Yesterday we learned that Andy MacPhail will step down as Orioles president of baseball operations when his contract expires on October 31st. The decision isn't a total surprise, but it will obviously have a big impact on the O's going forward. Let's round up some links on the move…
- Dan Connolly and Peter Schmuck of The Baltimore Sun say that the team's hierarchy has begun to take shape following MacPhail's departure. The situation with Buck Showalter could be similar to when Davey Johnson was hired as manager in 1995, and Johnson helped lure Pat Gillick over to serve as GM.
- MacPhail told Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com that he doesn't expect to offer any input on his replacement.
- Dan Jennings of the Marlins and Tony Lacava of the Blue Jays are on the club's short list for GM, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today (via Twitter).
- The Orioles have not yet asked permission to interview anyone, according to Dan Connolly of The Baltimore Sun (via Twitter), but that should change soon.
- Both Connolly and Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reiterate that Showalter will remain in the dugout and not take over as GM (all Twitter links). The team is putting together a list of GM candidates according to Rosenthal, and Connolly reports that Showalter will be instrumental in the decision.
- MASNSports.com's Roch Kubatko speculates about some potential candidates to replace MacPhail. Here is MLBTR's list of the top 20 GM candidates.
- Connolly grades MacPhail's tenure as a C-, mostly on the strength of his trades (acquiring Adam Jones, Luke Scott, J.J. Hardy, etc).
- Steve Melewski of MASNSports.com says the first job for the new regime will be to correct the team's scouting and player development system, which has come up short in recent years.
