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Ranking baseball's GMs entering the 2018 season
Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Ranking baseball's GMs entering the 2018 season

While the guys on the field carry the bulk of the burden for how the standings shake out, the winter belongs to the suits and architects that pull a roster together. To that extent, having an elite baseball mind (or two) carrying the title of general manager can make all the difference in the world regarding a team turning the corner, taking the next step or failing to progress.

With baseball's executives still knee deep in pulling together their rosters for the forthcoming 2018 campaign, let's have a look at how each front office captain stacks up across the league.

 

30. Michael Hill and Derek Jeter, Marlins

Michael Hill and Derek Jeter, Marlins
Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

While Hill carries the designation of general manager underneath his purview, it is really Jeter who is calling the shots while Hill is responsible for carrying them out. Considering that the fan bases in New York (for Giancarlo Stanton), St. Louis (for Marcell Ozuna) and Seattle (for Dee Gordon) are more appreciative of their work this winter than their own players (most notably Christian Yelich and J.T. Realmuto), it says plenty about the start the new regime is off to in Miami.

 

29. Dan Duquette, Orioles

Dan Duquette, Orioles
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Hampered by a series of bad investments in power bats and pitching, the Orioles were home to baseball’s worst starting pitching staff (5.70 ERA) and second lowest team OBP (.312) in 2017. Amid trying to right those wrongs, Duquette now must successfully negotiate the departure of Manny Machado from the ranks of the club as well, navigating through a mess that is much his own making.

 

28. Dick Williams, Reds

Dick Williams, Reds
Cincinnati Enquirer-USA TODAY Sports

With a personal background rooted in corporate America and lineage deeply aligned with baseball, it remains to be seen how Williams integrates the two roles in his management of the Reds’ operations. His biggest move to date has been deciding to remain with manager Bryan Price despite his .426 winning percentage over four years guiding the club.

 

27. Ross Atkins, Blue Jays

Ross Atkins, Blue Jays
Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports

The decision to bring back Jose Bautista over Edwin Encarnacion continues to haunt the direction of the Jays a year later, as Atkins’s club continues to be underwhelming from a power perspective. The Jays’ GM continues to take the stance that the team intends to compete this year, but many of the moves (or lack thereof this winter) seem to indicate that as more of an ambition than an obtainable outcome. How he handles Josh Donaldson’s forthcoming foray with free agency could tell much of the story of how his tenure will be remembered.

 

26. Erik Neander, Rays

Erik Neander, Rays
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

It was a full first year at the helm in Tampa for Neander. He navigated a midseason roster rebuild, followed by an offseason that saw him deal the franchise’s longest tenured cornerstone in Evan Longoria. How he negotiates the continued sell-offs will define not only his tenure as GM, but potentially the club’s long-term life in Tampa.

 

25. Matt Klentak, Phillies

Matt Klentak, Phillies
Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

For his first two years on the job, Klentak’s charge has been to manage the Phillies' rebuilding process. While he has performed well underneath the conservative climate he has been the gatekeeper of, time will tell his true effectiveness when the Phillies' rebuilding process reaches its spending phase — and the risk that comes with it.

 

24. Al Avila, Tigers

Al Avila, Tigers
Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

Avila inherited the rotting roster of his predecessor Dave Dombrowski’s ambitions for a World Series that never came to be. While some GMs are judged by what they bring to their organizations, for the time being, Avila will be judged by how much he can strip from it. In the last year, he has been surprisingly successful in what he has accomplished in that regard, shipping out Justin Verlander, Justin Upton, Ian Kinsler and J.D. Martinez to get the club’s finances under control.

 

23. A.J. Preller, Padres

A.J. Preller, Padres
Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

Preller has learned from the mistakes of his early overstated ambition and has become more deliberate in putting together a Padres team better fit for its small-market position. However, the club’s strong push for Shohei Ohtani and rumored interest in making a big splash for Eric Hosmer this winter show that Preller’s ambitions for making San Diego a destination location still exist.

 

22. Thad Levine and Rob Antony, Twins

Thad Levine and Rob Antony, Twins
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

The duo of Levine and Antony have played exchanging roles in revamping the Minnesota roster, which is coming off the first year in baseball history of following 100 losses with a trip to the postseason. The mission in Minnesota is now shifting from rebuilding to building upon the success, as additions of Addison Reed and Fernando Rodney indicate the intention of the Twins to make the most of what could potentially be the final year of Brian Dozier and Joe Mauer among their tantalizing ranks of homegrown (and maturing) talent.

 

21. Neal Huntington, Pirates

Neal Huntington, Pirates
Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

The challenge that lies ahead for Huntington is clear: He will be charged with doing what he does best — and doing it better than ever. That is to find just the right player with some untouched upside that Clint Hurdle and Ray Searage can pull the most out of. This time around, he’ll have to do so without the club’s top player (Andrew McCutchen) and starting pitcher ( Gerrit Cole), both of whom he was forced to deal away this winter. Good luck.

 

20. Billy Beane and David Forst, Athletics

Billy Beane and David Forst, Athletics
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

While Forst is technically charged with the role of general manager, there is still very little of note that happens without Beane being involved. Although the tactics and principles of "Moneyball" have spread far and wide beyond just Oakland, the A's still remain one of the most measured and tactical teams in the game. Amid a period of accumulating the right talents, Forst and Beane are looking to make another run built on the back of strategically picked youngsters and misfit veteran parts yet again.

 

19. Sandy Alderson, Mets

Sandy Alderson, Mets
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Alderson is an odd fit for the expectations of New York, as he is often more calm and cautious as opposed to working at the type of pace that his crosstown rivals do. But considering that he has been able to still pull off some substantial moves — namely acquiring and re-signing Yoenis Cespedes — Alderson has shown the aptitude to make the big play despite a modest payroll with which to do so.

 

18. Jon Daniels, Rangers

Jon Daniels, Rangers
Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Daniels found himself in a rather precarious position over the last year, as he came off the comfort of a division title in 2016 but instantly found his roster going through an undeniable transition throughout 2017. He had to make the tough choice of trading off Yu Darvish, while still having to swallow the $20 million per year that Shin-Soo Choo is due through 2020, as well as underwhelming moves to acquire Jonathan Lucroy, Mike Napoli and, to an extent, Cole Hamels over the past handful of years.

 

17. Alex Anthopoulos, Braves

Alex Anthopoulos, Braves
Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Coming in on the heels of the disaster that was the departure of John Coppolella, the man who revitalized the Toronto Blue Jays will now have a similar task in Atlanta. The direction he decides to go in will likely ramp up as time passes. The team now must move on from a misfired attempt to put an attractive team on the field for the opening of SunTrust Park when it should have instead been focused on continuing a much needed youth development effort. With Anthopoulos also coming off two years as VP of player development for the Dodgers, he is ready to lead the charge in that regard.

 

16. Billy Eppler, Angels

Billy Eppler, Angels
Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Eppler inherited a cocktail of unfortunate circumstances, namely a handful of terrible contracts and a stockpile of injured pitching. However, he has been able to deftly maneuver the limitations of his situation to put forward a team that could be baseball’s most improved in 2018. In his first two years on the job, he's acquired Andrelton Simmons, Justin Upton, Ian Kinsler and Zack Cozart, with the topper coming in the form of winning the league-wide sweepstakes for Shohei Ohtani.

 

15. Jerry Dipoto, Mariners

Jerry Dipoto, Mariners
Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

Dipoto reigns supreme as baseball’s master tinkerer. Not a day that goes by that he forgoes pondering some sort of trade — big or small — in order to keep the Mariners trudging forward. In the last year, he has successfully pulled off deals to bring in Dee Gordon, Jean Segura, Mike Leake, Ryon Healy, Erasmo Ramirez and Mitch Haniger, mostly all to positive and/or promising returns.

 

14. Brian Sabean and Bobby Evans, Giants

Brian Sabean and Bobby Evans, Giants
John Hefti-USA TODAY Sports

2017 will likely stand as a massive exception to a standard rule of being a well-oiled system. The Giants have built a semi-dynastic run around investing in starting pitching and defense first. In 2017, they stumbled to the worst finish in over 30 years for the franchise behind misfired offseason commitments (Mark Melancon) and counting far too much on declining assets (Hunter Pence, Denard Span, Matt Cain). Perhaps the recent acquisitions of Andrew McCutchen and Evan Longoria will propel the club back into competitive relevance this summer.

 

13. Jeff Bridich, Rockies

Jeff Bridich, Rockies
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

In his third year on the job, Bridich ushered in a "eureka" moment that may have fundamentally changed the Rockies’ endless efforts to stabilize their long-leaky pitching staff. Bridich turned his attention away from plugging in slots in the rotation and instead built a dominant bullpen. In the process of adding Mike Dunn, Pat Neshek and NL-saves leader Greg Holland, the Rockies' pen played a crucial part in returning Colorado to the postseason for the first time since 2009. On the heels of that turnaround, Bridich continued to trust the formula, adding Wade Davis, Bryan Shaw and reupping with Jake McGee this winter.

 

12. Mike Hazen, Diamondbacks

Mike Hazen, Diamondbacks
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Hazen’s debut year in the desert was a tremendous one. Along with fellow Boston transplant, manager Torey Lovullo, he oversaw a 24-game turnaround in the standings and a trip to the postseason. Hazen’s first year on the job saw him add Fernando Rodney and the 39 saves he converted, as well as a monumental move to land J.D. Martinez, who launched 29 homers in 62 games and hit .364 in the postseason.

 

11. Mike Rizzo, Nationals

Mike Rizzo, Nationals
Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

On one hand, he has regularly produced a competitive offering, highlighted by acquiring a two-time Cy Young winner in Max Scherzer, and drafting and developing of Bryce Harper, Stephen Strasburg and Anthony Rendon, as well as the trade for a young Trea Turner, stand as proof of his unquestionable eye for talent. However, the fact that three managers have toed the line for the team in the last five years (two of which won NL Manager of the Year) and the team is still yet to move past the NLDS is a paradigm that has to fall somewhat at Rizzo’s feet.

 

10. David Stearns, Brewers

David Stearns, Brewers
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

After masterfully churning out a quick salary dump and rebuild in just over a year’s time, Stearns’s work was rewarded rapidly in 2017. His Brewers climbed to a surprising second-place finish in the NL Central. Now armed with a suddenly deep minor league system and some financial breathing room, the Brewers have emerged as a potential player in NL postseason picture for the foreseeable future.

 

9. John Mozeliak and Michael Girsch, Cardinals

John Mozeliak and Michael Girsch, Cardinals
Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

While many Cardinals fans have grown anxious with his strategic approach, becoming the model of consistency in the National League has been built largely on the detailed approach of Mozeliak. The result has been a Cardinals team that has been constructed largely around homegrown talents, but the GM has an eye for the right (and wrong) time to spend big to keep the foundation together.

 

8. Dayton Moore, Royals

Dayton Moore, Royals
Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

While some of this credit goes to past laurels, Moore has shown the ability to get the most out of lesser known names to keep the Royals afloat. His abilities will be put to the test in the upcoming years, however, as the Royals face a massive rebuild following the collective departure of much of the everyday core that carried the club to consecutive World Series appearances in 2014-15. Avoiding more Alex Gordon and Ian Kennedy style deals would go a long way toward keeping that turnaround time short.

 

7. Dave Dombrowski, Red Sox

Dave Dombrowski, Red Sox
Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports

Armed with an ownership that has the type of fearlessness to spend works well with Dombrowski’s relentless taste for swinging a blockbuster move. He has annually kept the BoSox centered around headline-grabbing moves. Trades to land Craig Kimbrel and Chris Sale have fortified this, while an eye-popping $217 million deal for David Price provided a stunning centerpiece move to this reputation. With two AL East titles in the last two years meeting a resurgent threat in the Bronx, Dombrowki’s win-now approach will not be letting up anytime soon.

 

6. Mike Chernoff, Indians

Mike Chernoff, Indians
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Strategic and cunning, Chernoff has a knack for doing exactly what is needed to keep the modestly expensive, incomparably diverse Indians churning along. From headline splashes to land Andrew Miller and Edwin Encarnacion to building the game’s deepest starting staff, Chernoff’s eye for talent keeps the Tribe eye-to-eye with the heaviest swingers in the market.

 

5. Brian Cashman, Yankees

Brian Cashman, Yankees
Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

As is the case with most things revolving around the Yankees, most people are either all the way in on Cashman or think he is doing a terrible job. However, the versatility that Cashman has displayed in the variety of moves he has pulled off over the last year represents arguably the best work of his career. He fast-forwarded the Yankee rebuilding effort into immediate World Series odds entering 2018. From maneuvering to add Sonny Gray, Todd Frazier and David Robertson on the run last year to acquiring Giancarlo Stanton while managing to hold on to the majority the team’s elite prospects, Cashman has continued to author a cost-efficient renaissance to the New York roster that has rarely been seen before.

 

4. Rick Hahn, White Sox

Rick Hahn, White Sox
Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Hahn has expertly engineered a series of deals that not only replenished one of the game's most barren minor league systems, but also supplied it with multiple MLB-ready building blocks in the form of Yoan Moncada and Lucas Giolito. Deals for Chris Sale, Adam Eaton and Jose Quintana netted the Sox a handful of other top 100 level prospects, and the team is still in position to add more with Jose Abreu and Avisail Garcia remaining as bait for even more youthful talent to make its way to the organization via trade.

 

3. Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer, Cubs

Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer, Cubs
Matt Marton-USA TODAY Sports

The Cubs' brass has been unapologetic in swinging for the fences in talent acquisition to make the most of their long overdue turn of fortune in the standings. The two-headed front office monster of Epstein and Hoyer has shipped out much talent from the considerable stockpile they built up during the resurrection of the team but also paired it by making a series of smart external acquisitions (Addison Russell remains one of the great theft deals of the last decade) as well as paying out big when needed. The result remains with the Cubbies being the NL squad with the widest open competitive forecast for the next half decade.

 

2. Andrew Friedman and Farhan Zaidi, Dodgers

Andrew Friedman and Farhan Zaidi, Dodgers
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

While nobody spends more than the Dodgers, who are preparing to enter their fifth consecutive season with the game’s highest payroll, very few teams do a better job of harvesting and applying homegrown talent. The Dodgers are a team that is built around homegrown talent first — Clayton Kershaw, Corey Seager, Cody Bellinger, Kenley Jansen — and then amplified by needed big-ticket acquisitions and complementary parts secondly. This is the combined influence of Friedman and Zaidi, both of whom hail from humble small-market backgrounds in Tampa and Oakland, respectively, before moving up to the deep-pocketed, big-market world of Hollywood.

 

1. Jeff Luhnow, Astros

Jeff Luhnow, Astros
Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

The Astros' championship turnaround underneath Luhnow’s watch has been an extraordinary study in how patience and the big picture can pay off the highest dividends. With a remarkable adherence to new-age metrics and traditional manuevering, the championship run and still wide-open competitive window have been an extraordinary undertaking that Lunhow is the architect of. The 51-year-old also gets high marks for being strategically aggressive in the trade market, adding Justin Verlander, Ken Giles and now Gerrit Cole to keep the Astros pitching staff a powerful collective.

Matt Whitener is St. Louis-based writer, radio host and 12-6 curveball enthusiast. He has been covering Major League Baseball since 2010, and dabbles in WWE, NBA and other odd jobs as well. Follow Matt on Twitter at @CheapSeatFan.

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