Dayn Perry of Foxsports.com ranks the 30 baseball GMs in terms of quality from John Schuerholz at the top all the way down to Bill Bavasi pulling up the rear.
The lowest ranked GM who has had a team make the postseason is Jim Hendry, who clocks in at #25. For pennant winners, it's Tim Purpura of Houston at #18. Bill Stoneman is the lowest of any current GM who has had a team win the World Series, and Perry puts him at #12.
Those familiar with my ranting at the Bronx Banter will be surprised that I think Cashman is actually too low. And Epstein seems way too high after the last year.
But overall I'd think most of us would agree with the generalities of the list.
Isn't there a better way though? Maybe Winshares gained versus lost over the years then take some yearly average? Has someone done this work that I've missed?
Except for some no-brainer high- and low-end choices, this list is a crapshoot.
Dayton Moore at 19, J.P. Ricciardi at 20 kills the whole list for me. As does Bill Stoneman at 12 - if a GM on a small-market team made the same "questionable moves" that Stoneman did, the team would blow its shot at contention.
It's a nitpick, but how does Terry Ryan get ranked ahead of Billy Beane despite fewer playoff appearances in more seasons -- and the fact that the AL Central was easily the weak sister of AL until fairly recently?
Anyway, it's good to see that it's not just Mariners fans who think that Bavasi is the worst. In fact, I've been known to say, "Bill Bavasi is the worst." To which people often reply, "The worst? Really? Surely not worse than dysentery." And I say, "Yes, Bill Bavasi is worse than dysentery."
I also remember thinking what a great thing it would be for the Pirates finally to be out from under the suffocating stewardship of Cam Bonifay. I mean, seriously, how do you fire Cam Bonifay and not find someone who is an improvement on him? I wouldn't have believed it possible until it happened.
The lowest ranked GM who has a had team make the postseason is...
What is a "had team?" Is it like being "had" by a practical joker? Are you saying that some GM's have the ability to trick their team into thinking they're good? If so, I would think that kind of GM should be rated higher.
Or do you mean "had" in the sense of "You had me at 'Hello'?" A team so in thrall to their GM that they perform above their talent level, just to prove their undying love? Again, that's the kind of GM I want on the Dodgers.
Okay, now to be serious: Perry's list seems like a fool's errand, because it compares GMs who've been on the job for a long time, and have presumably developed their skills with GMs (including Colletti) who are still finding their way.
This comment about Colletti made me wonder if Steve had taken over Perry's column:
The Dodgers netted a playoff appearance in Colletti's first season, but in the process he traded away a number of high-ceiling prospects.
Like who, exactly? Guzman and Jackson were at one time high-ceiling prospects, but the roof caved in, and that's why they were traded for so little return. Aybar and Navarro were medium-ceiling prospects. The top prospects are still with the team, so far.
The minute Colletti trades LA's equivalents of Nathan, Liriano and Bonser for the equivalent of A.J. Pierzynski, I'll jump on the "he's just like Sabean" bandwagon. But that hasn't nearly happened yet. Sabean is the kind of GM who would trade prospects to get Luis Gonzalez or Juan Pierre. Colletti just signs them as free agents. Problematic, but nowhere near as bad.
I am not the biggest Ned fan, but how is Dayton Moore higher rated. He just gave Gil Meche 55 million dollars. At least, Ned's team can absorb bad contracts easier and he has actually had a winning team.
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But overall I'd think most of us would agree with the generalities of the list.
Isn't there a better way though? Maybe Winshares gained versus lost over the years then take some yearly average? Has someone done this work that I've missed?
Dayton Moore at 19, J.P. Ricciardi at 20 kills the whole list for me. As does Bill Stoneman at 12 - if a GM on a small-market team made the same "questionable moves" that Stoneman did, the team would blow its shot at contention.
Anyway, it's good to see that it's not just Mariners fans who think that Bavasi is the worst. In fact, I've been known to say, "Bill Bavasi is the worst." To which people often reply, "The worst? Really? Surely not worse than dysentery." And I say, "Yes, Bill Bavasi is worse than dysentery."
I also remember thinking what a great thing it would be for the Pirates finally to be out from under the suffocating stewardship of Cam Bonifay. I mean, seriously, how do you fire Cam Bonifay and not find someone who is an improvement on him? I wouldn't have believed it possible until it happened.
The lowest ranked GM who has a had team make the postseason is...
What is a "had team?" Is it like being "had" by a practical joker? Are you saying that some GM's have the ability to trick their team into thinking they're good? If so, I would think that kind of GM should be rated higher.
Or do you mean "had" in the sense of "You had me at 'Hello'?" A team so in thrall to their GM that they perform above their talent level, just to prove their undying love? Again, that's the kind of GM I want on the Dodgers.
This comment about Colletti made me wonder if Steve had taken over Perry's column:
The Dodgers netted a playoff appearance in Colletti's first season, but in the process he traded away a number of high-ceiling prospects.
Like who, exactly? Guzman and Jackson were at one time high-ceiling prospects, but the roof caved in, and that's why they were traded for so little return. Aybar and Navarro were medium-ceiling prospects. The top prospects are still with the team, so far.
The minute Colletti trades LA's equivalents of Nathan, Liriano and Bonser for the equivalent of A.J. Pierzynski, I'll jump on the "he's just like Sabean" bandwagon. But that hasn't nearly happened yet. Sabean is the kind of GM who would trade prospects to get Luis Gonzalez or Juan Pierre. Colletti just signs them as free agents. Problematic, but nowhere near as bad.
Comment status: comments have been closed. Baseball Toaster is now out of business.