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If Walt Jocketty does leave..
Posted Thursday, June 28, 2007, at 9:53 AM<< Previous | Read comments | Respond | Email link | Next >>
Update Saturday 6/30: Bernie Miklasz says there is a "growing buzz in baseball circles" that Jocketty could wind up in Cincinnati. Al Hrabosky apparently mentioned a La Russa/Cincy connection last night.
Reds owner Bob Castellini used to be part of the Cards ownership group. Update 7/1: The Jocketty denial.
This seems timely given recent rumors and rumblings of trouble in the Cardinals front office. If Walt Jocketty does depart, what about this guy -- Paul DePodesta? Jacob Jackson makes the argument over at the Hardball Times as to why someone should hire him. DePodesta is the former Dodgers GM axed after the 2005 season. He's now an assistant in the Padres front office. He first came to prominence in the book "Moneyball" as Billy Beane's number cruncher. From his experience to his age to his academic and sports background (he played baseball and football at Harvard while earning an economics degree), Jackson says DePodesta has "just about everything you'd want in a general manager." David Pinto says Jackson gives DePodesta too much credit and believes the guy is horrible with the press, but otherwise thinks it's a good idea with this caveat. "He'd have to go to a city with more sabermetrically oriented sports writers," writes Pinto. Bernie Miklasz has Joe Sheehan from Baseball Prospectus on his radio show every week and quotes stats like VORP quite frequently (here's an example this week). In addition, DePodesta would seem to be a good fit with Cardinals Vice-President Jeff Luhnow. Why not St. Louis? Comments Showing most recent comments first [Show in chronological order instead] |
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If Jocketty leaves, you better believe that TLR and Duncan will leave not long after that. That is something that I do not want to see.
Next years' GM duties will be divided between their 2 current Vice Presidents of Player Development and Scouting, Jeff Luhnow and Jerry Walker. This new combo GM will be known as Jerry Jeff Walker.
I actually tend to agree with aandzdad. Luhnow will be offered the position. There's a chance he decides to remain as VP, in which case I would expect a low profile exec to be named GM to take care of administrative duties while Luhnow makes the important decisions. I doubt a big name would take the job even if offered with Luhnow's having so much power.
thats because he doesnt have the payroll to get better players.
It's not as much of being a fan of unproven players as much as looking at how much money the "proven" players cost.
I see him as the kind of GM who will is saving his dollars to be able to go above and beyond the other teams to pay 20-25 million a year deal to the handful of truly elite talents (Pujols, A-Rod, Vlad, Cabrera, etc... caliber players). He would also sign the bargain basement vets to short & cheap deals like Beane struck with Frank Thomas last year & Mike Piazza this year. However he would ignore the vast middle ground of veteran players though; the free agents getting between 2-15 million a year wouldn't be on his radar because he would hope to find young talent that is cheaper to fill those roles and count on at least a couple of those young guys having the upside to turn into star players.
If DePodesta GMed the Cards expect to see 3 or 4 expensive top tier players surrounded by a couple of bargain veterans and have all the rest of the players who are under 30 and still under salary arbitration. Thats assuming the owners would let him have his way, in LA he was supposedly prevented from trading away Gagne during his tenure (so also expect to see any successful closers traded for everyday players or starters).
Your next GM is Jeff Lunhow. He is Dewitt's guy and has bumped a couple of Jocketty's people to end up where he is now, Director of Player Development.
www.whiteyball.com
"Luhnow's job is to oversee player development and rebuild the farm system, and he has a long way to go. Luhnow is no threat to Jocketty. DeWitt isn't looking to make him the GM; he told me he believes Luhnow is most valuable where he is right now, and that he wants Luhnow to see the project through."
Looks like if Jocketty leaves, it will be someone other than Luhnow in the GM role.
http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/sports/...
I could understand trading Eckstein. I think TLR would have a fit if Molina was traded.
But if he is a fan on getting talented, unproven players vs. talented vets; I think I would pass on DePodesta.
DePodesta is a great candidate for any GM job; he does have his flaws like the article mentioned but they could be easily fixed by hiring an adored ex-player to serve as assistant GM and to be the guy sitting in front of the press conference microphone. DeWitt looks like a spendthrift next to the Oakland owners group, so DePodesta shouldn't have any issues adapting to the St. Louis financial situation.
Imagine if Jocketty had traded Eckstein & Molina prior to the start of this season for a batch of very talented put unproven players. Thats a Podesta type of move. Podesta also wouldn't have wasted any time thinking about resigning Edmunds and instead what have spent the money signing cheaper free agents who might be very talented but who are undervalued because they are considered clubhouse malcontents or big injury risks. So he's a great GM if you want to see a winning ballclub, but terrible if you want to watch your favorite players.
If Jocketty leaves, it will be as much him as DeWitt. He's got to be tired of being one of the best GM's in baseball and being one of the lowest paid.
Anyone new that comes in would have be a good fit with Lunhow... someone who wants to get all the talent from the minor leagues.
Good point...I dwell in DeWitt's cheap ways and I forgot to bring that into question.
I think Jocketty is the sacrificial lamb for this season. People keep pointing their fingers at him, but forget to look at the owner behind him who is keeping him from making lucrative deals.
I think Jocketty has done great with the resources that he has access to. Unfortunately, DeWitt keeps on withdrawing those resources.
You don't get it--it IS broke(n). Why would Jocketty want to re-up with the current penny pinching ownership? And if he did, there's no way they're going to offer him what he could get elsewhere. Here's what I think they will do: They'll put a sacrificial lamb in the position for a couple of years who won't be able to fill Jocketty's shoes, then blow them out and DeWitt's son will take over.
DePodesta would have to make sure that he is aware of DeWitt's incredibly tight wallet. He will also have to practice saying, "We will not aggressive with midseason/offseason trades."
I am with The Camp...keep Jocketty so that we can continue to be competitive. How many "down" years has Jocketty had since he has been hired. Not many... If it is not broke, then why fix it?
Why not keep Walt Jocketty and win a few more World Series. The 2007 season isn't anything close to over.