Comments on: McNamara Named Scouting Director

By: The Ancient Mariner

The Ancient Mariner — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 17:42:13 +0000

Depends on your priorities. Let Fields go, you probably get a better prospect. Sign him, the odds are you get a ML-ready player sooner (if you get one at all). It depends on which is more important, ceiling or ETA.

Given the shape this team is in, I’d vote for ceiling, and let Fields walk. But there is an argument to be made the other way. (The idea that signing him means we could then trade Putz because Fields could replace him, however, isn’t it.)

By: gwangung

gwangung — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 01:34:02 +0000

I aggree. we are all in agreement that the Fields pick was not the best slot to pick a reliever. But thatâ€™s what weâ€™ve got.

No, it isn’t.

Let him walk, you get the same pick this year and get someone who’s better suited for a draft pick. Don’t forget…relief pitchers are the easiest parts of the team to create. Y’all seem stuck on roles, hm?

By: qwerty

qwerty — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 01:22:06 +0000

If you do pass, how does that make them win sooner? Fields may not equal winning sooner (he may never make it to the majors, for all we know), but he could be a piece to that puzzle.

I aggree. we are all in agreement that the Fields pick was not the best slot to pick a reliever. But that’s what we’ve got. Everyone agrees he’s a major league talent. This team needs talent and signing him may allow us to trade JJ for more. So the M’s ‘overpay’ him–compared to where he should have been drafted–and move forward. I like the 22nd pick, but I think this is a net gain to pay him the extra $500,000, get more talent with the JJ Putz trade, use the 2 Ibanez picks, use the 2nd pick overall. That nets us, to me, a pretty good haul of quality young talent….all of it is quite cheap.

By: msb

msb — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 23:02:16 +0000

in the ongoing FO openness, Carmen Fusco hit KJR today, audio here.

By: The Ancient Mariner

The Ancient Mariner — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 15:08:07 +0000

It sounds to me like the idea is this: Blengino will be Zduriencik’s chief deputy on the baseball-operations side (as Pelekoudas presumably will be on the business side), and his specific responsibilities will be developed operationally as Zduriencik figures out how best to make use of his own time.

By: aws

aws — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 08:02:47 +0000

Thanks for the clarification/confirmation. The previous references to “ass GM” threw me. I’m curious to see what Blengino’s role in the organization will be, “Special Assistant to the General Manager, Baseball Operations” is a rather ambiguous title.

By: msb

msb — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 07:23:53 +0000

Zduriencik, Executive Vice President & General Manager
Pelekoudas, VP & Associate General Manager
McNamara, Director of Amateur Scouting
Fusco, Director of Pro Scouting
Blengino, Special Assistant to the General Manager, Baseball Operations.

By: aws

aws — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 05:58:20 +0000

It was my understanding that Tony Blengino was named “Special Assistant to the General Manager” not Assistant General Manager, a title that Lee Pelekoudas still holds. Did I miss something in the press release?

By: Graham

Graham — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 05:43:04 +0000

Brent, it wouldn’t be a supplemental pick, it’d be the 22nd overall.

By: Brent

Brent — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 04:58:08 +0000

I understand that they could get a supplemental pick for not signing Fields, but is it really that wise to NOT sign him at all? I’d assume see them sign him. Part of a pitching staffs’ success is based on its ability to ‘shorten’ games, or make it so that if teams don’t score early, the game gets tougher.

I understand the notion of a stellar first draft for Z & Co. and how many first round picks they could conceivably have in June, but it seems like a mistake to NOT sign someone, just because they’re a reliever. Is it really in the best interests of the team, which is trying to do a quick turnaround (their hope), to pass on last year’s first round pick?

If you do pass, how does that make them win sooner? Fields may not equal winning sooner (he may never make it to the majors, for all we know), but he could be a piece to that puzzle.