CINCINNATI -- Having finished his second season as Reds general manager, Wayne Krivsky will now spend the offseason gearing up for the 2008 season.
Krivsky recently spoke with MLB.com, expressing his thoughts about 2007 and some of the decisions that loom for the Reds in the future.
MLB.com: Obviously, the record (72-90) didn't turn out how you wanted when looking at the bottom line. But when you look back on the season, what do you take out of it, positive and negative?
Krivsky: Unless you're playing beyond, in this case, Sept. 30, you haven't satisfied the goals you set out in Spring Training. On the other hand, there are positive things you can take out of the season, despite what your record might be at the end. There were a lot of positives in our year, from an individual standpoint.
As a team, we fell short. A lot of individuals had good years, good development years and good statistical years. But there's always room to improve. The offseason is an important time for players to work on the things that they need to improve on, whether it's conditioning, playing winter ball, getting stronger, going through the proper postseason routines to get ready for Spring Training and another year. It goes by fast. We'll be at Spring Training before you know it. Everybody has to look in the mirror and figure out what they need to do to get better, and consequently, to make the team better. That includes the general manager.
MLB.com: Do you anticipate a busier offseason than last year?
Krivsky: Ask any general manager, every winter is busy. I don't know that you differentiate. People ask what you do in the offseason. In some ways it can be as hectic or more so than the season. You don't have a set routine because you really don't have a schedule to follow like you do during the season. There are meetings to attend -- organizational meetings, GM meetings, Winter Meetings. Some of that is already prearranged. There's no way to predict how the winter will unfold.
The bottom line is we're here to build a winning organization and put a team on the field that can compete and ultimately win a championship. That's what we're all about. It's a work in progress. Whatever you planned on having, it rarely follows it to the letter. That's why you have to be flexible and adjust to the changing times, whether it's injuries or what have you. You have to be able to overcome those. That's where depth comes in and your Minor Leagues come in. Our depth has been tested. At the same time, I feel good that we have improved our depth the last year or two since I've been here.
MLB.com: When you don't reach your goals, it's no fun. On that basis, was doing your job this season personally less enjoyable -- especially the day-to-day grind of it?
Krivsky: Being in baseball is fun. We're all lucky to be in the game. The challenge is fun. Putting together a team is fun, whether it's on the field or off the field. It's not fun firing people, don't get me wrong. The goal here is to bring in as many good people as we can. We're all going to work toward a common goal and that's putting the best team out there that has a chance to win year in and year out. And whether it's the Minor Leagues, amateur scouting, pro scouting, international scouting and Latin America, it all comes together and you just have to keep plugging and keep grinding. It's a marathon. Your work is never done.
MLB.com: You have a lot of players with 2008 club options on their contracts. What is the timetable or deadline to pick them up?
Krivsky: There are dates and days in their contracts. They vary. It's all negotiable at the time of the contract. At the appropriate time, we'll announce them.
MLB.com: Can you gauge in the chances, in any way, for somebody like Adam Dunn returning?
Krivsky: No. I'm not going to get into that.
MLB.com: You brought in Pete Mackanin as interim manager. How do you think he handled the job this summer?
Krivsky: Great. He did a heck of a job. He came in when we were 20 games under .500, embraced the challenge and accepted the role of an interim manager as well as you can. I remember at his press conference he said, 'Whether it's two days, three days, two weeks, a month or the rest of the year, I'm here to do the best I can for the organization.' From my standpoint, you can't ask for anything more than he's given us. We've had a lot of good moments the second part of the year and he was in charge.
MLB.com: It's safe to say you will be looking around and interviewing other candidates?
Krivsky: Pete is a candidate. He's definitely a candidate. People ask me about timetables and there isn't one. The sooner we know, it takes the uncertainty out of people's minds that are here. I'm sensitive to the part about Pete and the coaches and what their status is. I'd like to have something resolved sooner rather than later. Timetables can't be controlled to the letter. We'll do the best we can to arrive at that decision so that people can move on with their lives, whether they're staying or looking somewhere else. Pete hasn't done anything to eliminate himself or take himself out of consideration. He's done a great job.
Originally Posted by Chi-Town Red
