Who’s the best GM in baseball? Tough question. Many would say Theo Epstien of the Red Sox. Bian Cashman? No, nobody would say that, I just wanted to get your attention. Some might still say Billy Beane.
At any rate, any such conversation would have to include Padres GM Kevin Towers, who San Diego just resigned through 2010. The Padres don’t have a ton of money to play around with, further evidenced by their inability to woo Kosuke Fukudome to town, but Towers has built a team that looks primed for both 2008 and the future. I’d go so far as to say the Pads are my preliminary pick to represent the NL in the World Series this year.
Ducksnorts, the great Padres blog mentioned yesterday as one of Peter Gammons’s regular reads, has a “high-level” breakdown of several Towers deals by year, evaluating them by win shares lost and gained. It’s a staggering chart, one that gives Towers an edge by some 529 wins. Andy Sheets for Phil Nevin anyone? How about Adam Eaton and Akinori Otsuka for Chris Young and Adrian Gonzalez? That deal is already a robbery and will still age like a bottle of fine wine. Just let it sit in the corner and watch the value roll in.
8 responses so far ↓
1 salva // Jan 25, 2008 at 12:22 am
For me the best was John Schuerholz, but he was promoted at the end of the season. I don’t like Cashman moves on free agents
Also I’m get surprised by Towers ‘high numbers’
2 Shinsano // Jan 25, 2008 at 5:50 am
I’m a big fan of John Schuerholz too Salva. I started to include him and go on to talk about how he’s likely to be the next commish of MLB, but I stopped myself for fear of getting off topic.
I think Schuerholz — not Bobby Cox/not Leo Mazzone — was the reason the Braves were so great for so many years.
3 John Brooks // Jan 25, 2008 at 12:27 pm
I don’t like Cashman moves on free agents
I mean I hate the Yankees as much as the next guy, but to admit that Cashman has done a terrible job at GM is ludicrous. If it wasn’t for Cashman, Steinbrenner would had already traded any young talent the Yankees have.
I think Schuerholz — not Bobby Cox/not Leo Mazzone — was the reason the Braves were so great for so many years.
I have to agree there that Schuerholz is the key person with turning Atlanta around. Frank Wren has a big shoe to replace. The one thing I remember most about Wren and probably won’t ever let go as a Orioles fan is somehow thinking it was smart to give Prince Albert $66 million.
Finally, switching to who do I think the best GM in baseball in? I have to go back to Epstein, with what he has done with the Red Sox and how they have built their team up through the trades, the draft, and furthermore through draft pick compensation. Schuerholz was right behind him as is Mark Shapiro of Cleveland, Towers, Dave Dombrowski, Cashman, and Beane.
Time will tell with Billy Beane’s legacy, but based on his track record, I’m going to give Beane the benefit of the doubt on the trades this offseason. Even at the worst case scenario, I mean he’s better than Ed Wade and Mike Flanagan who couldn’t evaluate talent if their lives depended on it.
4 Shinsano // Jan 25, 2008 at 6:05 pm
I think Epstien is pretty good too. Although he does have endless funds at his disposal. Still, their minor league system is stacked as is their big league roster (obviously). I’m less inclined to give Shapiro the nod until they do it two years in a row. I think the year before last they classically underachieved and might have been in their right to fire Wedge.
Josh Byrnes from Arizona might be worthy of a Top 5 placement.
Ed Wade would be the worst as far as I can tell. And Colletti is setting himself up for an early exit if the Dodgers fail to finish in the top 2 of that division.
5 Shinsano // Jan 25, 2008 at 9:56 pm
Here’s the list of what teams spend during the 2007 season. Interesting to use this as a way of judging a GM. The Padres are quite low. The A’s are higher than Id have thought
http://www.bizofbaseball.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1859&Itemid=41
6 John Brooks // Jan 26, 2008 at 3:57 am
I’m less inclined to give Shapiro the nod until they do it two years in a row.
I guess the reason I’m inclined to give Shapiro so much credit, is the success of the Hafner and Sizemore trades with have cashed in so well.
Though it’s very likely that the Detroit Tigers will finish at the top of the AL Central after the Cabrera trade.
The article virtually mentions what I did, that the Orioles massive spending on relief pitching was inefficent and ineffective. I sadly as a fan, don’t see them spending money or evaluating player personnel any better in 2008. Any list of the worst GM’s have to include: (1) Ed Wade, (2) Mike Flanagan or whoever it is now calling the player personnel shots in Baltimore, (3) Brian Saeban, and (4) Ned Colletti
7 Shinsano // Jan 26, 2008 at 8:21 am
I just read Baltimore is looking at making Greg Aquino its closer. That would make me so unenthusiastic going into 2008.
If the Nats are as good as I think they might be this year Jim Bowden will finally deserve some credit. I think they may surprise and hang around in that division.
8 John Brooks // Jan 26, 2008 at 9:11 am
I just read Baltimore is looking at making Greg Aquino its closer.
Yeah, its looking more and more likely that Aquino will be closer. As for unenthusiatic, that’s been the story for the last 10 years. I’ve got used to it by now, but it gets harder and harder to deal with the losing. Nothing shocks me anymore with the Orioles. I’ve seen it all and heard it all for a new excuse.
If the Nats are as good as I think they might be this year Jim Bowden will finally deserve some credit. I think they may surprise and hang around in that division.
The Nats are looking better as a team and could very well surprise some people and hang around. Their farm system is starting to look good and weren’t nowhere near as bad of a team as I thought they would be when 2007 started. Plus there starters should only get better with more experience. I must admit I surely thought they lose 100, but impressed me a lot with the team they had.
Also, Bowden has impressed me by taking on the risk of acquiring Milledge and Dukes. If they manage to turn it around, Bowden will look like a genius. Hopefully, they don’t put Christan Guzman at shortstop to start the season.
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