Dan Connolly - Four Primary Scenarios for Buck & Dan’s Future

[TonySoprano]

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Who will be the Orioles manager and general manager going forward?

Here’s the rub: No one seems to know right now. Frankly, I’m not sure that decision has been made yet. 

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What seems clear is that vice president Brady Anderson, who has a strong relationship with John and Lou Angelos, will remain in a position of influence with the Orioles. Wouldn’t surprise me if Anderson is elevated to a president-type position and another person is hired under him to do more of the daily GM work, whether that is Duquette or someone else.

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Remember, this isn’t what I think should happen, just what I think could occur. I’ve listed them from most likely to happen to least likely.

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1. The contracts of Duquette and Showalter aren’t renewed

I’ve hemmed and hawed on this one for weeks now. It’s surely the path that many fans want. It’s the logical progression. It’s also the action most organizations would take.

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2. Duquette stays as EVP; Showalter’s contract isn’t renewed

Heading into April, I would have said this was the least likely scenario. For one, I had a sense there was a tacit agreement between Showalter and Peter Angelos that would have allowed Showalter to manage this team for as long as he wanted. But several things have changed since then.

The obvious one is that the Orioles are dreadful, and someone must take responsibility for that misery. Since Showalter manages the day-to-day, on-field operation, and because none of his coaches were canned during the season, he wears the largest target.

Also, with 89-year-old Peter Angelos no longer involved in the daily running of the team due to health issues, you’d have to surmise that any previous tacit agreement is moot.

Furthermore, Duquette was key in selecting the players whom the organization acquired in the July fire sale, working closely with Lou Angelos. And I’ve been told there is a mutual respect between the two. It has happened before that an executive is allowed to make dumping trades and still gets fired – Ruben Amaro in Philadelphia, for instance. But, normally, keeping an executive around to make decisions about a club’s future is an indication he’ll have a chance to see a rebuild through.

Both Showalter and Duquette have said they want to stay with the Orioles, but I think Duquette, 60, is more likely to hang around if his responsibilities are changed – such as working with the international market, where he had success before he came to Baltimore. I don’t see Showalter aspiring to a reduced role, not if he has other opportunities like a return to television.

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3. Showalter is extended as manager; Duquette’s contract isn’t renewed

This was my inclination to begin the year, assuming the Orioles weren’t playoff contenders. It was Duquette who built this flawed roster, one with three Rule 5 picks on Opening Day and an offense void of speed and on-base capabilities.

But something changed in the middle months of the year.

There was a lot more private grousing from veterans about Showalter this year, and Showalter appeared to wear the losses more and more as the season dragged on. At times, he has looked as if he has aged a decade in 2018.

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4. Showalter and Duquette are both extended

Given how bad this club has been since September 2017, you’d think the Angelos sons — and Anderson — can’t be on board with this scenario. No reasonable person would be.

Especially considering that Showalter and Duquette have co-existed for six years but haven’t exactly been on the same page much. That didn’t matter when they were winning. Everything is manageable when you are winning.

In a rebuild, however, it’s best to start with everyone working in concert. And I can’t imagine Showalter or Duquette would say, straight-faced, that they want to re-up for several more years working in tandem. It’s been a relationship of circumstance, and a successful one at times, but it’s never been a partnership.

This is the only one of the four scenarios that I absolutely, positively can’t endorse.

 

 

[mdbdotcom]

If Brady is elevated to the position of president, I'm not sure any of the rest will matter. From what has been written of his  interference with players, he seems to be more of a problem than a solution.

[Tx Oriole]

1 minute ago, mdbdotcom said:

If Brady is elevated to the position of president, I'm not sure any of the rest will matter. From what has been written of his  interference with players, he seems to be more of a problem than a solution.

There ain't no way in hell i am staying a fan if no honest changes are made. I don't won't any of the 3 back. Make honest changes for goodness sake. 

[Greg Pappas]

53 minutes ago, mdbdotcom said:

If Brady is elevated to the position of president, I'm not sure any of the rest will matter. From what has been written of his  interference with players, he seems to be more of a problem than a solution.

47 minutes ago, Tx Oriole said:

There ain't no way in hell i am staying a fan if no honest changes are made. I don't won't any of the 3 back. Make honest changes for goodness sake. 

 

Thanks @TonySoprano for the OP... beat me to it.  Regarding @mdbdotcom and @Tx Oriole: I agree with you both, outside of TX saying he wouldn't remain a fan. Wholesale changes need to happen.

[Frobby]

13 minutes ago, Tx Oriole said:

There ain't no way in hell i am staying a fan if no honest changes are made. I don't won't any of the 3 back. Make honest changes for goodness sake. 

I’m staying a fan no matter what.   But my level of enthusiasm and interest could vary dramatically based on how this is handled.   

[TonySoprano]

10 minutes ago, Frobby said:

I’m staying a fan no matter what.   But my level of enthusiasm and interest could vary dramatically based on how this is handled.   

Exactamundo.  This year was a bit of schadenfreude.  As the losses mounted, if they're going to be this bad, might as well see how low they can go.  If this becomes a multi-year trend, well, I have other uses for my limited entertainment dollars.

[Dipper9]

26 minutes ago, Frobby said:

I’m staying a fan no matter what.   But my level of enthusiasm and interest could vary dramatically based on how this is handled.   

 

6 minutes ago, TonySoprano said:

Exactamundo.  This year was a bit of schadenfreude.  As the losses mounted, if they're going to be this bad, might as well see how low they can go.  If this becomes a multi-year trend, well, I have other uses for my limited entertainment dollars.

I'm with you two fine gentlemen.  I keep going back and forth if I want to renew my 13 game plan or not, and I think that final decision will be influenced heavily by the direction of the management in the months after the season ends.  

[MDtransplant757]

Wouldn’t surprise me if Anderson is elevated to a president-type position and another person is hired under him to do more of the daily GM work

 

(Muffled screaming intensifies) 

I have a feeling both are gone, but scenario 2 is possible. Brady needs to be in strength and conditioning and Buck needs to be flung out of a cannon

[Tony-OH]

38 minutes ago, Frobby said:

I’m staying a fan no matter what.   But my level of enthusiasm and interest could vary dramatically based on how this is handled.   

I'm not going to lie, this off season and how ownership handles things will be big for me as well.

[OsFanSinceThe80s]

7 minutes ago, MDtransplant757 said:

Wouldn’t surprise me if Anderson is elevated to a president-type position and another person is hired under him to do more of the daily GM work

 

(Muffled screaming intensifies) 

I have a feeling both are gone, but scenario 2 is possible. Brady needs to be in strength and conditioning and Buck needs to be flung out of a cannon

Maybe Brady is a baseball genius, but the Orioles cannot afford to roll the device with an unknown.  Angelos brothers can’t possibly be this tone deaf and elevate Brady to be in charge of baseball operations.

[TonySoprano]

3 minutes ago, Tony-OH said:

I'm not going to lie, this off season and how ownership handles things will be big for me as well.

[Redskins Rick]

8 minutes ago, Tony-OH said:

I'm not going to lie, this off season and how ownership handles things will be big for me as well.

True,

But, most of us survive 14 years of Angelos at his worst, and looking back, not sure how we did it.

[clapdiddy]

If Anderson is still around, I think I may just wait until spring training to follow anything this team is doing.   I'm probably lying, but I feel that way right now.

[MDtransplant757]

56 minutes ago, Tony-OH said:

I'm not going to lie, this off season and how ownership handles things will be big for me as well.

Same here. I can feel fan apathy setting in around here and a few other places that will just be exasterbated if this team shoves chop sticks up its nose

[Finisher]

Brady would be an unmitigated disaster. He was point man on Cashner this offseason. A guy coming off a historically fluky season who everyone else in baseball knew would regress. Supported Buck on Tillman coming back. Role in Hardy/O'Day/Trumbo extensions.

Think you might see a Jones extension with Brady in charge. You'd definitely see a bunch of Gentry stop gap types.

He's BFFs with the Angelos boys so I'm sure they're not going to want to boot him. Honestly this would be the worst possible scenario and would pretty much kill any hope whatsoever.