Baseball personnel believe Billy Beane of the Athletics is the best GM in the game, the New York Post's Joel Sherman writes in a survey of scouts and executives. "He continues to find ways to be ahead of trends," says one scout. Joe Maddon of the Rays and Mike Matheny of the Cardinals got the most votes for best manager, and the Angels' Mike Trout got the most votes for best player. Here are more notes from around the West divisions.
- New Astros center fielder Dexter Fowler doesn't understand Rockies GM Dan O'Dowd offseason comments questioning his passion for the game, Evan Drellich of the Houston Chronicle reports. "I'm still trying to figure out where they're coming from," Fowler says. " 'Passion for the game' – I mean, you see me each and every day. This will never change. So I don't know where that was coming from." Fowler also tells Drellich he didn't know whether O'Dowd was even the Rockies' GM, or whether it was assistant GM Bill Geivett. (O'Dowd runs baseball operations, while Geivett runs big-league operations.) The Rockies traded Fowler to Houston in December.
- Joe Blanton is bracing for an uncertain future with the Angels, MLB.com's Alden Gonzalez writes. "Whatever happens, happens," says Blanton. "All I can do is just go pitch and try to make the adjustments in-game and keep working hard." Blanton has $7.5MM plus a $1MM buyout remaining on his contract, and does not have a spot in the Angels' rotation after a miserable 2013 season. The Angels could release him, or move him to the bullpen while they wait for their relief corps to get healthy.
Joe Blanton is probably thinking that his days in anaheim may be done if he doesnt pitch very goo in the spring
Big joe blantons nick name should be Big Heist. Since his career earnings of 39 mil has got to be the biggest theft in mlb history.
Way overated junkball pitcher
I’m going with Mozeliak at this point.
Not a bad choice. For me it’d be a tossup between Andrew Friedman, Mozeliak, and Beane. You can’t go wrong with either three if you were to build a MLB club and needed a GM.
For Friedman though I wonder if a big part of his situation was the Rays long list of top draft picks. Without any more information right now I would say Mozeliak, but honestly a big part of him could be the people in charge of the player development.
It really depends on what type of organization you’re running. They are all perfect fits for their organizations.
Two best managers are Maddon and Francona IMO.
Too bad the Angels didn’t realize what they had for 30 years. The best manager in baseball. Instead they let the lowly Devil Rays steal him away.
They did know what they had. He was in line to become their next manager after 1999. But Mike Scioscia became available and was a better option at the time because they needed someone with Scioscia’s presence running the clubhouse. Joe Maddon has “evolved” into the best manager in the game.
Matheny?
Really? Matheny? Are you sure about that?
What makes you say otherwise? he has led a team to back to back postseason appearances including 2 NLCS and a World Series appearance. His team just had the best record in the NL and they had 20 rookies appear throughout the season. He is a big reason on why the Cardinals are doing so good.
When Matheny was still a catcher, a poll of the players said he would be the best manager of anyone then playing. Interesting how they know so young…
*cough* LUHNOW *cough*
he’s a big reason as well, but Matheny had a bigger impact.
Matheny had a bigger impact than all the scouting and the player development? Okay.
Luhnow helped scout the players. he didnt develop them. I never said Matheny had a bigger impact than all of the minor league coaches, because that would be an untrue statement. But when youre talking about best managers, then its hard to overlook 97 wins while having 20 rookies come up to the big leagues.
Best GM: Mozeliak, Friedman as runner up.
Best Manager: Maddon.
With O’Dowd clearly towards the bottom.
O’Dowd is not a GM
You’re telling me! Actually, he is as close as we have – he was the GM until his job was devided up between Bill Geivett and O’Dowd. It’s a ridiculous situation that will hopefully be resolved with a house-cleaning following this season. While I hope for that,I’m not holding my breath.
It’s not ridiculous at all. Geivett manages the major league team, O’Dowd the minor league side. It’s quite a reasonable division of labor, and it’s very clear that Geivett is in charge of the Rockies major league baseball team. If it is in need of improvement, a Club President to oversee both would help. Hopefully that is in the works.
I think I’d put Friedman first. Agree on Maddon.
Now if Billy Beane can find enough money to put a championship team on the field. He can build a team to get to the playoffs but then they do nothing.
He should trade for Justin Verlander.
Why? And what players do you think he should send?
It was sarcasm. Last two years in game five of the division series Verlander has tossed a gem against them an one.
It’s because he’s been getting lucky the last 2 years with players like Brandon Moss. The weaknesses of Beane’s team building have been heavily exposed in the playoffs for more than a decade. But, give him a $100 million dollar payroll with the pitching staff he has now, and the A’s are probably World Series favorites by a landslide.
There are a couple problems with arguing Beane is the best GM in the game. First, he just ended a 5 year drought (2007-2011) of building teams that won no more than 81 games. That’s 5 of the last 7 years overall.
At this point, I think Beane is one of the better GM’s at bringing in good young pitching. I think “Moneyball” is a bit overblown sometimes, especially now with the A’s winning 2 consecutive division titles, because it has failed just as much as it has succeeded.
Best GM: Walt Jocketty. He’s the one who overhauled the A’s farm system, paving the way for Beane to do his work, and then basically did the same thing with the Cardinals, and with hiring LaRussa (as with OAK), turned STL into a perennial powerhouse contender that they still are today. With all due respect, Mozeliak and Matheny are riding the coat tails of Jocketty and LaRussa. I’m tempted to put Friedman in second.
Best Manager: Joe Maddon, with Scioscia a close second — it can be a toss up though because Scioscia has a track record few active managers can brag about. Maddon is doing exactly what Scioscia did before the Angels’ front office blew up his pitching staff. As long as Friedman provides Maddon with a foundation of good top draft picks and good young pitching, Maddon will have plenty to show for getting maximum value out of young players and overlooked veterans.
Best Player: Should be a no-brainer.
You mean Jose Canseco?
The only people left from Walt’s time with the Cardinals are Wainwright and Molina. It is basically Mozeliak’s team. While I do believe Jocketty is a top 5 GM, Mozeliak is in the top 3.