Source: MacPhail Out as GM

[Palmoripken]

Top Ten GM Candidates (Baseball Prospectus): http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=7683

I imagine Thad Levine (my pick) is even higher because of the Rangers recent success. I wish Andy well but my hope for our next GM is a fairly young guy who has worked in a successful organization but also wants to be the GM. Levine sounds like that guy to me. Plus I've heard he was an O's fan growing up that kind of counts for something.

[Remember The Alomar]

My personal theory: AM has been planning on leaving since the beginning of the year, regardless of what happened on the field. PA wanted MacPhail back badly because he's one of the few guys he trusts. In a last minute bid, PA offered some sort of incentive/made a promise that caused AM to rethink his position. After a few days of thinking it over, he stuck to his original decision and left.

Since Buck has been dismissed as a candidate for the job already, I think he must of told PA that he'd prefer to stay in the dugout. Considering his relationship with PA, I think he could have had the job if he really wanted it.

We're not out of the woods, but I think we may have dodged a bullet. It wouldn't have been the end of the world of AM returned, but I think a new direction was needed. I like Buck, but I hate the idea of him becoming the GM with little to no experience. We may actually get a real GM. How good said GM ends up being remains to be seen though.

[Remember The Alomar]

Perhaps, but he'd trade everybody and that's what you need to do. Hardy, Reynolds, Wieters, Jones, and Markakis. Blow the whole thing up.

It's my less preferred option of course, but it's better than a MacPhail type of offseason.

Still I don't see Buck going for a blowup. I think he wants to win now. We'll see...

So you'd be down for a hypothetical, 3-4 year "true" rebuild?

[ChaosLex]

Now we at least have hope that things will change.

The roadblock has been removed and it's time for the Orioles to have a historic offseason...

I wasn't aware Angelos sold the team.

[Sports Guy]

I wasn't aware Angelos sold the team.

LOL...Surprised no one else said that.

Amazing that he thinks AM is the roadblock.

Hell, I was ready to get AM out of here way before Jtrea even knew who he was and even I know that PA is the real roadblock.

[jonesing4pie]

Please tell me how AM was the roadblock? The Os have sucked for a long time without Andy.

[Sports Guy]

Please tell me how AM was the roadblock? The Os have sucked for a long time without Andy.

Well, his style is pretty awful for this division..That is true IMO. I do feel he was a roadblock.

But I also don't think he is close to as ginormous a roadblock as PA is.

[Remember The Alomar]

Hell, I was ready to get AM out of here way before Jtrea even knew who he was and even I know that PA is the real roadblock.

You're such an Orioles hipster

Nate Silver was totally awesome till he sold out.

[ccbird]

Now, some people need to face reality. PA wanted AM back. He was a guy he trusted, one of the only few he does trust. It seems to reason whoever is hired is going to have pretty tight handcuffs by PA. It's unrealistic to think the guy is going to come in and be able to significantly raise the payroll or make sweeping changes in the organization.

[byrdz]

It doesn't matter the replacement when PA is in charge. He likes bargain basement, past their prime, big name guys. He likes to keep fan favorites around too long so that they have no trade value. This is what he thinks the best way is to draw fans.

I actually thought AM was about as good as it gets considering his good relationship with PA and the fact that he's the owner for the foreseeable future. If another GM can build a good rapport with PA and do it the right way, so be it, but I don't see it happening because doing it right way requires a drastic change in philosophy.

[24fps]

If PA actually is as much of a hinderance to progress as is believed around here, it will be most interesting to watch who turns down the job.

[scOtt]

As an aside: LaCava LaCava LaCava LaCava LaCava LaCava LaCava LaCava LaCava LaCava LaCava LaCava LaCava LaCava LaCava LaCava LaCava LaCava LaCava LaCava LaCava LaCava LaCava LaCava LaCava LaCava LaCava LaCava LaCava LaCava LaCava LaCava LaCava LaCava LaCava LaCava LaCava LaCava LaCava LaCava LaCava LaCava LaCava. Please.

Never heard of him before, but me likey!

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2011/08/gm-candidate-tony-lacava.html

[GoldGlove21]

If PA actually is as much of a hinderance to progress as is believed around here, it will be most interesting to watch who turns down the job.

Hinderance is relative as I wouldn't expect a current GM to depart their post to take the Orioles job, but I could see a number of assistant GM's and well respected scouting and development guru's to be interested in the position. We like to think that no one would want the Orioles GM gig, but there are only 32 of these positions in MLB and if you turn down an offer you never know how long you will wait to get another offer. That is if you get another offer at all. There are also guys who grew up loving the Orioles and this would seem to be the dream job they envisioned as a young adult.

The main issue is that a beautiful diamond can sparkle in the right light, but when you cover it up that light than the diamond is not afforded the opportunity to shine. We can hire one of the most respected names in the game (hell we did in MacPhail) only to have them not be given the reigns to make important baseball decisions.

[GoldGlove21]

Never heard of him before, but me likey!

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2011/08/gm-candidate-tony-lacava.html

Like everything I have read about that guy. I hope he is on the Orioles short list and that he would have mutual interest.

[24fps]

Hinderance is relative as I wouldn't expect a current GM to depart their post to take the Orioles job, but I could see a number of assistant GM's and well respected scouting and development guru's to be interested in the position. We like to think that no one would want the Orioles GM gig, but there are only 32 of these positions in MLB and if you turn down an offer you never know how long you will wait to get another offer. That is if you get another offer at all. There are also guys who grew up loving the Orioles and this would seem to be the dream job they envisioned as a young adult.

The main issue is that a beautiful diamond can sparkle in the right light, but when you cover it up that light than the diamond is not afforded the opportunity to shine. We can hire one of the most respected names in the game (hell we did in MacPhail) only to have them not be given the reigns to make important baseball decisions.

Working for Peter Angelos in a baseball position is almost universally considered to be a no-win proposition if you apply an objective yardstick such as wins and losses. What sort of opportunity is it if a prospective GM candidate is, or feels like his is, predestined to failure by coming to Baltimore?

FWIW, I'm one of the few people here who question how meddlesome PA was during MacPhail's tenure (not before). It seems to me that if I'm wrong, then any GM worth having would be smart enough to say 'no thank you' regardless of his youth and relative inexperience.