The Red Sox, Mariners, Angels, Brewers, and Phillies have already begun searching for their new General Managers. The Marlins and Reds have unsettled situations in their front office. The Blue Jays have a new President and their GM is a free-agent at season’s end. Andy MacPhail is not only saddled with the task of finding a new conductor for his rebuilding franchise, he will have to compete with these other teams in what will be a good year to be looking for a general manager position.
The Phillies were the last team to come into the modern age and embrace analytics and statistical formula in their evaluating players. MacPhail realizes their place in today’s game and expects to pursue someone who will make that a big factor in their evaluating process, but also not forgetting old school scouting. Having a very young core group and a newly rebuilt minor-league system, the choice is expected to a young and hungry executive looking for at their first-shot at in the GM hot seat. And while that is most likely route McPhail will go, do not count out his appreciation for experience and familiarity in what is probably his last stop in baseball. Here are some of the names that are sure to be considered.
Jim Hendry – Hired by MacPhail as GM of the Cubs in 2002, at age 60, Henry is probably the oldest candidate McPhail will approach. Currently a special assistant to Brian Cashman in the Bronx, he was the man that led the Cubbies closest to a World Series in their 100 plus-year drought, when in 2003 they were five outs away from a pennant. Steve Bartman became a household name and the streak lives on. Hendry built that team on mostly veteran acquisitions such as Moises Alou, Kenny Lofton, and Aramis Ramirez. Kerry Wood and Mark Prior were already there. He hired a veteran manager in Dusty Baker. The following year, he added more veterans such as Greg Maddux, LaTroy Hawkins, and Nomar Garciaparra. Hendry would be a good fit in 2017-2018 if the Phils were looking to add right experienced pieces to go with their young core, but not when there is still plenty of work to be done to get there.
Matt Klentak – Also a former MacPhil hire while in Baltimore in 2008, the 35-year old Klentak seems like more of a fit for the rebuilding project. Besides McPhail, he was also tutored by former Rockies GM Don O’Dowd and long-time executive Thad Levine during a short stint with Rockies. Klentak’s will have his options. Currently sitting in the Angels front office as Assistant GM, he will surely be interviewed for the top spot vacation by Jerry DiPoto mid-season when he resigned after forcing owner Arte Moreno to choose between himself and manager Mike Sciosca. Kletak may not want to play second fiddle to the manager when he will have options in Philadelphia and possibly Cincinnati and Milwaukee.
J.J. Picollo – The V.P. and Assistant GM of player personnel of the American League’s best team, the Kansas City Royals, gained most of his experience learning under John Scherholtz and Hall-of-Famer Bobby Cox in Atlanta. The 44-year began with the Braves in 1999 as an area scout and worked his way up to Director of Minor-League Operations in 2005. He has the perfect balance of old-school/new school, learning the scouting end from the Braves, while incorporating analytics and defensive metrics with the Royals.
Jerry DiPoto – His departure from Anaheim was well-documented. DiPoto led the Angels to AL’s best record in 2014, winning 98 games, but went winless in the divisional round of the playoffs against Kansas City. His track record is far from stellar. The Albert Pujols will haunt the Halos years after his production will end. Although, to be fair to DiPoto, the owner had a big say in that signing as well. CJ Wison has been a disappointment for his $75 million. The biggest failure was $125 million to Josh Hamilton. After two lackluster seasons and a relapse, he traded him back to division rival Texas, along with $63 million of his remaining salary. A credit to him was the trade of Howie Kendrick to the Dodgers for promising left-handed Andrew Heany, but not enough to make him the next GM in Philadelphia.
Others names of note are former Red Sox GM Ben Cherington, who resigned in Boston when Dave Dombrowski was hired as President, so answering to MacPhail is probably a no-go. Angels Director of Scouting, Hal Morris, has elevated himself greatly in the past year. Yankees assistant GM Billy Eppler should also make the list of viable candidates.
The sure money should go on one of the younger, first-time GM possibilities, since the last word on anything will come from MacPhil and a much more involved and outspoken owner, John Middleton.
