullpen more seriously and acquire the top level arms you need to build a good one. The game is changing... starters are pitching less and the bullpen is going to grow in importance. 

TRADES

Do not trade for more youth at this point... Trades at this point have to be for Major League ready talent. You have a 40 man issue with all of the youth piling up right now that is only going to get worse. Find out what youth is close and should help you in 2017 and get them ready for 2017. The 40 man youth not quite ready... You can trade for Vets that are ready and will help in 2017. 

FREE AGENCY 

Be competitive in free agency to plug immediate holes when you are in contention. If not in contention... you sign what you need to function on a case by case basis. Do not dive into free agency headlong unless you are a step away. This was a mistake that was made when Signing Nolasco and Hughes in the first place. You were just desperate for starting pitching but you were not realistically in contention. Develop your core in house first.  

MISCELLANEOUS

Success is defined by the meeting or failing to meet reasonable expectation. A GM should be able to look at the roster he has to put together and meet with his key personnel to set reasonable goals and then share those goals with the owner. You should only allow yourself two years of low bar goals. Clubhouse atmosphere should be fun... a reputation of a great place to play should be fostered with the understanding that the occasional day off will occur and the understanding that you will compete for playing time constantly. Front Office Atmosphere should also be fun... who wants to work in misery? You can't retain the best people otherwise. Yes... Build from within but also understand that bringing from the outside is equally important for the fresh ideas that come along.

Bottom Line: I think Terry Ryan should inform Jim Pohlad that he is responsible for the current situation and privately ask him to begin the search for his replacement from outside the organization. This should begin immediately because 2016 doesn't matter but 2017 does and the decisions being made right now are important for 2017. This isn't something that should wait until the off season in my opinion. Treat Terry Ryan with the respect that he deserves... name a street after him or build him a statue. He seems like a stand up and loyal guy. 

Paul Molitor and the Coaching staff... Make no decision on them until the new GM is hired. 

Of course I am talking about Hughes.  He had a monster year and if he had another year like it would have been a 150 million pitcher.  signing him to a 3 year 42 million extension giving us 5 years of control through his what age 32/ 33 season seemed like a bargain at the time. 

 

Perkins signed below market extensions which was a smart move.  Pelfry was an inexpensive signing to eat innings when we were real bad ...meaning no minor league talent as well as no major league talent.   

Capps was Smith as GM not Ryan.

None of the below opinions are based on revisionist history.  All were debated and fleshed out contemporaneously with their specific occurrences.

1) Hughes was already under contract- with no track record for year-over-year consistency- foolish extension. If he would have succeeded in 2015, make the QO and move on with your young arms.

2) A much smarter move would have been to trade Perkins at peak value- during the time when having a reliable closer was of no use to a rebuilding team.

3) Pelfrey was a bad move when he first signed, and a worse move when he was re-signed.

4) Capps was a bad trade for net value at the time (Smith as Ryan protege), and made no sense at the time of the re-sign.

TINSTAAPP

Given that this is not a team with as deep of resources as the Cubs, I think not getting pitching in the early picks is just as risky as we won't be going out and handing out those 150MM ace contracts. I do think pitching and hitting should be mixed up, but refusing to draft a pitcher at #1 simply b/c of the risk smacks in the face of all that BPA talk I hear every day. 

Apparently my extremely heavy dose of sarcasm was not received! Or maybe I missed yours.

Mine was meant to serve as a heavier-dosed extra ladle of exclamation point worth of sarcasm.

Given that this is not a team with as deep of resources as the Cubs, I think not getting pitching in the early picks is just as risky as we won't be going out and handing out those 150MM ace contracts. I do think pitching and hitting should be mixed up, but refusing to draft a pitcher at #1 simply b/c of the risk smacks in the face of all that BPA talk I hear every day. 

How about trading journeyman catchers with a career WAR of -1.6 and and a so-so back-end SP for a good RP and a future ace? (Because that's what Theo pulled off).  It isn't just deep resources.