People will throw out the big names like John Hart, or the incumbents like Buck Showalter. These are the logical thoughts, but maybe the Orioles need a new fresh face. The Orioles had a nice balance in place, but they need to find the spearhead that is more aggressive, less methodical, and can match the youth and exuberance of the AL East.
The guy in charge has to allow for room to build and develop at all costs. He needs to have the faith of ownership to spend and a staff that knows where to put that money to bring the greatest return. The next GM needs to have the skills below for success:
- Network and contacting: The General Manager will have to make an overhaul and have the skills to bring in a slew of baseball minds that break up most of the general thought process that is ingrained in the current organization.
- Scouting Background: A person that knows how to take something from the ground floor. The leader needs to feed this area and not hold purse strings that tighten the effectiveness on building the future.
- Ambition: The person in charge has to improve the club by applying a cunning methodical approach that walks a fine line with enough risks to rival the moves of the other AL East teams.
- Communicator: I feel this is one giant cog issue with the leadership right now. There is little open dialogue between everyone and nothing constructive to fix current issues. A general manager that has the finger on the pulse should allow healthy discussions to improve the club if problems exist.
Potential GMs
John Coppolella (Director of Baseball Administration – Atlanta Braves)
Coppolella might be the best network guy without a general manager’s job and one of the best I have come across. Whatever would happen, I feel confident that John would have a number of solid baseball minds in every field within the organization.
Coppolella is detail oriented and would be aggressive on the development front to ensure everyone has the same vision. He has the scouting eye and openly wants to blend that with a solid statistical output allowing both parties to reach conclusions on who to draft, who to sign, and who to select from all avenues to build depth.
He has learned from some of the best in the business with Frank Wren, Oppenheimer, and Cashman. The one issue was his ability to negotiate and learn the business side, but Wren has opened these avenues to him over his years with the Braves so much so that he is on the cusp of being a future General Manager. The one knock is that Peter Angelos and Frank Wren are oil and water. I wonder if this hurts Coppolella on the Orioles short list.
Ben Cherington (SVP of Player Personal Boston Red Sox)
Cherington is Theo Epstein’s right hand and someone that has worked his way through scouting with the Cleveland and Boston organizations. He was an instrumental figure in a number of the players that sit on the current roster and a number of the key trades that made that turned the Sox’s organization into a constant winner.
Ben has a keen eye and ruthless attitude. He has his finger on the pulse inside the organization from scouting to player development. He is considered a strong communicator and a voice that is willing to take risks to strengthen an organization.
People will think he is a product of Theo’s aggressive nature, but Ben is a roll over from Dan Duquette and rose to his current position as the result of his aggressive stamp in scouting. He has been a key figure in trades and free agency acquisitions. What you get with Ben is a hungry, young general manager with the chops to find talent, trust his instincts, and take the steps to build a winning organization.
Tony LaCava (VP of Baseball operations, Assistant General Manager Blue Jays)
Why Tony? A few weeks back his fingerprints were all over that Colby Rasmus trade. In fact, his fingerprints are over the Bret Lawrie trade as well. Everyone wants to say Alex Anthopoulos is the brain child, but LaCava is the man behind the curtain.
He was the mastermind of the trading Colon to the Expos that brought in the foundation of Grady Sizemore, Brandon Phillips, and Cliff Lee. The guy is a hit everywhere he goes and makes every GM he has worked for look outstanding with youth movements.
The one giant knock on him is that he is Mr. Nice guy and looks as if the glass is half full. I do not call that a knock, but rather a sign that he is willing to work with everyone. He is still young enough to think he wants to make his own stamp in this game. He has been shortlisted so long that I want to see him as a General Manager.
He has an eye for talent, an idea of what it takes to develop talent, and is an endless worker and great communicator. The knock that does not move on him is that he is good, but can he be great? Well the world cannot find out until LaCava is given a chance.
Mike Chernoff (Assistant General Manager Cleveland Indians) – President of Baseball Operations
A few years back I was introduced to this Princeton Graduate that everyone thought was one arrogant young man. But I saw a future cut throat General Manager.
His has the knowledge, ability to communicate, and a knack for being able to relate to anyone to set him apart from the pack. He has an aggressive mentality with an approachable nature. He gives you a young face and eager attitude to ball hardball in the AL East.
Logical Choice – Combo Package
Mike Chernoff (Assistant General Manager Cleveland Indians) – President of Baseball Operations
I would follow this with Ray Montgomery (Director of Scouting Arizona Dimondbacks) or Joe Jordan (Director of Scouting Baltimore Orioles) – Vice President of Baseball Operation / General Manager or assistant General Manager
Chernoff brings a great deal to the table on the media, contract, and business side to rival the very best in baseball. He lacks the robust nature behind the scouting department and it will be imperative to have a sound talent evaluator as Chernoff’s right hand. Ray Montgomery is one of the best talent evaluators in the game and his networks reach well into Latin America and the United States.
Joe Jordan has been handcuffed by the current operator of Andy McPhail. I still hold Joe in high regard as an eye for talent and wonder what an increased staff, budget, and fresh approach with a new relationship would bring to the table. This is an unlikely pairing, but the type of lightning rod leader and talented scout to form a powerful duo in the AL East.
The talented personal man could be one of many and A.J. Preller, Kip Fagg, Jim Fleming, or countless others would be a wise choice for General Manager, if they went with Chernoff as President of Operations. Even to think this out loud, I would even see if the President of Operations could be Rick Khan to go along with a sound scouting mind as Vice President and General Manager.
This is not the two headed Dragon of Beattie and Flanagan, but Chernoff would call the shots and use a bright baseball mind for the insight to lay the foundation for those decisions. In someone like Chernoff or Khan, you have the guys with the contacts and contract skills in place, and they simply need the staff that can build through the draft, international front, and through the minors to be successful in the AL East.
The Orioles have to stay one step ahead of the game with an aggressive approach to change the nature of the losing efforts.
