Alex Anthopoulos on thin ice: Griffin

[torontoaces04]

It's about time.

http://www.thestar.com/sports/bluejays/2013/12/28/blue_jays_alex_anthopoulos_on_thin_ice_griffin.html

No longer is he viewed as baseball’s Boy Wonder, as he was after taking over from J.P. Ricciardi on Oct. 3, 2009. No longer is he perceived as the game’s rising star, a 32-year-old with unlimited vision and the vigour of youth. No longer is he looked upon as one step ahead, ready to re-invent the GM position.

No, it seems others have adjusted to him faster than he has adjusted to them, and after four seasons the clock on his tenure is clearly ticking.

Ultimately, his team fell on its face and there was little, if any, sympathy within the GM fraternity. When right-hander Doug Fister was traded to the Nats in November, Anthopoulos was surprised and indicated the Tigers surely knew he was interested, that he would have liked a last chance to bid on the talented starter.

One executive at the recent winter meetings indicated that other GMs now realize that when they are talking to Anthopoulos about a potential trade, it may just be information gathering. Some have become more careful in their conversations. Maybe it’s time to adjust.

The fact is that since Baseball America began keeping a database on MLB GMs in 1950, only two have put up a winning record in their first season with a team followed by four straight losing records — and still kept their jobs.

[BigLeagueChew]

I don't' see much from that article that is really that terrible about AA.

It's weird that AA was getting high praise for building up prospects and the organization and people considered him a good GM, now when we still have plenty of valuable assets on our team but the team isn't winning or performing to there capability it's all on him. i get that to a certain extent but people are so back and forth on opinions rather quickly.

I guess what I'm saying is that if he was still building the farm and never went for it, people would still rank him as a top GM. Although the team isn't winning, we don't have a single bad contract on our team and if we do not make it to the playoffs while he is here, we can still be in good shape whoever takes over next, as of right now anyways.

The Fister trade wasn't on AA, The Tigers indicated they didn't want him traded to an American League team.

On the note about AA is just information gathering. I'm pretty sure all GM"s do this, especially if a trade needs to be made and both teams have pieces they want in return, don't really see anything wrong with it, what's he supposed to do, not talk to them?

[MikeM]

I don't think AA's on thin ice and I don't think he's a bad GM either.

We still have tons of assets if we want to rebuild.

[torontoaces04]

We still have tons of assets if we want to rebuild.

Maybe last year.

[Duffman100]

He's on thin ace but doesn't provide a shred of evidence to support it.

For me, GMs should have two generations. Right now we're in, probably, the tail end of the 1st build.

[C Court]

Good piece by Griffin. If AA doesn't win this year, then he will be fired. If it was up to me, the Jays would already have a new GM. But let's wait and see if he can turn it around. I have my doubts.

[Randle McMurphy]

He's not on thin ice with anybody that actually matters.

[akakalakin]

He should have been gone 2 or 3 years ago, but some are slow to understand things.

[Hoopstarr]

He should have been gone 2 or 3 years ago, but some are slow to understand things.

What? He should've been fired a year after he started?

What?

[akakalakin]

He should have been gone 2 or 3 years ago, but some are slow to understand things.

What? He should've been fired a year after he started?

What?

what is with this "it must be 5 years" to figure out a mistake stuff?

[akakalakin]

do coaches get fired after a year?

forget about my bias, let's talk about the inevitable with the lack of movement on the roster.

the season is over before it begins, leading to a midseason replacement of AA. why not move that process up 6 months and get a jump on it?

[Lateral Quicks]

Talk about needing instant gratification, akakalakin. I'd say you're being a bit unreasonable.

That said, I'm pretty confident that he will be fired if the team has a losing record this year AA. One year of underperformance can be considered an unfortunate fluke. Two years is indicative of poor judgment. The case for his firing is already strong with the Happ and Dickey trade debacles.

[Schad]

what is with this "it must be 5 years" to figure out a mistake stuff?

What mistakes exactly did he make in his first year?

AA will get this year, but even with Beeston's backing I cannot see him being comfortably ensconced in his position should we flop again, with a payroll approaching $150m. We may see attendance recede after last year's boost, as the buzz fades, and that could be his undoing.

[akakalakin]

what is with this "it must be 5 years" to figure out a mistake stuff?

What mistakes exactly did he make in his first year?

AA will get this year, but even with Beeston's backing I cannot see him being comfortably ensconced in his position should we flop again, with a payroll approaching $150m. We may see attendance recede after last year's boost, as the buzz fades, and that could be his undoing.

4th place is a huge mistake

[Schad]

what is with this "it must be 5 years" to figure out a mistake stuff?

What mistakes exactly did he make in his first year?

AA will get this year, but even with Beeston's backing I cannot see him being comfortably ensconced in his position should we flop again, with a payroll approaching $150m. We may see attendance recede after last year's boost, as the buzz fades, and that could be his undoing.

4th place is a huge mistake

He should be fired because, in his first season, we won 85 games. Seriously.

[akakalakin]

What mistakes exactly did he make in his first year?

AA will get this year, but even with Beeston's backing I cannot see him being comfortably ensconced in his position should we flop again, with a payroll approaching $150m. We may see attendance recede after last year's boost, as the buzz fades, and that could be his undoing.

4th place is a huge mistake

He should be fired because, in his first season, we won 85 games. Seriously.

where did we finish in the division?

[Schad]

where did we finish in the division?

Fourth, and we would have had to win 90 to finish 3rd. If I remember correctly we were in the top five league-wide in third-order wins, which is a normalized performance metric. But such is the AL East.

I have to believe that you're trolling, because no one in their right mind would actually believe that a first-year general manager ought to be fired for failing to turn a below .500 team into a 90 win outfit in the toughest division in sports in a year.

[Santoki]

where did we finish in the division?

Fourth, and we would have had to win 90 to finish 3rd. If I remember correctly we were in the top five league-wide in third-order wins, which is a normalized performance metric. But such is the AL East.

I have to believe that you're trolling, because no one in their right mind would actually believe that a first-year general manager ought to be fired for failing to turn a below .500 team into a 90 win outfit in the toughest division in sports in a year.

After all this time no one has realized that akakalakin is a pretty consistent troll? He's unendingly negative about every aspect of the organization. At times he's reasonable but he certainly turns up the troll on more than enough occasions that you really should know better than to engage in a debate, Schad.

[Michael Bradley]

After the 2012 season, there was talk of Beeston being signed to a two year extension. I'm not sure if that was ever reported as being finalized, but if it was, then his contract would end after the 2014 season. I don't think AA should be fired, but if his fate is tied with Beeston, then he very well could be in the hot seat if 2014 ends on a bad note.

A lot of things will have to go right for the 2014 team to make the playoffs (as currently constructed), but I don't think the team is in a bad situation. The top players are signed to well below market (Bautista, Edwin, Dickey) or market (Reyes) contracts, and the farm system (depending on which publication you read) is around middle of the pack even with all the trades last season. A rebuilding phase should be pretty easy to pull off if that is the direction they choose to go. Winning will be the hard part. Last season's team ranked in the top 10 in baseball in runs scored and bullpen ERA. The rotation was dreadful; Morrow and Johnson combined for an ERA close to 6.00, and we had to endure a combined 12 starts from Romero, Wang, and Ortiz to the tune of 7.37 ERA. Not much else AA can do except hope for better health/performance from the rotation in 2014, and rely on the improved rotation depth in case of injury.

[akakalakin]

After the 2012 season, there was talk of Beeston being signed to a two year extension. I'm not sure if that was ever reported as being finalized, but if it was, then his contract would end after the 2014 season. I don't think AA should be fired, but if his fate is tied with Beeston, then he very well could be in the hot seat if 2014 ends on a bad note.

A lot of things will have to go right for the 2014 team to make the playoffs (as currently constructed), but I don't think the team is in a bad situation. The top players are signed to well below market (Bautista, Edwin, Dickey) or market (Reyes) contracts, and the farm system (depending on which publication you read) is around middle of the pack even with all the trades last season. A rebuilding phase should be pretty easy to pull off if that is the direction they choose to go. Winning will be the hard part. Last season's team ranked in the top 10 in baseball in runs scored and bullpen ERA. The rotation was dreadful; Morrow and Johnson combined for an ERA close to 6.00, and we had to endure a combined 12 starts from Romero, Wang, and Ortiz to the tune of 7.37 ERA. Not much else AA can do except hope for better health/performance from the rotation in 2014, and rely on the improved rotation depth in case of injury.

what a frigin load of crap, poor old Alex! he could trade the whole damn roster if he chooses too

stop feeling sorry for him and start demanding excellence like Yank/BoSox fans do