New General Manager Thread

[metirish]

Do we have one?, looked and didn't see it so here goes....

Oh , firstly , am I the only fool that didn't know Jerry Dipoto pitched for the Mets , just learned that this morning.

I don't care for Bill Madden but his article today talks about getting a guy who has not failed elsewhere, and staying away form the older guys, GMing is a young mans game, ask Pat Gillick.

You can read his article here
Rick Hahn, Jerry DiPoto, Logan White and Eddie Bane should be on Wilpons' short list as Mets next GM

Fred and Jeff Wilpon couldn't have been clearer Monday. The Mets mess is their mess. They're the ones who hired Omar Minaya and gave him a free hand to spend $36 million over three years on Ollie Perez, $37 million over three years and an option on Francisco Rodriguez, $25 million over four years on Luis Castillo. And, because of that, they're the ones ultimately responsible for the fact the Mets have not had a comprehensive offseason game plan in recent years, along with a dysfunctional decision-making process, whether they are trades, signings, call-ups or simply handling injuries. Even Minaya himself conceded the Mets were in need of new leadership, but with a record of such fiascos as Al Harazin and Steve Phillips in the past, the Wilpons, who haven't had a whole lot of luck and success overall with general managers since Frank Cashen retired, have to know that this time they really need to get it right. As Jeff Wilpon put it: "We need a new direction, new leadership" and a person "with qualities to reinvigorate the ballclub." One must assume he means that because, if he does, you can start eliminating right now a lot of the usual suspects being bandied about in the media. Sandy Alderson? He's firmly ensconced in cleaning up the Dominican Republic for Major League Baseball with his eye no doubt on running a club for someone, not being a general manager. John Hart? He's 62, having already retired once as a GM with the Indians in 2001, only to come back a few months later when Texas Rangers owner Tom Hicks made him an offer he couldn't refuse. In four years in Texas, Hart's teams were 311-337. Josh Byrnes? It ought to say something to the Wilpons that he was fired in Arizona with five years and nearly $6 million left on his contract after Diamondback teams went 349-378 under his stewardship. While Jeff Wilpon said Monday they would be considering all different candidates for the job - veteran types like Alderson and Hart, "second-chance" guys like Byrnes - they're deluding themselves if they don't go out and hire their own man. They need someone who hasn't failed elsewhere - someone, preferably, with a strong scouting and player evaluation background to complement John Ricco, the Mets' very able assistant GM. Someone with strong organization skills, someone under 60 because, ask John Schuerholz, ask Pat Gillick, ask almost anyone, the GM job has become a young man's job. There are plenty of candidates out there who fit that description, none of whom has ever been a GM. That shouldn't be a deterrent for the Wilpons, who, again, need to hire their own man, not somebody else's failed reject. Four such names are White Sox assistant GM Rick Hahn, Diamondbacks assistant GM Jerry DiPoto, Dodgers scouting director Logan White and former Angels scouting director Eddie Bane.

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/mets/2010/10/05/2010-10-05_time_for_new_mets_blood.html

And here he gives a heads up on four guys he thinks the Wilpon's should look at.

Rick Hahn - White Sox

Has been hailed by many throughout the game as being bright, organized and a workaholic. The White Sox wouldn't let him interview for the Seattle Mariners' GM job two years ago and instead gave him a big raise. His only drawback is that his primary area of expertise has been contracts, waivers, etc., same as Ricco's. That said, the vast majority of today's GMs have player evaluation backgrounds and White Sox GM Kenny Williams has sent the 38-year old Hahn out scouting the past two years. As one White Sox insider said: "Rick's personable, smart and has got all the attributes to be an excellent GM and it won't be long before somebody scoops him up."

Jerry Dipoto

Even though he's reupping with the Diamondbacks as scouting director under new GM Kevin Towers, the 42-year-old Jersey product would love coming back home to be GM of his old ballclub. The onetime Met reliever did a good job as interim D-Backs' GM after Byrne was fired, getting a nice package of prospects in ownership-ordered fire sale deals for Dan Haren, Edwin Jackson and Chad Qualls, and is respected throughout the game for his player-evaluating skills. He's also a self-proclaimed baseball history buff.

Logan White

One of the most respected scouting directors in the game, he's responsible for the core of the Dodgers' homegrown talent - James Loney, Clayton Kershaw, Matt Kemp, Chad Billingsley, Russell Martin, Blake DeWitt et al. He has interviewed for a number of GM jobs in the past that went to others but it's only a matter of time until some team taps his vast potential.

Eddie Bane

Got fired last week in a personality clash with Angels GM Tony Reagins, not for his job performance. The 58-year-old Chicago product and former pitcher for the Twins earned a reputation for having a keen eye for talent in the middle and late rounds of the draft and is responsible for the Angels' signing of Kendry Morales and the drafting of Jared Weaver, the late Nick Adenhart, Peter Bourjos and top prospects Mike Trout, Hank Congers, Michael Kohn and Jordan Walden. The Wilpons seem to know their mission. They need a GM with vision and leadership skills and they know that, the state of the Mets as it is, they can't afford to screw up again.

[Guest Edgy DC]

First episode in the Adventures of John Ricco, Interim GM:

John is confronted by an option year in the contract of Jose Reyes. Is it his to exercise? Does Jeff Wilpon have to pull the switch? Is it the perogative of his successor? Will it antagonize Jose and his agent to be put on the back burner while the Mets get their shit together? John wrestles with these issues and the inability of his higher-ups to agree on the pronunciation of his name. (Guest stars: Ron Glass, Paul Williams, Judy Landers.) Viewer discretion is advised.

Thursday, 8:00 PM.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Oh, and can somebody explain to me why GM-ing is a young man's job without just laying it out there as self-evident? The argument has been around for a decade now with nothing backing it up but attitude.

[Benjamin Grimm]

And one of the guys Madden is suggesting is 58.

[Guest metsguyinmichigan]

Meanwhile, we have Darth Klapisch dissing those young guns and demanding Sandy Alderson be lured from the commissioner's office.

http://www.northjersey.com/sports/pro_sports/baseball/mets/100510_Klapisch_Dark_days_ahead_if_Mets_ownership_doesnt_keep_promise.html

"Several interesting names have been floated by the Mets as potential saviors. Some are absurd: Former Diamondbacks GM Joe Garagiola Jr. has no business running a big-market franchise. Neither does White Sox assistant GM Rick Hahn. But if the Mets are serious about, say, Sandy Alderson, then their fans have reason to believe change is coming.

The former A�s general manager � pre-Billy Beane � is exactly the man the Mets need. Alderson guided the A�s to four division titles, three pennants and a world championship in 1989, which means he has a winning pedigree.

Alderson works in the commissioner�s office, assigned to clean up the corruption within the Dominican Republic�s baseball community. He�s Ivy League-smart (Dartmouth) and more than tough enough for the job (a former Marine with combat experience in Vietnam). Alderson would have no trouble standing up to the Wilpons."

[metirish]

Edgy DC wrote: Oh, and can somebody explain to me why GM-ing is a young man's job without just laying it out there as self-evident? The argument has been around for a decade now with nothing backing it up but attitude.

And those guys are like ten years older now

[Vic Sage]

i don't know that Madden even believes his crap. I think he's just staking out a position that seems slightly less likely to occur (Wilpons hiring an inexperienced GM) so he can beat them up with it afterwards. It's not journalism, it's just stirring the pot.

how did this hack get into the HOF?

[MFS62]

Last night I heard Tim Kurkjean(sp?) on ESPN mention Joe Garagiola Jr. (among a list of other names we have heard and discussed here before) as a candidate for the GM job.
Later

[metsmarathon]

is "hasn't failed elsewhere" really a criteria the mets should be using in their search for a new gm?

doesn't that necessarily mean "inexperienced"?

i mean, unless we're somehow drawing, say, brain cashman over from the evils (not advocating, merely offering his name as one who hasn't failed elsewhere), where are these unfailing gm candidates with experience? it doesn't sound like the suggestion is to raid another team's sitting gm, so what could that leave? n00bs, that's what.

i'd like to think that "gee, what will the media say?" wouldn't be one of the selection criteria, but i know better, sadly. i'll keep on hoping, regardless. at some point, the mets may eventually come to realize that it doesn't matter what the rabble says, and that, more than anything, nothing wins the hearts and minds of new yorkers like good prolonged and sustained success. but i won't hold my breath.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

We'll have to do that "scoreboard" thing to sort all this out, but Martino's article this morning sez Jeff likes Terry Ryan, the former Twins GM and an old-school scout known for spotting talent (Santana, Big Papi, etc) and unloading Luis Castillo on the Mets at the right moment.

He's also got Mets bloodlines, he scouted for them & Cashen in the 80s.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Vic Sage wrote: i don't know that Madden even believes his crap. I think he's just staking out a position that seems slightly less likely to occur (Wilpons hiring an inexperienced GM) so he can beat them up with it afterwards. It's not journalism, it's just stirring the pot. how did this hack get into the HOF?

The same way Elena Kagan got on the Supreme Court. Hookers and blow.

[Frayed Knot]

i mean, unless we're somehow drawing, say, brain cashman over from the evils

Whether a typo or sarcasm, this is funny either way.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Well, you don't necessarily need to buy the whole conceit of Madden's article, but from what I've read either Logan White or DiPoto seem like good ideas. Madden's a douche but I don;t think he's writing this merely to set up a bludgeoning if they get an Alderson or Ryan in here. He wait till the first losing streak for that.

[HahnSolo]

Haven't heard this guy mentioned, and have no real opinion either way on his GM abilities, but here is a Bleacher Report article on JP Ricciardi's tenure with the Blue Jays.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/431435-jp-ricciardis-tenure-with-jays-bad-general-managing-or-just-bad-luck

[Guest 86-Dreamer]

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: We'll have to do that "scoreboard" thing to sort all this out, but Martino's article this morning sez Jeff likes Terry Ryan, the former Twins GM and an old-school scout known for spotting talent (Santana, Big Papi, etc) and unloading Luis Castillo on the Mets at the right moment. He's also got Mets bloodlines, he scouted for them & Cashen in the 80s.

Ryan is at the top of my wish list. Since 2001, Twins have churned out winning teams featuring home-grown or modestly priced talent. Hist first six years (1994-2000) were rough, but it sure seems he figured out a winning formula.

[Frayed Knot]

The worst black mark against Ryan was waiving David Ortiz just before he exploded into a monster.

[MFS62]

The worst black mark against Ryan was waiving David Ortiz just before he exploded into a monster.

He also traded FOR Boof Bonzer.
I'd call that at least a dark grey mark.
Seriously, he got some other very good pitchers in that trade.

As seen on the Inside Pitch board:

Notable trades July 6, 1995: Traded closer Rick Aguilera to the Boston Red Sox for pitcher Frank Rodriguez and a player to be named later. The Twins were able to re-sign Aguilera on December 11. July 7, 1995: Traded pitcher Scott Erickson to the Baltimore Orioles for pitcher Scott Klingenbeck and a player to be named later. July 31, 1995: Traded pitchers Kevin Tapani and Mark Guthrie to the Los Angeles Dodgers for infielder Ron Coomer, pitchers Greg Hansell and Jos� Parra, and a player to be named later. The Dodgers sent outfielder Chris Latham to the Twins on October 30 to complete the trade. August 29, 1996: Traded Dave Hollins to the Seattle Mariners for a player to be named later. On September 31, the Mariners sent David Ortiz to the Twins to complete the trade. August 20, 1997: Traded Roberto Kelly to the Seattle Mariners for players to be named later. On October 9, the Mariners sent the Twins future all-star Joe Mays and a minor leaguer to complete the deal. February 16, 1998: Traded second baseman Chuck Knoblauch to the New York Yankees in exchange for outfielder Brian Buchanan, shortstop Cristian Guzman , pitcher Eric Milton, pitcher Danny Mota, and cash. May 21, 1999: Traded Rick Aguilera and Scott Downs to the Chicago Cubs for pitchers Kyle Lohse and Jason Ryan . December 13, 1999: Under the Rule 5 Draft , the Twins sent minor leaguer Jared Camp and cash to the Florida Marlins in exchange for future Cy Young Award winner Johan Santana. September 9, 2000: Traded pitcher Hector Carrasco to the Boston Red Sox for outfielder Lew Ford. July 30, 2001: Traded outfielder Matt Lawton to the New York Mets for pitcher Rick Reed. July 12, 2002: Traded Brian Buchanan to the San Diego Padres for shortstop Jason Bartlett. July 16, 2003: Traded Bobby Kielty to the Toronto Blue Jays for Shannon Stewart. November 14, 2003: Traded catcher A.J. Pierzynski and cash to the San Francisco Giants. Received pitchers Joe Nathan, Francisco Liriano, and Boof Bonser. December 3, 2003: Traded pitcher Eric Milton to the Philadelphia Phillies for pitcher Carlos Silva, infielder Nick Punto, and a player to be named later (Bobby Korecky). December 2, 2005: Traded Travis Bowyer and Scott Tyler to the Florida Marlins for second baseman Luis Castillo. December 9, 2005: Traded J.C. Romero to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim for infielder Alexi Casilla. July 30, 2007: Traded second baseman Luis Castillo to the New York Mets for minor league prospects Drew Butera (catcher) and Dustin Martin (center fielder).

Later

[metirish]

Ryan stepped down form the GM role in 2007, apparently still is an advisor for the Twins, is he still in the game or is that like a cushy non-job with a title?

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

As seen on the Inside Pitch board:

And wikipedia.

[HahnSolo]

Could he bring his manager with him?

[MFS62]

As seen on the Inside Pitch board: And wikipedia.

I didn't notice the person there cite Wiki as his reference.
I saw it on IP, so that's the reference I gave.
Later

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

HahnSolo wrote: Could he bring his manager with him?

I like the prospect of Ryan (however unlikely it feels). But the Mets just fired the poor man's Gardy.

[metirish]

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: HahnSolo wrote: Could he bring his manager with him? I like the prospect of Ryan (however unlikely it feels). But the Mets just fired the poor man's Gardy.

See, the media would have you believe Gardy is the best thing ever.....you don't rate him LWFS?

[A Boy Named Seo]

Not understanding all the Josh Byrnes love. Here's a blurb on him that sways me not.

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/josh-byrnes-a-j-hinch-fired/

Like Hahn Solo's digging out JP Ricciardi. He's intriguing to me. 2 years a Met farmhand, too, so he's got 'the pedigree'.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

metirish wrote: Could he bring his manager with him? I like the prospect of Ryan (however unlikely it feels). But the Mets just fired the poor man's Gardy. See, the media would have you believe Gardy is the best thing ever.....you don't rate him LWFS?

Ask anyone who watches him on a regular basis (especially Twins fans)... or poor Matt Guerrier (their Pedro, only with more innings logged), or Nick Punto (TRUE FACT: career -39 OPS+).

But he does seem to be a fantastic manager of men, and one can't argue with non-ill-gotten results (all those friggin' division titles), I suppose.

[Frayed Knot]

Gardenhire seems to put on his dumb hat whenever playing the Yanx.
That's probably an unfair view - and the fact that Joe Nathan always folded up his tent at the sight of pinstripes certainly didn't help - but I'm sticking to it anyway.

[Benjamin Grimm]

First up... Sandy Alderson?

From the Daily News:

Andy Martino wrote: The first strong candidate to replace Omar Minaya as the Mets' general manager has emerged, and former A's GM Sandy Alderson likely has the backing of commissioner Bud Selig should Alderson decide to pursue the job. According to league sources familiar with the Mets' hiring process, Selig has given the Mets the OK to talk to Alderson, who now oversees Major League Baseball's efforts to improve operations in the Dominican Republic. In turn, the Mets are also interested in talking to Alderson, according to the sources. Newsday first reported Thursday that Selig would likely approve if Alderson wanted to seek the Mets' job. Credited with building the A's teams that reached the World Series from 1988-1990 and won in 1989, Alderson worked more recently as the CEO of the San Diego Padres. Although the Mets are also believed to be considering younger assistant GMs, such as Logan White of the Dodgers and Rick Hahn of the White Sox, an older candidate like Alderson would allow the team to retain John Ricco and groom him as the team's eventual GM. Ricco was passed over when the Mets cut ties with Omar Minaya, because ownership wanted a fresh voice from outside the organization. Still, the Mets value Ricco, and could see him as a future GM. Another experienced possibility, former Cleveland and Texas GM John Hart, is not believed to be a serious candidate at this time.

[bmfc1]

I'm concerned that Alderson, as one of Selig's Lieutenants, would follow the MLB line on the slotting system for the draft.

[metirish]

bmfc1 wrote: I'm concerned that Alderson, as one of Selig's Lieutenants, would follow the MLB line on the slotting system for the draft.

The Mets do that anyway......is that because Fred and Bud are big buds?

[bmfc1]

metirish: Yes, I think that's it.

Adam Rubin told me that I might not be right: "Frank Coonelly devised the system, and is now one of its biggest violators with the Pirates. And he's only a consultant with MLB."