It looks like we are down to the final three (or four?) in the Mariners GM search. I don’t claim to know any inside information on the candidates (and really I don’t understand how some people do. These are front office employees of other teams that get little to no coverage by the media on any medium.), but I can do my best to give an opinion.
Kim Ng, Assistant GM LA Dodgers: Female. From all accounts very smart with background in MLB transactions department.
Jerry DiPoto, Director of Player Personnel Arizona Diamondbacks: Worked in scouting department for Red Sox before coming to the Rockies as DoPP and then heading to the Diamondbacks. All three teams with strong farm systems.
Tony LaCava, Assistant GM Toronto Blue Jays: Well regarded, good rapport with people currently in place. One team president and three GMs have placed calls in support.
Jack Zduriencik Vice President and Special Assistant to the GM for Player Personnel Milwaukee Brewers: Ryan Braun, Rickie Weeks, Prince Fielder, JJ Hardy, Yovanni Gallardo and one of the strongest farm systems in baseball speak for themselves.
With the exception of Kim Ng (who I sort of believe is still around because of the woman thing and isn’t a strong favorite), all three candidates have strong scouting backgrounds meaning that the farm system and building from within is what’s selling these guys in their interviews. USSM seems to think that LaCava is the current favorite which makes sense because he has the most “experience” (he’s an assistant GM) and he has an existing relationship with Bob Fontaine (who needs to be kept around). All of these candidates are good and fans can be happy with anyone of them because they are all better going forwards than Pat Gillick, Bill Bavasi, John Hart or anyone currently working within the organization.
The question is: will it be enough? There is nothing about any of these candidates that says they are better than a Mark Shapiro or a Billy Beane, but I don’t think that matters so much anymore. You don’t have to be the smartest GM because there is always someone smarter out there. Shapiro and Beane have two of the best AGMs in the game. Look at what Theo Epstein is doing in Boston and you see a man surrounded by smart baseball people. It’s not a one man show, it’s a collaborative effort and whoever has the most smart baseball people wins. All of these candidates are good so it’s not about which one of these candidates is hired, it’s about who they hire after they are hired that will make the difference in the future of this franchise.
