Who Are These Guys? First Year GM's

[rujasu]

Hello everyone. With plenty of new faces here in the SCMLB this season, let's take some time to learn a bit more about the GM's who are joining us, as well as take an in-depth look at their initial offseason and future plans for the team. Without further ado...

San Diego's Kevin Parlett

After winning it all in 2015 under rookie GM Johnny Dickshot, the Padres have been the definition of mediocrity. They have posted win totals of 80, 79, 79, and 78 over the past four seasons, and face at least one tough divisional foe in the San Francisco Giants, who are coming off a surprising 95-win season. Parlett looks to change his new team's fortunes for the better, starting with an offseason in which he acquired veteran infielders Dustin Pedroia and Paul Janish, in addition to drafting promising power hitter Jerry Whelan. Thanks to Kevin for taking the time to answer these questions.

What excited you the most about taking over the Padres?

Honestly, I looked for a team that had a solid core with a decent farm system. With a superstar in Jin-hyun Yi accompanied by great young talent in Michael Smith, Juan Durran, and Jack Wynkoop, I knew I could field a team with just a few adjustments and fine tuning, could make a run at the the playoffs.

What was your plan for the offseason? Are you satisfied with the results?

I was hoping to go out and get a top of the rotation starter, unfortunately, due to personal circumstances I missed most of the first half of the season which not only allowed me not to get a starter but to lose Travis Wood as well. I am still cautiously optimistic though as I went out and signed a few infielders and bull pen arms.

Which free agent or trade acquisition(s) do you think will help your team the most?

Paul Janish. He will be huge for this team, a great eye at the plate but an even better glove. If this club is lacking anything, outside of Starting Pitching, is defense in the infield. It seems every other player I am throwing out there is a corner infielder who has all bat/no glove. Janish is going to be able to fill a roll of an every day starting shortstop, but if he fails will able to be a replacement defender anyway on the the infield.

Which rookies/prospects do you see potentially making an impact in 2020?

Jeremy Niem or Michael Smith... With the catching position left vacant to Robin Rose departure this offseason, it will be platooned by Jeremy Niem and Vince Murray. I feel Niem can have a huge impact this year and will really show why he is the catcher of the future for the team. There is only room for one, so it will be interesting to see who beats out who for the job.

Michael Smith however looks to be great. Still raw but with this team being young we are going to need a spark on the club. He quickly moved up the ranks of the orginization last year played 66 games in A Ball, only 4 in AA and finishing the season with 24 games in triple A. He is a speedster on the basepath and I see that trend to continue in the big leagues.

Of your 2020 draft pick(s), who are you most excited about? When do you expect to see them in the majors, and in what role?

Jeremy Whelan. Being only 17 I see him hopefully making his way to the big league in 2-3 years. Depending on his patience and role in the minors. Most likely he will be invited to spring training next season. If all goes well, I see him taking over Jin-hyun Yi spot of the big bat in the middle of the lineup, he definitely has the tools to do it.

Who is your team's best player?

Jin-hyun Yi, easily. The guy can straight out play. I'll let .349/.430/.618 last year speak for itself.

On your team, which player do you think will make the biggest step forward this year?

I am hoping Juan Durran. I took a leap in faith in offering him arbitration. His strikeouts are starting to get to high for my taste and he doesn't seem to have a good eye for the ball, but when he does connect he can really get ahold of it. I'm hoping he can have a more down to earth season and raise his OBP a little bit. 181 K's to 31 BBs is unacceptable and will not be tolereated.

Which team is your biggest rival?

Right now, the Giants. They are the dominant force in our division. There is no point in having a rivalry with a team below you when you are not at the top so until that changes. That's the team I have my eye on.

In your opinion, what is the most important aspect of building a successful big league team?

Paying attention to the little things. A little bit of attention can take a club a far way. If you let your star prospect who you feel can play in Triple A ball sit there and suffer going 0-4 for two weeks straight, that could set your club back a year on its own. It's all about detail and making sure you make the preventive move, until your club, in a whole is ready to make an explosive make it or break it push.

[rujasu]

LA Dodgers' Matt Morgan

The job of a major league GM may be an dream for many, but none have a less enviable position than first-year man Matt Morgan. He inherits a Los Angeles Dodgers team that piled up 104 losses last season. Clearly, coming off results like that, it's time for a change, and Morgan wasted no time in adding numerous free agents, while watching underperforming veterans, such as longtime first baseman James Loney and defensively challenged Jonny Gomes, depart. Recent draft pick Theron Wise, out of St. Paul, is already considered the third-best prospect in baseball, but will need plenty of time in the minors after being drafted at age 17, even with his .562 average and 14 homers in 25 games as a high school student.

Rebuilding the Dodgers is going to take time. But the pressure is already on for Morgan, who will face the growing impatience of a big-market fanbase which has watched numerous disappointing teams since their last parade, in 2013.

What excited you the most about taking over the Dodgers?

This is the first time that I have ever been in charge of a big market franchise. Having a player like Troy Tulowitzki and his contract on my roster is foreign to me as I am used to sending those players off for prospects before they get too expensive. I am excited that the opportunity to have the possibility of retaining all of my homegrown talent and also acquiring big name free agents in the off-season with big contracts. I come from a very background of having to be very calculated and shrewd with every dollar in my budget but here I feel a little less pressure to make the perfect decision at the perfect time every single season.

What was your plan for the offseason? Are you satisfied with the results?

My plan was to improve my rotation and bullpen through free agency and trades. I wasn't able to make any of the trades I initiated but I put feelers out there and hopefully the opportunities will be revisited during the season and probably near the deadline. Free agency went decently for me. I was able to acquire a slew of veteran bullpen arms along with a few veteran position players that will greatly improve my teams depth and hopefully improve upon some of the weaker positions this franchise has at the moment.

Which free agent or trade acquisition(s) do you think will help your team the most?

Depending on how my first season goes the first trade will be the most important. Sometime during the season I am going to have to decide if I am going to buy or sell. If I sell there will be some block buster trades with Tulo and Kershaw possibly hitting the market and if I buy then I will have to part with prospects and draft picks to attain high quality players. Either way I am going to have to completely dedicate to building for the future or dedicate to winning over the next 2 or 3 seasons before restructuring everything.

Which rookies/prospects do you see potentially making an impact in 2020?

25 year old 2B Kel Elgie will be given the opening day start barring injury. He has performed as an average hitter in his minor league career but gives plenty of plus defense, solid base running, and offensive talent that could translate for the big leagues. He has veteran Jed Lowrie and another prospect in AAA, 22 year old Allen Padilla, who should be able to compete for the position if Kel doesn't cement himself as an everyday player.

24 year old SP Stephen Mahoney might eventually find himself on the active roster if we get poor results from the players we plan to move forward with. He is right on the cusp of being major league ready and hopefully with some big league experience this year and regular playing time in AAA it can him develop into a solid middle of the rotation guy that he projects to be. We also have 21 year old SP Joe Nelms that is right around the same level as Mahoney and will probably get the same chance to prove himself on the major league squad if we decide our current players are giving us the performance that we need. It will be important for this team's future for these 2 guys to develop and give a strong supporting cast and take some of the pressure of of Kershaw. Hopefully, that can help him perform to his talent level.

Of your 2020 draft pick(s), who are you most excited about? When do you expect to see them in the majors, and in what role?

3B Theron Wise and CF Kevin Jones both have superstar written all over them. Theron Wise is a generational talent who provides gold glove defense with what projects to be a hall of fame swing. If he can stay healthy and develop as he should we can see him in the majors in 5-6 years when he is 21-22. His ceiling is a guy who will bat 3rd or 4th on the all-star team for a decade. CF Kevin Jones was drafted because he is a little older and more advanced and should be in the majors in a year or two. Jones will be an incredible threat on the base paths and should be one of the best lead off hitters in the league along with providing great OF defense. He has elite contact and pitch recognition talent and should be on base a lot throughout his career.

Who is your team's best player?

Hands down Troy Tulowitzki. He plays arguably the hardest position on the field and does it at an elite level along with providing top tier production as his position. It's very rare that you have a SS that can not only field better than 25 of the other starters in the league but also hit better than most first basemen.

On your team, which player do you think will make the biggest step forward this year?

Clayton Kershaw has to be the man this year. He is coming off his two worst seasons ever and coming off a significant injury. We are going to try and ease him back into the swing of things during spring training and probably baby him a little bit early on in April and May. Hopefully with an improved defense behind him this year and the addition of some talent around him on the pitching staff this will help take the pressure off and just let him pitch like he did a few years ago.

Which team is your biggest rival?

The San Francisco Giants by far. This is one of the biggest rivalries in all of sports and goes back a long time. Interestingly enough my Mom's side of the family is from the bay area and all grew up big Giant's fans. Hopefully I will have something interesting to talk about with them at the next family get together.

In your opinion, what is the most important aspect of building a successful big league team?

You can't waste what money you have. Every dollar is worth a lot in contract negotiations. You don't want to extend that young superstar too early or too late and you don't want to waste a bunch of money on a free agent that is going to take up space on your roster after a year or two. Along with that you need to continually focus on building the quality of your farm system so you have the ability to make a big acquisition through trade if needed and to also have a back up plan if your Major League team is failing. The best situation for any franchise is to have a championship caliber team and a few very talented players at every level in your minors. This just makes your life as a GM a lot easier and provides you many options.

What are your goals for the 2020 season?

This is a team that lost 100 games last year and really shouldn't have. I added some key players to the field through free agency and provided a ton of veteran depth to the bullpen and starting rotation that I think will help turn around the culture of the franchise. My goal is to try to compile a competitive team as soon as possible and hopefully obtain some big pieces for the future of my franchise throughout the season.

[tadashi]

This is a really great thread. Welcome, again, to the new guys.

[Spindelphia]

Yes, welcome!

[Harlock]

Good thread

[rujasu]

Minnesota's Ice Phoenix

Coming off a 93-win season and a playoff appearance, the Minnesota Twins are a good team that looks to be good for quite some time. But after the disappointment of losing their divisional matchup with Oakland, Twins ownership turned to the man known only as Ice Phoenix. Despite his cool exterior, Ice has a reputation as a solid GM who can make cold, calculating moves to chill the competition. While other GM's furiously scrambled for fiery free agents, Ice opted to put the freeze on new acquisitions, instead opting to solidify his core components, including locking up star catcher Bryce Harper to a cool $112 million over six years.

The Twins look to be very strong again in 2020, but they face a tough division rival in the reigning AL Champion Chicago White Sox. The Twins' and White Sox' rivalry is as long and storied as that of cats and dogs, oil and water, or one might say... fire and ice.

What excited you the most about taking over the Twins?

Well, I'm born and raised in Minnesota, so when I saw that there was an opening for the team I jumped at the chance to join them. Though when I finally got to look at the roster it was nice to see how well of we are.

What was your plan for the offseason? Are you satisfied with the results?

My main area of concern was pitching, but locking up the core of this team for years to come was another big issue for me. With so many players in and nearing the end of arbitration, our window would shut very quickly if we couldn't entice them to stay. The first concern, well we'll see, but by signing Stone, Turner, and Harper to long term contracts I feel we made a big step in the right direction on the second goal.

Which free agent or trade acquisition(s) do you think will help your team the most?

Well I have such a large amount to choose from! Villanueva was really my only FA acquisition but that was just us signing a player we had intended to keep in the first place. We also signed Bob Whitaker to a minor league deal to give the kid a shot, he's only 20 years old so I felt there was no harm in giving him a chance.

Which rookies/prospects do you see potentially making an impact in 2020?

While I see his future as being a strong member of our rotation, hopefully holding down the 3rd spot, Carlos Rodriguez insisted on being allowed to close this year, and he did well enough in spring training that we decided he earned the opportunity to do so. Joe Izturriaga, another rookie, was kind enough to accept relegation to being "just another" middle reliever, and I feel our bullpen will be much stronger with the two of them around to shut down the opposing bats.

As far as the minor leagues, we're hoping that first round pick George Josey will acclimate himself to professional baseball quickly, and join us by the all-star break. And we have several players in AAA who are just waiting for their opportunity.

Of your 2020 draft pick(s), who are you most excited about? When do you expect to see them in the majors, and in what role?

Well, I already mentioned Mr. Josey, who we think can contribute this season. Charlie Hagerty will give us some flexibility in the future. Some people were skeptical about taking a 2B when we have one of the best players in the league in Jimmy Stone, but unless you have two players you value very similarly you should never pass on superior talent because of a possibly positional blockage.

Who is your team's best player?

Bryce Harper obviously sets the tone for our guys, but Stone and O'Bryan can't be overlooked. We hope Dave can get back to us soon, though we don't want him to risk injury by pushing too hard.

On your team, which player do you think will make the biggest step forward this year?

My predecessor signed Sean Gallagher to a pretty hefty contract extension, despite sticking him in the bullpen for the majority of the year. He needs to show me he deserves the money he got.

Which team is your biggest rival?

Has to be Chicago, they won the American League last year as the Wild Card, we expect them to push us for the division title again this year.

In your opinion, what is the most important aspect of building a successful big league team?

Budget management. Part of this is knowing your organization, who is replaceable, who is premium. Is this reliever worth three million dollars or can I pull up a rookie who is similar? Should I let this aging third baseman walk or would his production still outshine his backup? The almighty dollar is always at a premium, and if you lose track of what you have, you won't get to make those tough choices anymore.

What are your goals for the 2020 season?

Mister Pohlad has kindly informed me that if we do not win the World Series this year he will be disappointed.