• For users coming over from tmlfans.ca your username will remain the same but you will need to use the password reset feature (check your spam folder) on the login page in order to set your password. If you encounter issues, email Rick couchmanrick@gmail.com

Potential New Jays President

C

Captain Canuck

Member
In a surprising move the Tigers have released president/GM Dave Dombrowski and there are already rumblings that he could be coming to Toronto as Beeston's replacement.
I think he would be a solid choice and he has already worked in Canada previously as Expos GM.
 
That's good news, if he becomes Beeston's replacement.

Dombrowski, who was in charge of player development with the Expos as well as becoming their eventual GM, also turned the Florida Marlins into World Series Champions, and took a sagging, losing Detroit Tigers franchise and turned them into four-time. A.L. Central Champions.

Not bad at all should he join the Jays' organization.


Source:  Sportsnet
 
I'm beginning to think the Jays should give the role to AA.  For one, it's a promotion and would eliminate the risk of him seeking employment elsewhere.  Secondly, he could instil his structure in place, whether that be maintaining the dual role of GM, or insulating himself with his guys and promoting LaCava and Tinnish one rung up the management ladder.
 
I agree as well.  And why not, after all,  who better than AA, who's been with the Jays long enough by now to know the various aspects of it.
 
AA has also been on record a lot about how scouting has always been his favourite aspect of baseball.  I wonder just how interest he is in being the team President when his role would be more consumed with the business aspects of the team rather than strictly on team building.
 
L K said:
AA has also been on record a lot about how scouting has always been his favourite aspect of baseball.  I wonder just how interest he is in being the team President when his role would be more consumed with the business aspects of the team rather than strictly on team building.
Click to expand...

Yeah I think that we're looking at what Shanny's doing as President and think that's what the Blue Jays President will be doing. But Shanny is probably the most hands-on non-GM President out there. Most of them don't really have much of a role in the actual hockey/baseball operations of the team. Like you said, they just focus on the business side of things.

Was Beeston the one setting the tone or direction for the Jays in the past or did he mostly stay out of things like that?
 
Peter D. said:
I'm beginning to think the Jays should give the role to AA.  For one, it's a promotion and would eliminate the risk of him seeking employment elsewhere.
Click to expand...

Honestly, that doesn't keep me up at night. People are handing him an awful lot of kudos based on...what?
 
Nik the Trik said:
Honestly, that doesn't keep me up at night. People are handing him an awful lot of kudos based on...what?
Click to expand...

Simmons said something recently like if AA became a free agent he'd have a Babcock-like offseason. Which is pretty much insane. Haven't people been calling for his head for like 5 years now?
 
Nik the Trik said:
Honestly, that doesn't keep me up at night. People are handing him an awful lot of kudos based on...what?
Click to expand...

An exciting trade deadline, largely. He's had a pretty solid year in terms of moves, and his philosophy towards the draft seems to be a useful one, but, yeah, he doesn't have the real significant accomplishments on his resume that are usually necessary to get the kind of praise he's getting. I like AA, and I hope the Jays keep him around, because I think he's done good work - but I don't think he's irreplaceable or anything like that. Part of what he's done with the moves he's made is turn the Jays into a potentially appealing destination for other quality GMs or prospective GMs.
 
CarltonTheBear said:
Simmons said something recently like if AA became a free agent he'd have a Babcock-like offseason. Which is pretty much insane. Haven't people been calling for his head for like 5 years now?
Click to expand...

I'm not overly negative or positive on AA but the idea that he's some sort of star in that mold is typical Simmons-y nonsense.

It's exciting to be a Blue Jays fan right now and  AA deserves a fair bit of credit for things like the Donaldson trade and some of the better contracts but honestly with the time he's had? He's built a team without a lot of big league success and without a great farm system waiting in the wings. If someone wants to look at what a top notch guy running a team results in, look at the Cubs.
 
Nik the Trik said:
CarltonTheBear said:
Simmons said something recently like if AA became a free agent he'd have a Babcock-like offseason. Which is pretty much insane. Haven't people been calling for his head for like 5 years now?
Click to expand...

I'm not overly negative or positive on AA but the idea that he's some sort of star in that mold is typical Simmons-y nonsense.

It's exciting to be a Blue Jays fan right now and  AA deserves a fair bit of credit for things like the Donaldson trade and some of the better contracts but honestly with the time he's had? He's built a team without a lot of big league success and without a great farm system waiting in the wings. If someone wants to look at what a top notch guy running a team results in, look at the Cubs.
Click to expand...

I think you and Busta have put it the best (although AA ranges a bit more negative than positive in my book).  Where he really excels, though, is behind the scenes. He's great at contract negotiating and using creativity and would be perfectly suited to an assistant GM role.

As for Simmons, he is trash. AA has been coddled and worshipped by a painfully soft, Wilner-esque Toronto media that treats the Jays like they are the 1990's Chicago Bulls. A lucratively signed GM AA in a harsher, more objective market could be an unmitigated disaster.
 
I don't know that there's any one thing that AA does particularly well or poorly. His whole tenure seems to be a pretty mixed bag. The Donaldson trade looks great, the Dickey one looks terrible. The Bautista/EE contracts were great, he hasn't been able to do much on the free agent market. The farm system has done ok.

So I don't see him as being ideally suited to another job, just being middling at this one.
 
CarltonTheBear said:
Nik the Trik said:
Honestly, that doesn't keep me up at night. People are handing him an awful lot of kudos based on...what?
Click to expand...

Simmons said something recently like if AA became a free agent he'd have a Babcock-like offseason. Which is pretty much insane. Haven't people been calling for his head for like 5 years now?
Click to expand...

If you really run down his moves its a very mixed bag.  We have up a lot at the deadline but that's what happens with deadline deals.  The Wells and Donaldson trades look like wins for the Jays.  The Marlins trade is a mixed bag.  The Dickey trade looks bad as we could easily have D'Arnaud as our catcher and Syndergaard would arguably be at the front of the rotation right now (behind Price).

The last few years AA has overused the waiver wire with add/drops constantly that just seemed like pointless moves.  He's also added some guys that have had good years of not overused in guys like Colabello and last year with Francisco. 

Some success right now seems to be creating this notion that he's been great but until the deadline deals this was yet another .500 blue jays team.
 
Nik the Trik said:
I don't know that there's any one thing that AA does particularly well or poorly. His whole tenure seems to be a pretty mixed bag. The Donaldson trade looks great, the Dickey one looks terrible. The Bautista/EE contracts were great, he hasn't been able to do much on the free agent market. The farm system has done ok.

So I don't see him as being ideally suited to another job, just being middling at this one.
Click to expand...

I thought that he had a real ingenuity with contracts. He was able to re-sign quality players (EE, Bautista, Dickey) at great value and he was able to add in team options at the end for a little insurance. He's never really been burdened by a contract he's signed (though that Martin one looks like it could do some damage). I also thought he made some creative acquisitions early on to secure draft picks via the compensation rules. I definitely agree that he is middling (at best) but the few positives I see seem to suggest that he might be better off on the business or assistant side of things.
 
Andy007 said:
I definitely agree that he is middling (at best) but the few positives I see seem to suggest that he might be better off on the business or assistant side of things.
Click to expand...

That doesn't make a lot of sense. One of the major components of being a GM is negotiating contracts. That's not something AGM's do.
 
Nik the Trik said:
Andy007 said:
I definitely agree that he is middling (at best) but the few positives I see seem to suggest that he might be better off on the business or assistant side of things.
Click to expand...

That doesn't make a lot of sense. One of the major components of being a GM is negotiating contracts. That's not something AGM's do.
Click to expand...

AA did a number of contracts and signings when he was an AGM under Ricciardi.
 
I honestly think the Jays take another shot at Kenny Williams. Reinsdorf refused to let the Jays interview him last off-season, but things may be different now with the White Sox missing the playoffs again.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top