How Would You Rate O'Brien's First Year As GM?

[REDREAD]

And a good one would have never given him that players option at 2.4.
.

Yes, I agree with that. I think the Haynes signing is in contention for Bowden's worst move ever.

Still, I don't think you could find anyone that expected Haynes to be remotely close to respectable, coming off that horrible year, bad back, and reporting to spring training out of shape.

The scary thing is that if there wasn't so much pressure from the media, Haynes would probably stayed on the roster longer.

DanO would've scored a couple points if he had left Haynes in Florida permanently. He shouldn't have to ask permission to cut Haynes if he's just going to call up someone making the minimum. He might have to ask permission, but he shouldn't be micromanaged to that level.

[REDREAD]

The guy came into the job in December, and had approximately 3-4 months to sit down and evaluate the entire situation/dilemna that this organiation was in RR.

He had plenty of time to try and fix up the bullpen. He had time to sign Lidle and Vanderwall. I said at the time that VAnderwall's salary should've been used to sign a relief pitcher.

He had plenty of time to commit to Brandon Larson.

DanO had all of Bowden's staff to get feedback from. Instead, we get Kullman telling us in chat that the bullpen is "just fine". That tells me that they were either too stupid to realize they had a problem or just didn't care. Either one is inexcusable.

The guy has now had about an entire year, and he's done NOTHING to make us better. Time is not on his side. The ML players we have are going to price themselves out of town soon. We don't have 3 years for him to analyze and study the situation.

GAC, if DanO does a brilliant job this offseason, I'd love to give him an "A" next year. But I have no confidence he will. He'll probably spend all winter haggling with Wilson over that 1 million gap in their offers, then eventually sign him. Maybe dump a salary or two. Then sign one really lame retread and hold it up for PR. I honestly don't expect much more than that. I'm sure he's bringing his Pictionary game again to the winter meetings to keep his staff occupied :MandJ:

[REDREAD]

Since O'Brien's taken over...

Added
Bubba Nelson
Jung Bong
Josh Hancock
Homer Bailey
Ben Kozlowski
Gabe White
Joe Wilson
Elizardo Ramirez
Damian Moss

.

Every GM gets a 1st round draft pick to add, and DanO unwisely picked Bailey.
Maybe Nelson will someday be as good of a reliever as Reitsma, it's hard to say. No one else there is worth getting excited about.

DanO unwisely spent about 3 million in payflex this winter to get those Phillie prospects. Think about it. Think about the talent you could sign in the draft for an extra 3 million.

[Krusty]

When you cut payroll from 59 to 47 million, you are limited to what you can do.

And how easy do you think it would have been to move Casey, Graves and Junior's contracts after coming off the 2003 seasons they had?

Maybe O'Brien should have dealt Griffey before his 500th home run but the backlash from fans would have crucified the front office worst than the firesale of 2003.

O'Brien's hands were tied by the bad contracts that Bowden signed Casey, Graves and Junior to. O'Brien's hands were tied by Lindner and Allen's decision to cut the payroll. And O'Brien's hands were tied to the lousy performances of Casey, Graves and Junior in 2003 to get anything substantial.

There is so much you can do with a 47 million dollar payroll where 12.5 million goes to a broken down outfielder.

[MWM]

Krusty, payroll was NEVER $59MM.

[SteelSD]

There is so much you can do with a 47 million dollar payroll where 12.5 million goes to a broken down outfielder.

See: A's, Oakland: re- Dye, Jermaine

[Steve4192]

O'Brien's hands were tied by the bad contracts ...
O'Brien's hands were tied by Lindner and Allen's decision to cut the payroll.

Depodesta was under the gun to cut $20MM out of the Dodgers payroll.

* He let Brian Jordan and Andy Ashby walk, leading to a $18MM savings.
* He managed to unload Kevin Brown's hideous $15.7MM contract.
* He also unloaded Paul LoDuca and Guillermo Mota midseason.

If Kevin Brown's contract can be moved, then anyone's contract can be moved. However, it requires is having a plan TAKING ACTION to move that plan forward.

[Raisor]

Depodesta was under the gun to cut $20MM out of the Dodgers payroll.

* He let Brian Jordan and Andy Ashby walk, leading to a $18MM savings.
* He managed to unload Kevin Brown's hideous $15.7MM contract.
* He also unloaded Paul LoDuca and Guillermo Mota midseason.

If Kevin Brown's contract can be moved, then anyone's contract can be moved. However, it requires is having a plan TAKING ACTION to move that plan forward.

Was the Brown deal a PD move, or was that the previous administration?

[Steve4192]

Was the Brown deal a PD move, or was that the previous administration?

I just checked. It was made during the previous administration. Brown was traded on 12/15/2003 and Depodesta was hired on 2/16/04. My mistake.

However, just look at how much Depodesta has changed the Dodgers despite taking over the team in mid-February. Now contrast that with Dan O'Brien, who took over the Reds in late October. O'Binder had a four month head start on Depodesta yet Paul has already lapped him.

[Aronchis]

I just checked. It was made during the previous administration. Brown was traded on 12/15/2003 and Depodesta was hired on 2/16/04. My mistake.

However, just look at how much Depodesta has changed the Dodgers despite taking over the team in mid-February. Now contrast that with Dan O'Brien, who took over the Reds in late October. O'Binder had a four month head start on Depodesta yet Paul has already lapped him.

Maybe, but he did deals that O'brien couldn't do. You talking about 2 different situations and putting your own biases to support a flimsy position. You don't like O'brien, gotcha, but don't say Depodesta "lapped" him when the 2 situations were different in 2004. The Dodgers were hardly "changed" from where they were in the past. The Diamondbacks fell apart and the Giants were lesser than the year before. Depodesta may be a good GM, but he isn't anymore proven than O'brien.

[SteelSD]

The Diamondbacks fell apart and the Giants were lesser than the year before. Depodesta may be a good GM, but he isn't anymore proven than O'brien.

Productive Major League players acquired by Paul DePodesta:

Milton Bradley
Hee Seop Choi
Brad Penny
Steve Finley
Jayson Werth

The 2003 Dodgers fielded this team:

1B- Fred McGriff/Robin Ventura
2B- Alex Cora
SS- Cesar Izturis
3B- Adrian Beltre
C- Paul Lo Duca
LF- Jeromy Burnitz/Brian Jordan
CF- Dave Roberts
RF- Shawn Green

By the end of 2004, this is what we saw:

1B- Shawn Green
2B- Alex Cora
SS- Cesar Izturis
3B- Adrian Beltre
C- Brent Mayne
LF- Jayson Werth
CF- Steve Finley
RF- Milton Bradley

When you turn over half your lineup, acquire a very solid SP (Penny) and a cheap productive future alternative at 1B (Choi), I'd call that far more than "hardly changed".

As a team, the Dodgers scored 187 more Runs in 2004 versus 2003. Additionally, the Dodgers drew 129 more Walks in 2004. Go figure.

But really, even with all that, DePodesta was more proven than O'Brien while he was still working with Billy Beane.

[Ravenlord]

anyone else think we'll see Bradley in CF for the Dodgers and Green back in RF is Finley isn't resigned?

[Steve4192]

he did deals that O'brien couldn't do.

I don't get this.

Why do you feel that O'Brien couldn't do any deals? Most of DePodesta's deals were salary neutral or resulted in a net reduction of payroll. Why couldn't DanO move contracts when the new guy in LA was doing it regularly?

[Krusty]

Let me be honest here....do you think DePodesta could have moved Casey, Graves and Junior's contracts coming off the 2003 seasons they had and given the amount of money that was still owed to them? And what if Lindner told him he couldn't add money to the deal in order to move them?

O'Brien's hands were tied last offseason. Now if the reason for reducing the payroll was to put emphasis into the farm system, fine. But if the payroll doesn't go up next season, expect the same thing. But don't blame O'Brien instead of directing the blame to Lindner and Allen who set the budget.

[Ravenlord]

Let me be honest here....do you think DePodesta could have moved Casey, Graves and Junior's contracts coming off the 2003 seasons they had and given the amount of money that was still owed to them?

yes...i think Sabien and Minyana could do it too

And what if Lindner told him he couldn't add money to the deal in order to move them?

still can be moved.