The Man On The Left Is a Big Reason That The Man On The Right Ranked So Highly
With the annual MLB GM meetings taking place this week, we here at Foul Pole decided to compile our own list of the top 10 GMs in Major League Baseball. Each of us had our own opinions on who deserved those 10 spots. While some of us tilted towards GMs with experience, some of us put our faith in some of the younger guys. Without further ado, here are our picks for the best GMs in the MLB.
| Best GMs in the MLB | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marco Radenkovich | Chris Cwik | Matt Montgomery | DRB | |||
| 1. Andrew Friedman | 1. Theo Epstein | 1. Andrew Friedman | 1. Mark Shapiro | |||
| 2. Theo Epstein | 2. Billy Beane | 2. Theo Epstein | 2. Andrew Friedman | |||
| 3. Jon Daniels | 3. Andrew Friedman | 3. Mark Shapiro | 3. Theo Epstein | |||
| 4. Mark Shapiro | 4. Larry Beinfest/Michael Hill | 4. Jon Daniels | 4. Larry Beinfest/Michael Hill | |||
| 5. Billy Beane |
5. Mark Shapiro | 5. Larry Beinfest/Michael Hill | 5. Billy Beane | |||
| 6. Larry Beinfest/Michael Hill | 6. Kenny Williams | 6. Kenny Williams | 6. Jon Daniels | |||
| 7. Tony Reagins | 7. Brian Cashman | 7. Billy Beane | 7. Andy MacPhail | |||
| 8. Bill Smith | 8. Dave Dombrowski | 8. Brian Cashman | 8. Jack Zduriencik | |||
| 9. Jack Zduriencik | 9. Walt Jocketty | 9. Andy MacPhail | 9. Neal Huntington | |||
| 10. Walt Jocketty | 10. Jon Daniels | 10. Tony Reagins | 10. Tony Reagins | |||
| Honorable Mentions- Jed Hoyer | Honorable Mentions- Jack Zduriencik | Honorable Mentions- Jack Zduriencik, Neal Huntington | Honorable Mentions- N/A | |||
| Worst GM- Omar Minaya | Worst GM- Brian Sabean | Worst GM- Dayton Moore | Worst GM- Bill Bavasi (in memoriam) | |||
After looking at the rankings, some interesting facts emerged.
- 8 out of the 10 GMs ranked by Marco are from the AL.
- Jack Zduriencik was a popular choice even though he has only been a GM for one season. DRB ranked him the highest, saying “Small sample size alert. However, he seems to understand the value of defense more than most, and the fact that he was able to convince anyone to take Yuniesky Betancourt is amazing, even if that person was Dayton Moore.”
- Andrew Friedman and Theo Epstein were the only 2 GMs to be ranked in everyone’s top 3.
- Only the White Sox fans listed GM Kenny Williams in their top 10.
- I was the only person to leave Tony Reagins off my ballot, but the only person to put Dave Dombrowski on it.
- Both DRB and Monty ranked Andy MacPhail among the top 10, Monty added “O’s first round picks in 2007 and 2008 were Matt Wieters and Brian Matsutz respectively. While neither has been great yet, both are projected big numbers from Baseball Prospectus. MacPhail traded Erik Bedard in one of the best deals of the decade. Baltimore has a lot of good young talent with Reimold and Jones to name a few. It’s tough to say whether the Orioles can compete in the AL East, but MacPhail has given the O’s some great pieces for the present and future.”
- Of everyone, I was the only person to rank Billy Beane in the top 3. While the A’s have struggled recently, Beane has built a ridiculously talented young team that could emerge any day now.
- While Monty worried about ranked Jon Daniels too high, Marco actually ranked him higher. DRB had this to say about Daniels’ ranking “The organization is as strong as any team’’s, and the Teixeira trade was highway robbery. His willingness to let Andrus play as a 20-year-old may have started the young shortstop’s service clock early, but it was a large reason why the Rangers were able to contend this season.”
- Mark Shapiro was in the top 5 of every person’s ballot, he was DRB’s number 1 GM but was only my 5th.
- Oddly enough, each one of us had a different choice for worst active GM.
- Despite having the highest payroll in the league to work with, both Monty and I ranked Brian Cashman in our top 10.
- Despite having to work with some of the lowest payroll in the league, Larry Beinfest/Michael Hill ranked high in each of our ballots.
- Tony Reagins was ranked number 10 by DRB and Monty. Monty had this to say “He got Mark Teixeira cheap and brought in Bobby Abreu and Torii Hunter. He has given the Angels a great chance to compete for a WS in his short time as GM. He will have to deal with Figgins, Vlad and Lackey this off-season and find a way to get the Angels younger. The next few years will reveal more about his ability as a GM.”
- Andrew Friedman was the only GM to get more than 1 top vote. Both Marco and Monty put him number 1.
Think we messed up somewhere? Let us know about it in the comments.
#1 by Monty on November 12, 2009 - 2:44 pm
What’s your favorite move by Bill Smith so far? Is it…
1. Trading the best pitcher in the game, at the time, for a decent set of players.
2. Giving the Rays Bartlett and Garza for Delmon Young
3. Paying Michael Cuddyer 33 million in 2008 and recently picking up an 11 million dollar option for 2011 or
4. Giving $9 million to Craig Monroe and Livan Hernandez last year?
#2 by Chris Cwik on November 12, 2009 - 2:48 pm
It’s weird though because a lot of the Twins success seems to be put on Gardenhire, when actually Smith is the one bringing in the players for him. Bill Smith isn’t my favorite either, but based on the payroll limitations, his team always contends. Why does Gardy get all the hype?
#3 by Monty on November 12, 2009 - 3:11 pm
Because Gardy makes lemonade. Find me some moves that Smith has made that have made the Twins a stronger team, because in his short time as GM, he has whiffed a fair amount of times. No way is he a better than KW.
#4 by Marco on November 12, 2009 - 7:39 pm
Monty, I find it interesting that the reason you back KW is the same reason why you get at Bill Smith. Maybe it’s Ozzie that makes teams good?
Even though they missed on the Young deal, and the Santana deal was awful, they always contend, draft way better than a lot of teams, and have paid nearly nothing for Mauer the last three years.
#5 by Monty on November 12, 2009 - 10:57 pm
I back Kenny cause he’s good and bash Smith because he’s not good. It’s that simple
#6 by Rene on November 13, 2009 - 11:59 pm
Nice topic BUT I have to put in my 5 cents when looking at this issue from a money point of view. Being a Marlins fan, and realizing we don’t believe in paying the big stars the big money (Hanley, arguably the best SS in the game, is under contract thru either 2013 or 2014, at $76 million). That’s actually not that much compared to what other teams would pay him, but anyway, my point is…
It’s hard to rate GMs in my opinion because some are given way more money to operate in the same playing field as others, and in the end we know that’s not fair. You can rate GMs in a salary capped sport, but in baseball, it’s tougher. I personally think Brian Cashman is horrible. Any GM with an owner behind him willing to spend over 200 million on CC, Burnett, and Tex is as lucky as hitting the lottery. Just like I could’ve been the head coach of the Lakers last season and probably won the title, it works the same way for these GMs. Where you can find the good GMs is within the small market teams that put together a good mount of competitive seasons in a few years. For example, the Marlins, Oakland (at times), the Rockies…
If Larry Beinfest and/or Billy Beane would be given the reigns to the Yankees or the Red Sox, I’d see record breaking win seasons in the mix…
However, I think you can make a list of bad GMs, such as Omar Minaya (yes injuries aren’t his fault but that’s what you get for paying old players big money)…I think Minaya is a horrible GM, and I’d also throw Brian Sabean in there, even though it looked like Zito earned about 4 million of his 136 million this season!
Marlins champs in 2010!! And Beinfest/Hill as the good GMs that they are, will HOPEFULLY let Uggla walk!!! If we pay that guy money, our GM takes a step back in my book…
#7 by Chris Cwik on November 14, 2009 - 12:10 am
Rene, I think I would agree with your arguments for the most part. Guys like Epstein and Cashman don’t spend the money poorly. Obviously, going after CC and Tex were no brainers, but it’s not like he went all out for Barry Zito or Aaron Rowand or Juan Pierre or Gary Matthews Jr. The point is, if you had the money to spend on the superstars, you would too. I would point out the guys that Cashman didn’t spend the money on. I think he’s come a long way since Carl Pavano and Jaret Wright. If you look at the way the Yankees are constructed now, all the players that are in decline are either free agents or haven’t been signed for a long time. He doesn’t just keep veteran guys around for the heck of it like Varitek or Griffey Jr. He understands the value of his players, he’s just playing with a little more money than most guys.
#8 by Rene on November 14, 2009 - 12:41 am
Yeah that’s true, Cashman does spend money a bit better than the others, but that’s also because only the boss in NY was willing to spend the money paid to all of those players. So what I”m trying to say is that every GM would have loved to sign CC and Tex. I don’t think everyone wanted AJ, but many wouldn’t have minded him. No other teams were willing to pay any of those players the money they received, and they didn’t get outbid by Cashman, but by the bossman in George. I don’t give Cashman credit for those signings at all. I think CC got the highest a pitcher has even gotten, and A-Rod got the most as well. Tex got 2nd I think? We all know those players aren’t actually worth that much money, they’re all awesome, but honestly, they yanks got them because they were willing to dish out the big bucks and no other team made a higher offer. If CC would have been offered 10 more million by the Giants, he goes there hands down. In a salary capped world, the GM that passes on A-Rod to sign a couple other players, or signs A-Rod and has to actually “work with money” is the one that proves themselves as GMs to me.
GMs in baseball are sometimes more puppets than anything. I might be saying this because I would do anything to be a GM of a team like most of us would and we don’t seem to understand how some of these people just mess up so bad and we tell ourselves, “I’d do so much better!!” Maybe one day we’ll get ranked on a GM poll, hopefully on the better end!