What makes a general manager a “good” general manager? Is it a willingness to take risks? An emphasis on sabermetrics? Or the discipline to hold the line, be patient, and trust a process? It could be any of those things; conversely, all of those things can also make a GM a “bad” one. It’s a fine line to walk.
With that in mind, who are some of the best and worst GM’s in baseball heading into the 2015 season? I took a stab at naming five in each category and it was harder than it might seem. How do you determine the best? The worst? The middle?
In no particular order, here are my five best and worst GM’s in the game today:
The Best
Billy Beane
He’s always on these lists, and for good reason: there may not be another GM in the game with the willingness to adapt to changing conditions quite like Beane. Those who point to the lack of championship rings on his fingers are missing the point. Beane has managed over and over again to build a contender on a shoestring budget in the smallest of small markets. His moves work out more often than not, and there’s no one better at exploiting market inefficiencies. Beane always seems to be a step ahead of his competition, and that’s why it was so interesting to watch him dismantle his lineup over the winter only to build it back up in a completely different form. It’ll be fascinating to see if it works out.
Brian Sabean
Unfairly maligned as some sort of anti-stats troglodyte, Sabean managed to build a three-time champion largely through the draft and key under-the-radar signings. He has a knack for finding value in players that have been overlooked and has a keen eye for drafting and developing pitching talent. Though Sabean has made his fair share of mistakes over the years (Barry Zito, Tim Lincecum’s extension), his hits far outnumber his misses. And though the Giants don’t advertise it as much as other teams, Sabean and his staff do take advanced stats into account when making roster decisions. He may not get the accolades he deserves because of an unfair reputation, but three rings in five years puts him squarely on this list.
ARLINGTON, TX – SEPTEMBER 05: President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Jon Daniels of the Texas Rangers talks with the media after announcing the resignation of Manager Ron Washington at Globe Life Park in Arlington on September 5, 2014 in Arlington, Texas. Ron Washington informed the club that he has chosen to resign in order to turn his full attention to addressing an off-the-field personal matter. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
Jon Daniels
One of the brightest, most accomplished GM’s in the game today. Daniels turned the Rangers into a powerhouse on a modest budget but has seen his success wane as the Rangers’ payroll increased; still, Daniels has a good track record when it comes to the draft, free agency, and international players. The Rangers were decimated by injuries in 2014 so Daniels gets a reprieve on their poor performance, but this year will show if he still has the Midas touch with personnel moves. The Prince Fielder trade looms large over his head; still, even if Prince doesn’t perform Daniels’ reputation as one of the better GM’s in baseball should remain in tact.
John Mozeliak
Death, taxes, and the Cardinals in the playoffs. Mozeliak has been the GM in St. Louis for six years and the Cards have been in the playoffs five times, including a pair of World Series appearances and one championship. Mozeliak oversees one of the best farm systems around, and it seems like the Cardinals always have a player in their pipeline ready to contribute at the big league level. He’s also not afraid to make tough decisions if they’re in the best interest of the team, like letting franchise icon Albert Pujols walk in free agency knowing a long contract would have been crippling. It may be annoying for non-fans to hear about “the Cardinal way” but the results on the field prove there’s something to it. Mozeliak is one of the best.
Neil Huntington
Huntington oversaw a rebuild in Pittsburgh that paid off handsomely, leading the Pirates to the postseason two years in a row after missing out on the playoffs for decades. Huntington drafted well and made key trades and signings when he felt his team needed a push to get over the top. Most importantly, Huntington stayed patient in the face of a losing culture and didn’t go for the quick fix. He built the Pirates from the ground up, and the end result is a team that looks like it can be a contender for the foreseeable future. Huntington’s name doesn’t regularly come up when discussing the game’s best GM’s, but he’s quietly done an excellent job in Pittsburgh.
PHOENIX, AZ – APRIL 27: General manager Ruben Amaro of the Philadelphia Phillies walks on the field before the MLB game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field on April 27, 2014 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
The Worst
Ruben Amaro
Amaro gets such a bad rap it’s tempting to feel sorry for him, and then you look at his body of work. Ever since he took over as GM the Phillies have gone straight downhill. Amaro’s decisions have played a direct role in that decline, from his puzzling trades to just-as-puzzling free agent signings. The Phillies went from a National League powerhouse to an aging, mediocre club on Amaro’s watch and he didn’t do enough to stem the tide. He made a few moves this past winter to try and rectify that, but it’s probably too little, too late. But he’s managed to stay employed through it all, so that’s something.
Alex Anthopoulos
He’s not afraid to make a big move, but those big moves haven’t translated to much on field success for the Blue Jays. And in making those moves, Anthopoulos has weakened his farm system to the point where Toronto doesn’t have much help waiting in the wings. He made a few more big moves this offseason, bringing in Russell Martin and Josh Donaldson, but it remains to be seen if those accquistions will actually pay off or if they’ll bring more disappointment for the Jays. If it’s the latter, Anthopoulus will do little to shed the label of a GM grasping at straws in hopes of fielding a contender.
NEW YORK, NY – AUGUST 26: General Manager Sandy Alderson of the New York Mets announces that pitcher Matt Harvey has been diagnosed with a partially torn ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) on August 26, 2013 at Citi Field in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images)
Sandy Alderson
How long should a fan base stay patient in the midst of a rebuild? Alderson has been on the job for five years now with no discernible in on field results. Alderson has done a nice job stockpiling young pitching but that’s about it. Their lineup is a mess and they lack any impact position players in their system, plus they haven’t had much luck in free agency. Alderson hasn’t done much of anything in his tenure in New York and the Mets haven’t shown any upward trajectory, either. They’re stuck in the same rut they were in five years ago.
Jack Zduriencik
Sure, the Mariners had a nice year last year. But they’ve still never made the postseason during Zduriencik’s tenure and he’s made some questionable long-term financial commitments to players like Robinson Cano and Nelson Cruz. Add in the allegations that he lied on his application when going for the Mariners job and is a difficult guy to work with, and Zduriencik is on the bottom of the list. Seattle’s modest success last season netted him a contract extension and that may be one extension the M’s live to regret.
Dave Stewart
Is it unfair to put Stewart on this list when he’s only a few months into the job? Yes, probably. But he made one of the dumbest comments in quite some time when he said the D-Backs were a “real” baseball club because they don’t pander to advanced stats like some teams do. Stewart doesn’t have to like advanced stats, but to dismiss them out of hand is foolish and puts his team at a competitive disadvantage. It’s also laughable that he thinks this approach might make potential free agents take less money to go to a team like the Diamondbacks. Comments like that make Stewart appear hopelessly out of touch and doesn’t bode well for the future of the D-Backs.
