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  • Examining Alex Anthopoulos

    Cody Christie

    By Cody Christie

    Word trickled out earlier this week that the Twins were considering Alex Anthopoulos as the team's president of baseball operations. This would be a new position in the organization as part of the front office restructuring following the firing of general manager Terry Ryan.

    This is following a growing trend across baseball where a president of baseball operations oversees the hiring of a general manager and other personnel to compose the front office staff. Twins owner Jim Pohlad recently told the Pioneer Press that the Twins might be leaning towards this new trend.

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    So who is Alex Anthopoulos? What do Twins fans need to know about this potential candidate? He could be shaping the future of this organization for years to come and fans are hungry to see a winning team back on the field.

    Blue Jays Rising

    Anthopoulos served as the general manager and senior vice president of baseball operations with the Toronto Blue Jays from 2010-2015. Last season, he helped the Blue Jays end a 22-year playoff drought but he decided to leave after some changes to the team's front office. Mark Shapiro was brought in as president and CEO and it sounds like the Jays wanted to cut costs and stop trading away prospects. He currently works as the vice president of baseball operations for the Los Angeles Dodgers which seems like a springboard job to other positions in the baseball.

    Wheeling and Dealing

    During his time in Toronto, the 39-year old Anthopoulos was not afraid to make moves. Some of his biggest trades included:

    • Acquiring 2015 AL MVP Josh Donaldson from Oakland for Brett Lawrie
    • Sending Noah Syndergaard to the Mets for RA Dickey
    • Pushing to get Troy Tulowitzki from the Rockies for Jose Reyes and other prospects
    • Dealing a trio of left-handed pitchers to Detroit for David Price

    Besides his willingness to deal away prospects for established players, he also spent plenty of money on contracts for players like Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion. Many Twins fans have wanted the front office to be more active in making trades and spending money. As Nick alluded to earlier this week, this might not always be the best strategy.

    Scouting Background

    Anthopoulos has a background in scouting and he made major additions to the scouting department in Toronto. He created regional cross-checker positions and nearly doubled the size of the scouting team from 28 to 54. In doing so, he was able to shrink each scout's coverage area so they could spend less time traveling and more time working. "We get to see players more often -- more innings pitched, more at-bats, Anthopoulos said. "We've added layers we didn't have before." It seems likely that he would do some major shake-ups throughout the Twins' scouting team including bringing in some scouts who have previously worked with him.

    The Future

    When the Twins let Terry Ryan go, they made it clear that they would like to have someone hired by season's end. The Dodgers are four games up in the NL West and posed to make a playoff run. This could mean Anthopoulos continues to work in his current position until deep into October. When the Dodgers hired him, they had to know he was destined to get other opportunities. Maybe they would be willing to let him out of his current position so he can start finding Minnesota's next general manager.

    There're plenty of changes that still need to happen and hiring Anthopoulos might be just the first step.

    What are your thoughts on Anthopoulos? Is he the right fit for the Twins organization? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion.

    Cody Christie is a Twins writer and content contributor. His writing can be found exclusively at Twins Daily and his voice can be heard on radio stations throughout the Upper Midwest. Outside of the Twins, he is a father, high school teacher, and avid runner.
    Follow Cody Christie on Twitter: nodaktwinsfan

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    Featured Comments

    T_J

    T_J 306

  • Provisional Member

    • Posted

    I am not a great Blue Jays mind. How has/did he do with prospect development? 

     

    Where there any farm to fork prospects? Was Syndergaard befitted more by the Mets or Blue Jays?

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    Bill Brown69

    Bill Brown69 320

  • Verified Member

    • Posted

    I can go either way on this. Not a huge fan of trading just to be "in the game" i.e. Synd for RA Dickey but I will give him the pass for being in the AL East and having to compete there. Most on here won't like this but give me a 10 year run of division titles and I will take my chance on winning it all a time or 2. Don't forget the Braves only won 1. A World Series title is hard but I would way rather win enough for every game to be meaningful than be a Marlins fan even with their 2 titles.

     

    I won't be in the room for the interview so,,,,,,, I guess that all I will be able to offer is the 20/20 hindsight!!!!!

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    h2oface

    h2oface 7,066

  • Verified Member

    • Posted

    Those thirty-somethings think they know everything! Thinking R A Dickey could/would sustain was bold and all in. Misguided, but committed and brave. I say spend the money. If owners want to own a business that is all about the money, and making more glutinous amounts, don't do it with a baseball team. Owning a professional sports team - any sport - is about having fun AND TRYING TO WIN and giving back to the fans and home city, not necessarily making money! I say hire the Antho man. Anthopalooza time in the Twin Cities!

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    Tom Froemming

    Tom Froemming 9,895

  • Twins Daily Staff

    • Posted

    AA would be my No. 1 option, but I doubt he'll be interested. Gotta believe he can have pretty much any job that opens up.

     

    Something to keep in mind about some of those moves is the status of the Blue Jays at the time. I believe prior to winning the AL East last season they had the longest playoff drought in baseball. It was time for them to try and make a run.

     

    I thought it was incredibly bold for Toronto to sign Jose Bautista to a 5-year, $64 million extension in 2011. He had just one standout year, was already 30-years-old and they already had him under contract that season. Thought it was nuts at the time, but that has to be one of the best contracts in baseball history. Edwin Encarnacion's 3-year, $27 million extension in July of 2012 was another banner deal for Anthopolous.

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    alarp33

    alarp33 2,765

  • Provisional Member

    • Posted

     

    I feel like he would trade Buxton or Sano, though.

     

    Why would you worry about that? What in his past has suggested he would trade a 2nd year guy who oozes with potential but maybe hasn't fully realized it yet?

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    tobi0040

    tobi0040 4,125

  • Provisional Member

    • Posted

    Let me first say that AA would be a huge talent upgrade over the rest of the front office.  Part of me wonders if he is the absolute right fit given the way in which he went about himself in Toronto may not work here, the big splashy trades for veterans.  The trade where he took on the contracts of Reyes and Mark B. for example just would not fly here.   But the guy had the following win totals in the AL East, 85, 81, 73, 74, 83, and 93.  The reality is he is probably smart enough to realize what worked there might not work here.

     

    The devil is going to be in the details. I hope during the interview process, the candidates get a look under the hood and some assurances from the Pohlad’s that they have the budget to make the necessary changes.  He added 26 scouts to the payroll in Toronto (almost a 100% increase).  Would the Pohlad’s be on board with that?  What about doubling the analytics department and the front office?  That is going to be the key.  Someone posted the relative size of some of the front offices out there based on their team websites and compared to the Twins.  It looks like a look under the hood will conclude for a new GM that this franchise has been running bare bones for a while now.  That is probably as important of a change as if we land on AA vs. Cherington.

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    Vanimal46

    Vanimal46 28,724

  • Old-Timey Member

    • Posted

    I'm intrigued with AA. I would want to have a GM/POBO who sees an opportunity to make the playoffs and makes contending type trades to ensure that. He's most likely learned some lessons in his first go around as GM, and still quite young to improve on the job. 

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    gocgo

    gocgo 1,979

  • Provisional Member

    • Posted

    I like the idea of expanding the scouting department and hate the idea of trading away prospects, but that might have to be done to get pitching.  I don't want to trade Buxton, Sano, or Kepler.

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    HitInAPinch

    HitInAPinch 4,518

  • Verified Member

    • Posted (edited)

     

    Let me first say that AA would be a huge talent upgrade over the rest of the front office.  Part of me wonders if he is the absolute right fit given the way in which he went about himself in Toronto may not work here, the big splashy trades for veterans.  The trade where he took on the contracts of Reyes and Mark B. for example just would not fly here.   But the guy had the following win totals in the AL East, 85, 81, 73, 74, 83, and 93.  The reality is he is probably smart enough to realize what worked there might not work here.

     

    The devil is going to be in the details. I hope during the interview process, the candidates get a look under the hood and some assurances from the Pohlad’s that they have the budget to make the necessary changes.  He added 26 scouts to the payroll in Toronto (almost a 100% increase).  Would the Pohlad’s be on board with that?  What about doubling the analytics department and the front office?  That is going to be the key.  Someone posted the relative size of some of the front offices out there based on their team websites and compared to the Twins.  It looks like a look under the hood will conclude for a new GM that this franchise has been running bare bones for a while now.  That is probably as important of a change as if we land on AA vs. Cherington.

    So, keep on doing things the Twins Way??  I think AA is exactly the "type of guy" that the Twins organization needs.   Now, if he is "The Guy" is TBD.

    Edited by HitInAPinch
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    Mike Sixel

    Mike Sixel 41,021

  • Old-Timey Member

    • Posted

    It would definitely be a change. I just don't know enough about how a GM decides what to do to know what to say about most of the candidates. Also, all the moves have to be looked at in context. What I like about what AA did at the end was that he saw NYY and BOS were not their normal powerhouses, and he struck when he had the chance. The Jays were the best AL team last year, they just happened to lose in the tourney. They look like about the 2nd or 3rd best team this year in the AL. It's hard to argue with the outcomes at the end of his tenure.

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    HitInAPinch

    HitInAPinch 4,518

  • Verified Member

    • Posted

     

     

    Here is a link to an interesting debate about Anthopoulis and other options:

     

     http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2016/09/twins-considering-alex-anthopoulos-for-president-of-baseball-operations.html

     

    Some people prefer Ben Cherington. They both seem interesting to me.

     

    I vote for:  sign both.

     

    I wonder if a combo of Alex as PoBO and Ben as GM would be a good mix.  From what I'm reading:

    Alex:  more of a gunslinger type, who's not afraid to make a deal.  Has experience above GM level.

    Ben:  experienced at building via draft and, presumably, developing those player.

     

     

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    Thrylos

    Thrylos 8,325

  • Old-Timey Member

    • Posted

    A couple more tidbits on Anthopoulos you might find interesting:

     

    - He is Canadian, born in Montreal

    - Got his first job out of college in 2000 as a mailroom intern for the Expos, then moved into a scouting intern and then as an assistant scouting director

    - In 2003 he moved to the Jays as their scouting coordinator and promoted to AGM in 2005, 5 years before he became GM.

     

    So he has a long history with Toronto, on the scouting side of the business.

     

    Aaron Sanchez, probably Toronto's best pitcher this season, was another one he drafted and developed, after every team passed on him.

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    HitInAPinch

    HitInAPinch 4,518

  • Verified Member

    • Posted

     

    re: Trading Buxton:

     

    Anyone here who would not trade him for Trout or Harper or Syndergaard or Jose Fernandez?

     

    just sayin'

     

    there are trades and there are trades

    Right On! 

     

    If you're looking at a person who is NOT willing to make those types of trades, just bring back Terry Ryan.

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    alarp33

    alarp33 2,765

  • Provisional Member

    • Posted (edited)

     

    re: Trading Buxton:

     

    Anyone here who would not trade him for Trout or Harper or Syndergaard or Jose Fernandez?

     

    just sayin'

     

    there are trades and there are trades

     

    I'm not sure what this question means exactly, but I doubt the Twins, no matter who is named GM, are trading for any of those players.  Harper and Fernandez are both FA in 2 years, so no I wouldn't trade Buxton (and the many other pieces required) for them.  

    Edited by alarp33
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    Brock Beauchamp

    Brock Beauchamp 39,328

  • Administrator

    • Posted

     

    I'd take Ben Cherington, but my biggest fear is that the Twins will hire a President of Baseball Ops, and they leave Rob with his current job on a full time status.

    No good President of Baseball Operations will accept a job and then defer to ownership over how to choose their underlings.

     

    If a POBO keeps Antony, it's for one of two reasons:

     

    1. The Twins picked a lousy POBO who can't/won't make their own decisions, which defeats the purpose of a POBO at all

    2. The Twins picked a decent POBO and they decided Antony was a good choice to steer the ship

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    nicksaviking

    nicksaviking 26,755

  • Community Moderator

    • Posted

    AA scares me a bit, mostly because I do prefer to develop more players than to trade for them; I much prefer youth to experience. I'm all for a change and I'd certainly give any new approach a shot though.

     

    The biggest issue I'd see with AA is that if the Twins ownership isn't willing to have a top 10-15 payroll, this team won't be able to hold onto the vets they trade for very long. Toronto had a top 10 payroll each of AA's last three years, that seems like it would be pretty crucial to his strategy. But maybe ownership is willing to meet the monetary demands or AA can work with a different approach.

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    Hosken Bombo Disco

    Hosken Bombo Disco 15,870

  • Community Leader

    • Posted

    re: Trading Buxton:

     

    Anyone here who would not trade him for Trout or Harper or Syndergaard or Jose Fernandez?

     

    just sayin'

     

    there are trades and there are trades

    ??

    Are you saying Antony was offered Trout for Buxton? :)

     

    I'm not sure I would make the trade for those pitchers anyway. Better to develop your own draft picks, as you implied by mentioning Sanchez.

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    belker

    belker 4

  • Provisional Member

    • Posted

    One fairly big trade during AA's time in Toronto that hasn't been discussed is the trade with the Cardinals in 2011 for Colby Rasmus.  Along with Rasmus, the Cards sent Trever Miller, Brian Tallet and P.J. Walters to the Toronto Blue Jays for Octavio Dotel, Edwin Jackson, Corey Patterson and Marc Rzepczynski.

     

    I don't have salary figures, but at the time this was a trade of a young talent for veterans.  It was widely critiqued as LaRussa giving up on young talent due to a personality conflict.  AA was praised for getting a young talent for vets he didn't need.  And Rasmus draws a lot of walks, so AA was praised by the "Bill James" crowd.

     

    This trade ended up helping the Cards win the Series that year.  Rasmus never quite took that step to stardom he was expected to.  But I think it also shows that AA was willing to dump vets for young talent, which is something many Twins fans would be on board with.  

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