We Have The Right GM

[Sports Guy]

What makes you think A.M. is not doing all of this?

What makes you think he is?

[carolinaoriole]

What makes you think he is?

I assume that he is because I have no reason to believe that he is not.

It is basic due diligence.

And A.M. is not the type of gm who likes the media to know what due diligence he is working on.

[Roll Tide]

How would this team,this system,and front office look if we kept Beattiegan or Duq and Flanny as the GMs? I say this because I believe we would be still the laughing stock of MLB. If AM has changed anything its that. I have spoken to several people that are involved with the game and say the Os are serious and doing it right with AM. So if that's the case then why are his own team fans not happy with what he has done?

Not to disagree with your point here Peace...But besides Flanny who IMO was clearly over his head, You can't judge what Beattie & Duquette did here as both guys had the job with handcuffs on. How many times hadve we looked back at rumored trades that didnt happen that we should have done. I agree AM is the guy ...But the main reason is that Angelos has given him control. I also believe we are drafting better thses days ...But most give that credit to Jordan.

[Lucky Jim]

OK, but we're making too much of this at this point. His general point was that WAR has its flaws. Hard to disagree that any stat that identifies Zobrist as the best player in baseball last year is dubious.

For one thing, they really need to figure out a way to give catchers some credit for their defensive contributions. It's ridiculous to treat 8 of 9 defensive positions as if they matter, and then ignore defense at a position where defense always has been considered extremely important.

For another thing, and I know we could spend the next 100 posts debating this, the defensive part of WAR generally just seems at odds with common experience. If Zobrist was really that good at 2B, he wouldn't have been moved back to the OF the second Iwamura was healthy enough to return.

I don't want to get into too much of a debate about all that right now. I'll just say that when next year is over, I'm pretty sure neither the Red Sox nor the Yankees will have a total of 60 WAR.

It's easy to disagree with that. Because it doesn't identify that Zobrist was the best player in baseball. It says that there was the greatest difference between his performance and that of a replacement level second baseman/OFer. It's inherently relative and contextual.

They're not the same thing.

There's some wiggle on defense, to be sure, and UZR is, of course, inherently more stable over large samples. But that's not the point of our discussion.

I haven't seen any legitimate criticism from you - or anyone - about why the batting value or the positional adjustment should be changed in any drastic fashion.

[Lucky Jim]

OK, but we're making too much of this at this point. His general point was that WAR has its flaws. Hard to disagree that any stat that identifies Zobrist as the best player in baseball last year is dubious.

For one thing, they really need to figure out a way to give catchers some credit for their defensive contributions. It's ridiculous to treat 8 of 9 defensive positions as if they matter, and then ignore defense at a position where defense always has been considered extremely important.

For another thing, and I know we could spend the next 100 posts debating this, the defensive part of WAR generally just seems at odds with common experience. If Zobrist was really that good at 2B, he wouldn't have been moved back to the OF the second Iwamura was healthy enough to return.

I don't want to get into too much of a debate about all that right now. I'll just say that when next year is over, I'm pretty sure neither the Red Sox nor the Yankees will have a total of 60 WAR.

Would you have been surprised if a metric pointed out Robbie Alomar as the best player in a given year in one of his peak years? Because he was the best all around player I've ever seen. And Zobrist put up what amounts to an Alomar-esque year.

[Lucky Jim]

1996 Alomar = The Truth.

Seriously. The most brilliant baseball I've ever watched. And I'm not all that young.

[JTrea81]

Because he thinks he's smarter than AM.

I'm really sick and tired of seeing this statement.

Nobody thinks they are smarter than MacPhail.

They just have a different way they want to see MacPhail proceed than the path he is taking now.

And their path might actually be better for the franchise than MacPhail's plan. He isn't always right...

[Moose Milligan]

Everyone's entitled to an opinion. I disagree with AM also. It doesn't mean I think I can do a better job. However disagreeing on individual personnel decisions and assuming he's not doing the things a good GM would do are two different things. He deserves the benfefit of the doubt, IMO. When SG says that we should be looking for salary dumps and bargains from other teams and then doubts that AM is doing this, I think it's fair to call him out on it which is what I did. You have a right to your opinion. I even think you make some good points at times. I just don't like your overall attitude which repeatedly states that you have the answers and doubt that Macphail has the ability to get the job done. Sure sounds like you think you are smarter.

I agree with this, especially the later parts.

[Sports Guy]

Everyone's entitled to an opinion. I disagree with AM also. It doesn't mean I think I can do a better job. However disagreeing on individual personnel decisions and assuming he's not doing the things a good GM would do are two different things. He deserves the benfefit of the doubt, IMO. When SG says that we should be looking for salary dumps and bargains from other teams and then doubts that AM is doing this, I think it's fair to call him out on it which is what I did. You have a right to your opinion. I even think you make some good points at times. I just don't like your overall attitude which repeatedly states that you have the answers and doubt that Macphail has the ability to get the job done. Sure sounds like you think you are smarter.

So, you think AM is willing to take on huge dollars for below average players?

I don't...even if they could get a top SS prospect or someone like that.

That has nothing to do with questioning his intelligence...It has to do with not believing that this is something he would do.

So please, spare me your normal bs...You are becoming very rshack-ish.

[Lucky Jim]

So, you think AM is willing to take on huge dollars for below average players?

I don't...even if they could get a top SS prospect or someone like that.

That has nothing to do with questioning his intelligence...It has to do with not believing that this is something he would do.

So please, spare me your normal bs...You are becoming very rshack-ish.

Arguably, he took on big numbers for a average player in Millwood, no?

[Sports Guy]

Arguably, he took on big numbers for a average player in Millwood, no?

Not really....Millwood should be worth his contract.

[Lucky Jim]

Not really....Millwood should be worth his contract.

Okay. I think that's debatable. And clearly the Rangers disagree. That aside, what players do you mean, and what SS prospects come with them?

[Sports Guy]

Okay. I think that's debatable. And clearly the Rangers disagree. That aside, what players do you mean, and what SS prospects come with them?

I was just using a SS prospect as an example. No names really in mind off the top of my head.

Let's use this as an example...Take on Nate Robertson and the 10 million he is owed and get back Strieby.

I just do not believe AM would take on a terrible contract for big dollars. I don't see what is wrong with thinking that.

[Lucky Jim]

I was just using a SS prospect as an example. No names really in mind off the top of my head.

Let's use this as an example...Take on Nate Robertson and the 10 million he is owed and get back Strieby.

I just do not believe AM would take on a terrible contract for big dollars. I don't see what is wrong with thinking that.

Well, there are three vectors here:

1. The money.

2. How we value Strieby.

3. What they want in return.

You seem to think the only impediment is the money. I'm not so sure. AM appeared willing to tank the Millwood deal if they wanted a real prospect.

There's nothing wrong with thinking that, SG. I never claimed there was. I'm just noting that I don't see a lot of evidence that the kind of deal you're detailing is available, and that if it was available AM would be any more pre-disposed against it than any other GM.

I certainly think he values prospects over money.

[RShack]

I was just using a SS prospect as an example. No names really in mind off the top of my head.

Let's use this as an example...Take on Nate Robertson and the 10 million he is owed and get back Strieby.

I just do not believe AM would take on a terrible contract for big dollars. I don't see what is wrong with thinking that.

You have a scheme whereby the O's get somebody they want by taking on somebody else who's an albatross. Now, in the abstract world of hypothetical scheming, there is nothing inherently flawed with that particular version of wheeling-and-dealing. However, there is little-to-nothing to indicate that that's how deals really happen in the real world of Actual Baseball Trades either. You can try to make a big deal about BOS and Lowell, but that's about it, plus BOS really needed a 3B at the time anyway. Given all that, you are criticizing AM for *your* made-up assumption about whether or not he would go along with your pretend-scheme that doesn't even exist anywhere as far as we know. So, except for implying that AM is allegedly not as clever as you, what's your point?