Unhappy Scouts??

[MatthewW]

I would agree with this regarding Klentak.

When I was doing the Ravens thing, he helped out one weekend. He wasn't a bad guy at all but he was definitely a little socially awkward. Plus he couldn't catch a punt to save his life.

From everthing I have been told about Klentak, he is unbelievably smart... I had read that he was more of the 'business' type instead of the 'baseball' type, but was told that was not really the case at all.

I was told that he could definitely be a GM one day, and possibly sooner rather than later...

And about these scouts... unhappy because of changes???

[Lucky Jim]

I've known Dean for years and out of all of the people I know in baseball, he's the closest guy I can a friend. I talked with Dean tonight and he absolutely does not think it's a slap in the face. The Orioles want to get back to the days where an area scout has been in one place for 20+ years. No one has more contacts in the Baltimore, Md, DC, VA area than Dean. They have him doing some additional stuff as well, but he's 100% on board on what's going on. Sure, he has friends caught up in the shake up, but he's behind what Duquette is doing 100%.

The Orioles have lost for 14 straight years. Things should be shook up!

That's great news, Tony. I'm always concerned about how we (i.e., the O's) handle our/their people - particularly ones who've been around a while. I'm very glad to hear it - he's been a good resource. I just know that he was bounced around as a guy who might move his way up.

[Frobby]

Some new tidbits from Melewski today:

New Orioles amateur scouting director Gary Rajsich continues to set up his staff and department now with about six months remaining before the 2012 First-Year Player Draft.

He recently hired Danny Haas from the Red Sox organization to serve as a national crosschecker. Haas was a player in the Boston farm system when Rajsich worked for the Red Sox. Haas and Ron Hopkins will be the Orioles' two national crosscheckers.

Jim Thrift, who was the Orioles' major league advance scout last year, will be involved in some amateur scouting with assignments in central Florida as the Orioles look to beef up coverage in that state.

Previously, they hired Juan Alvarez from the Texas Rangers to handle south Florida and Dan Jennings handles assignments in north Florida and on the Florida panhandle.

Rajsich said he is interviewing candidates now for a scouting position that will provide coverage in north Texas and that hire could be announced not long after the first of the year. Tom Dryer now handles south Texas for the Orioles.

Two scouts that previously handled only pro assignments for the Orioles, Jim Howard and Ted Lekes, will now add some amateur duties in the New England region.

Rajsich said all of his amateur scouts will also provide some pro coverage and likely even major league coverage as well. Some of the amateur scouts usually do get assigned some minor league teams to cover and they may add some major league teams as well moving forward.

Rajsich believes it helps scouts to work amateur, pro and major league assignments and the Orioles have basically merged their amateur and pro staffs.

http://www.masnsports.com/steve_melewski/2011/12/updating-os-scouting-and-boras-talks-about-fielder.html

So, this clears up that Hopkins is staying as a national crosschecker, not being replaced by Haas. And, it also clears up that the O's do have a plan to have pro scouting coverage, they simply are abolishing the clear distinction between pro and amateur scouts. Remember, Rajsich has been a pro scout the last 9 years, even though his title is now Director of Amateur Scouting.

All in all, nobody can say that Duquette was precluded from hugely shaking up the front office. To the extent we were worried that Angelos would impose a structure on him, those fears are totally allayed IMO.

I'm totally happy with what DD has done on the scouting side. Now the question is whether he has some more moves on the development side before the winter is over. Still waiting for word on whether Peterson takes the MiL pitching coordinator post, which would be a huge plus.

[NCRaven]

I'm generally pleased with the front office moves, especially as they seem to show, as Frobby stated, that Duquette seems to have free reign to make the changes he wants. I don't know that many here will be able to judge the quality of changes on the minor league development side - besides the possible addition of Petersen. Who here really knows how good minor league coaches are at doing their jobs? One or two people who post here may have a clue, but the rest of us are really flying blind in that area.

I'm also happy with the additions to the bench, but disappointed that we've been unable to land one front line starting pitcher. I'd be okay with someone like Saunders or Jackson on a two-year deal that would allow us to move them if younger pitchers push them out. Unfortunately, our young pitchers have not done that, to date.