Major League Baseball General Managers

[JesusQuintana]

http://sonsofsamhorn.com/baseball/teams/al-east/new-york-yankees/major-league-baseball-general-managers/
 
Hey folks - still somewhat new to the .net world, but I wrote the above linked article on .com today - which explores three of the more successful GMs in the majors - Billy Beane, Brian Sabean and Brian Cashman.  It concentrates primarily on youth development, but I'm already in the midst of writing about their trade habits.
 
Anyway, I figure it might be a good place to start a discussion about GMs in general - I know there has been a great deal of criticism of Cherington (and in a lot of ways, rightfully so) - certainly feel free to dispense your thoughts on him.  In addition, it might be a great chance to discuss who is doing it RIGHT around the league, despite unconventional methods (Looking in your direction, Astros).
 
Clearly the GM doesn't have exclusive control over everything, there are many factors involved, and this article just scratches the surface.  But the business of baseball is an extremely broad topic, and I'm starting to really enjoy writing about it.  If you think of any other topics that might be worth exploring, go to town.  I'm all ears.

 

[Scoops Bolling]

How could you omit the groundbreaking and revolutionary processes of the best GM in the game, Mr. Ruben Amaro? 

 

[LogansDad]

Obviously because his name doesn't start with a B.
 
Seriously, that was a good read.  I honestly did not know that the Angels used the Horseface pick to draft Trout.  

 

[The Tax Man]

Amaro gets a lot of flack for not pulling the trigger on rumored deals and making obscene rumored demands in trades. I'd love to see an analysis of his actual drafting, player development, free agency moves, and the trades that he did make. There's got to be a reason the Phillies keep him around, right?

 

[JesusQuintana]

Obviously because his name doesn't start with a B.
 
Seriously, that was a good read.  I honestly did not know that the Angels used the Horseface pick to draft Trout.  

 
Thanks, LogansDad!
 
As for the point on Amaro - and The Tax Man knows that I think this - but he's in a contract year.  He's going to go all out before the trade deadline to try and pull a big name prospect and attempt to get an extension.  My guess is that he fails miserably in that quest.

 

[Lars The Wanderer]

It will be interesting to see what changes with the Giants now that Sabean is no longer GM. So far, Evans looks to be a clone with maybe a little more willingness to bail on sunk cost.

 

[JesusQuintana]

I can't imagine a scenario where he doesn't still exercise a ton of influence, especially given his longevity with the organization.  

 

[flymrfreakjar]

How could you omit the groundbreaking and revolutionary processes of the best GM in the game, Mr. Ruben Amaro? 

 
He's gotten a ton of flack, and mostly deservedly so, but I think he played this Hamels thing pretty much perfectly. As long as CH stays healthy he's going to get some serious offers in July. 

 

[Lose Remerswaal]

 
He's gotten a ton of flack, and mostly deservedly so, but I think he played this Hamels thing pretty much perfectly. As long as CH stays healthy he's going to get some serious offers in July. 

 
He's been "playing" this game for a year so far.  Until he actually pulls the trigger he truly hasn't played anything.
 
I know, sometimes the only winning move is not to play.  That's not the case here.

 

[Detts]

 

[The Tax Man]

Chad Finn was kind enough to re-tweet Justin's second article about general managers and their trade records. You might like it too:
 
http://sonsofsamhorn.com/baseball/the-trade-records-of-dan-duquette-and-billy-beane/

 

[JesusQuintana]

 
Not sure how I missed this before now, but this is absolutely brilliant.