Olney - Theo Epstein Strikes Again

[David]

http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/12844289/cubs-red-sox-pursuit-position-players

 

Fun read. Some excerpts.

 

BILLY BEANE HAD championship aspirations and two pitcher-sized holes to fill. So last April, when Oakland's GM chatted up Cubs president Theo Epstein about right-handed starters Jeff Samardzija and Jason Hammel, he casually mentioned that he'd be willing to discuss star shortstop prospect Addison Russell in trade conversation. Epstein already had an All-Star shortstop in Starlin Castro and a top prospect at the position in Javier Baez. But that didn't matter. As soon as Epstein heard the name Russell, he began stalking the deal relentlessly. Two months later, the trade was complete, and one month ago, Russell, at 21, became the youngest player in the National League.

 

Later in 2014, Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington, who worked for Epstein in Boston and replaced him when he left for Chicago, began to follow the same approach. He acquired, over three months, third baseman Pablo Sandoval and outfielders Rusney Castillo and Hanley Ramirez, just a few of the many collectibles in his own position-player hoarding.

 

For the past two decades, with MLB under an offensive explosion, the formula for winning baseball has been clear: Get arms. From the '01 Diamondbacks and '03 Marlins to the '05 White Sox, '08 Phillies and '12 Giants, teams with a few top aces -- often veteran ones -- could trump a full house of sluggers. Pitching was the prized art form, GMs the collectors. Yet here were the Cubs and Red Sox, buying bats in bulk. What were they doing?

 

But what Epstein, Cherington and the rest of his front office did manage to retain was a formula -- the brawny formula upon which they'd built the Sox -- the idea that a team's margin for error could be solved by an overwhelming lineup. They had identified hitters and stacked them throughout, from Twins castoff David Ortiz to former replacement player Kevin Millar to Bill Mueller, who won a batting title in 2003 at the bottom of the Boston order. "When you have a feared offense, one through nine in the American League or one through eight in the National League, it shows up every day," Epstein says.

 

And it compensates for weaknesses. A starter might have a rough game, or a fielder might make an error, but eventually Johnny Damon, Ortiz and Manny Ramirez would swing their team into the game. "An epic offense," Cherington recalls.

 

The only problem: sustaining it. By 2005, as the implementation of tougher testing for PEDs loomed, execs predicted that offensive production would decline. But they could not have anticipated by how much. In 2000, 47 hitters had 30 or more homers; in 2014, 11 hitters reached that mark. In 2001, two pitchers had ERAs below 3.00; by the end of 2014, 22 pitchers did.

 

In 2000, 28 teams posted on-base percentages of .329 or higher. By the end of this April, just seven teams were at or above that mark. That those teams included Cherington's Red Sox and Epstein's Cubs was not at all an accident.

 

"Boston's lineup is a joke," a rival general manager told me, meaning that as a compliment, "and if you were picking a team to win multiple World Series in the immediate future, you'd pick the Cubs. They can be that good."

 

Let the leaguewide hoarding begin.

 

MUCH more at the link.

[RynoRules]

I think what I admire most about the Theo's, Hoyer's, and Cherrington's of the world is how they take all the noise (data/potential decisions) and narrow it down to simple and easily implemented strategies and philosophies for acquiring talent. It was must be a joy to be a scout working with these guys. They give you the framework and you go find the players.

[Guest]

Is this the biggest view to reply ratio for any thread ever (415-1)? lmao

 

Has to be in under 24 hours at least.

 

Kinda surprised at the lack of replies. Maybe a little too early/effusive in praise but definitely a fun read.

[Ding Dong Johnson]

In all honesty I got bored with it when I read it yesterday because of some of the misleading or factual errors.

 

Albert Pujols signed that winter for $240 million. The next year, Prince Fielder would pocket $214 million.

It was like a month (December to January).

 

There was, at the time, a fairly overwhelming consensus about who the best available player was: Kris Bryant

I don't believe that to be true.

[Guest]

Yeah, that Bryant line stuck out to me. Felt like the 3 names were fairly interchangeable in the top 3, although we didn't hear seriuos Bryant to the Cubs talk until later in the game. The Fielder/Pujols thing is technically true but I get the impression that he's just lucky that it is and was remembering wrong (and thought it was the following offseason, not calendar year).

[Andy]

I don't follow the draft closely, but I do remember hearing/thinking Bryant was the safest pick, not necessarily the best.

[Ding Dong Johnson]

I don't follow the draft closely, but I do remember hearing/thinking Bryant was the safest pick, not necessarily the best.

There were actually a few places claiming Moran was the best bat in the draft.

[Stu]

I don't follow the draft closely, but I do remember hearing/thinking Bryant was the safest pick, not necessarily the best.

There were actually a few places claiming Moran was the best bat in the draft.

 

 

Moran pretty much crashed and burned, didn't he? Isn't he like already with his second org now?

[SouthSideRyan]

For the past 2 decades pitching has dominated, don't believe me, here are some random examples

 

Theo and Cherington are following the same blueprint they used to build the Red Sox of definitely not the last 2 decades

[Sammy Sofa]

Is this the biggest view to reply ratio for any thread ever (415-1)? lmao

 

Has to be in under 24 hours at least.

 

Kinda surprised at the lack of replies. Maybe a little too early/effusive in praise but definitely a fun read.

 

Well, it's Buster Olney, so it's more "fun" as opposed to be fun.

[jersey cubs fan]

you should have started a new thread for each block quote up there

[Sammy Sofa]

Is this the biggest view to reply ratio for any thread ever (415-1)? lmao

 

Has to be in under 24 hours at least.

 

Kinda surprised at the lack of replies. Maybe a little too early/effusive in praise but definitely a fun read.

 

This has to be the most robotic complaint of all time.

 

FOOLISH HOO-MONS DO NOT RECIPROCATE DESIGNATED RESPONSE APPROPRIATELY.

[Guest]

if that wasn't your first reply to that exact post you're prob trying too hard just saying

[Banedon]

Is this the biggest view to reply ratio for any thread ever (415-1)? lmao

 

Has to be in under 24 hours at least.

 

Kinda surprised at the lack of replies. Maybe a little too early/effusive in praise but definitely a fun read.

 

This has to be the most robotic complaint of all time.

 

FOOLISH HOO-MONS DO NOT RECIPROCATE DESIGNATED RESPONSE APPROPRIATELY.

 

http://i.imgur.com/AXHodFE.gif

[Guest]

Why does he say "humans" like that?

[Sammy Sofa]

Bad motivator.