Ranking baseball's GMs entering the 2019 season

Hill doesn't really deserve to be here. Oh, make no mistake, the Marlins are the worst franchise in baseball, and their eventual trade of J.T. Realmuto, regardless of when it happens, will only hammer home what a complete and total gut-job the franchise has undergone. No, Hill doesn't really deserve to be here in the sense that it should be Derek Jeter's picture, and the Marlins' shameful slashing of payroll should be laid at his feet. Still, Hill is the general manager in name, and so it is that he has this ugliness attributed to him. Miami is going to be bad for some time, the fans don't care and Jeter's ownership group is highly leveraged. Other than that, everything is great. If Miami fields anything resembling a competitive team, Hill should take the first offer he gets and never look back.

Any analysis of Van Wagenen needs to start with the fact that until he had to give up his agent's certification after being hired by the Mets, he was the agent for Jacob deGrom, Yoenis Cespedes, Noah Syndergaard and Tim Tebow, among others. A detailed look at his background suggests that he's forward-thinking, new-school and no stranger to analytics. Still, as recently as July he was demanding a contract extension or a trade for deGrom. Can he effectively build a talented roster? Cynical Mets fans would probably say no and will likely be worried about Van Wagenen's history with several players on the team and how it might affect things moving forward. Still, if Van Wagenen's past doesn't interfere with his present, he could be an intriguing figure in Flushing.

If you want to measure solely based on on-field results in 2019, Elias might well be dead last on this list, behind even Miami's Michael Hill. However, Orioles fans are probably thrilled to have Elias, who comes from the Astros and brings a real, honest-to-god plan to the table to fix a franchise that went from the American League's winningest from 2012-2016 to a club-record 115 losses last year. Elias will have the top pick in this year's draft, and while the onerous Chris Davis contract is still on the books, Elias will be able to strip the rest of the franchise down to the studs and rebuild it in Houston's image and likeness. Whether or not it works in the rugged AL East is another story, but at least there's some direction in Baltimore.

Avila is in a tough spot. He inherited a Tigers team that never did what it was built to do, which was win a World Series. That those Detroit teams didn't was mainly the fault of Dave Dombrowski, who was relieved of his duties in August 2015. Detroit went for it every single year because of owner Mike Ilitch's insatiable desire to win and financial willingness to do whatever it took to achieve that end. As a result, the Tigers were left with some contracts that aged poorly and a roster that was long on big names and short on big production. Avila is still very much in the midst of a rebuilding process that started a year-and-a-half ago, but Detroit has a long way back to respectability and not much immediate help on the horizon. 

Atkins' first season as GM yielded a wild-card berth in Toronto, but things have been bumpy ever since. Atkins brought back Jose Bautista over Edwin Encarnacion after the 2016 season, and the move hurt the Jays badly. In the two seasons since, Encarnacion has hit 70 home runs, while Bautista hit 23 for Toronto in 2017 then 13 for three different teams last year. Atkins was certainly hurt by the injury woes of Josh Donaldson, and his trade of Donaldson to the Indians had several other clubs angry at how things played out. The biggest problem for Atkins is that the Blue Jays are old and don't have much in the way of promising young talent coming up through the system. The other teams in the AL East know what they are and what they're trying to do. Does Toronto?

Moore got Kansas City back-to-back World Series appearances and a title in 2015, and for that, Royals fans will always be grateful. But Moore has failed to retool his small-market operation on the fly, and the Royals face a steep climb back to respectability, to say nothing of prominence, in the American League. K.C. has to hope that Jorge Soler comes back healthy, but even if he does, and is productive, that's a small drop in the bucket. Signing Billy Hamilton isn't going to set the world on fire either. The Royals need more guys like Adalberto Mondesi, but because they held on and tried to max out after 2015, those types of prospects are in short supply. The Royals serve as a cautionary tale for small-market clubs; you can win it all, yes, but paying the piper is a painful process.

Two bad years in a row might have Daniels feeling the heat, especially with Houston seemingly locked in as the bully of the AL West and Oakland always a threat to put together a strong campaign. He already orchestrated a massive three-team trade that shipped Jurickson Profar to the A's while netting Texas several pitchers as well as second-base prospect Eli White. Optimists in Arlington feel that the worst portion of what has obviously been a soft rebuild is behind the Rangers, but whether or not that is true largely rests with how Texas' young pitchers perform as they come up through the system. And as anyone who has watched the Rangers can tell you, counting on pitchers to save the day is not a comfortable proposition.

Preller is a few years removed from the trade bonanza that defined his first offseason as Padres GM, and he seems to have learned that building with a real plan in mind is preferable to making more moves than a gamer would on "MLB: The Show" and hoping some of them stick. Preller's biggest move thus far was to sign Ian Kinsler, though the Padres are rumored to at least be kicking the tires on Manny Machado and Bryce Harper. Franmil Reyes is an interesting young piece, and the Padres believe in Hunter Renfroe and Manuel Margot. They all need to produce, and San Diego needs to find some pitching to compete. Preller isn't under all that much pressure, though, as his contract runs through 2022.

Zaidi took over as Giants GM on Nov. 6, and his task is a tall one. The Giants have plenty of money to spend, but they are an old team with big decisions to make down the line, particularly about Madison Bumgarner. San Francisco seems ripe for a rebuild, especially on offense. The Giants ranked second to last in the NL in runs and home runs last year, and while their pitching was a respectable seventh in ERA, that wasn't nearly enough to pick up the sagging bats. Zaidi's mission is clear: Get younger, get cheaper and hit the mark with any big contracts. He was excellent in his time with the Dodgers, but he's got a big challenge ahead of him, at least in the immediate term.

Nationals pitchers had their worst collective ERA since 2010, posting a 4.04 mark in 2018. Aside from Max Scherzer, no starter provided a combination of consistent health and true top-shelf performance. To try and rectify that, Rizzo went out and signed Patrick Corbin to a six-year, $140 million deal. That gives the Nats Scherzer, Corbin and Stephen Strasburg at the top of their rotation in 2019. That's a good start on the way to atoning for an 82-win, second-place finish last year. Rizzo has put together four 95-plus win seasons in the last seven, but the Nats have fallen short of a World Series. That makes his job performance middling at this point.

Krall took over as Reds GM in May, and once the season ended he wasted little time remaking Cincinnati's roster. First, he traded for Washington's Tanner Roark on Dec. 12. Nine days later he executed a blockbuster, sending Homer Bailey and prospects Jeter Downs and Josiah Gray to the Dodgers for Matt Kemp, Yasiel Puig, Alex Wood and Kyle Farmer. Exactly one month later he acquired Sonny Gray from the Yankees and immediately worked out a new contract extension for the righty. Time will tell whether it all works out for Cincy, but for now Krall has injected some life into the organization, and he seems to have made the team better in the short run.

Aside from a 2017 AL wild-card loss, the Twins have been disappointing for some time now. Levine's attempt to rebuild on the fly and challenge Cleveland in the AL Central has seen the pitching deliver mediocre results, while the offense plays well but not well enough. Minnesota seems like the equivalent of a 7-9, 8-8 or 9-7 football team. Any fan of an outfit like that can tell you that mediocrity is poison in professional sports. Michael Pineda could be a big boost to the rotation, as Twins fans are doubtless anticipating his long-awaited, injury-delayed debut. Minnesota's best hope is that Cleveland regresses a bit, Pineda is good and some of its young position talent continues to develop. If those boxes get checked, the Twins could be something much more than mediocre.

Eppler hasn't built a winner in any of his three seasons on the job, which could rightly be seen as a waste of Mike Trout. It isn't that simple, though, as Eppler was saddled with Albert Pujols' contract, which has been an albatross for L.A. There are some young, interesting arms in the starting rotation, and Trout is still around, for two more years anyway, and still very much the best player in the sport. Can the Angels convince him to stay? They'll have to back up the Brink's truck but also build a winner around him. Justin Bour is a cheap, somewhat interesting signing, as is Trevor Cahill, but Jonathan Lucroy and Matt Harvey are less so. Trout will be great, as he always is. Will the other members of Eppler's cast do their part? That's a much tougher question to answer.

Huntington's NL Central peers have spent the offseason bolstering their rosters with a series of aggressive moves. The Pirates GM, meantime, has signed Lonnie Chisenhall and Jordan Lyles, re-signed Jung Ho Kang at a slightly cheaper rate, traded for Cleveland's Erik Gonzalez, then claimed that Gonzalez was a victim of being blocked in the Indians' organization by Francisco Lindor. Huntington also traded Ivan Nova to the White Sox, and as of this writing, the Pirates have the lowest projected payroll in the division by tens of millions of dollars. If the goal is to convince fans that the Bucs are trying to build a contender after an 82-79 season, Huntington is off to a bad start.

Hahn might be building a monster on the South Side. Only the White Sox's awful record prevents him from being higher on this list. While that may seem like a ridiculous statement to make, Hahn's work to rebuild a barren farm system has been widely praised throughout the sport. Jon Jay and Kelvin Herrera are decent bargain free agents, and a trade for Ivan Nova should give Hahn an innings-eater at the back end of his rotation. But make no mistake: The ChiSox will sink or swim based on the plethora of young talent they have all over the diamond. Hahn's Sox are probably a year away, and if they make an unexpected splash with Manny Machado or Bryce Harper, the excitement will go through the roof.

Klentak has already made a few moves this offseason, bringing in Andrew McCutchen, which seems like an interesting risk/reward play, as well as getting Jean Segura, Juan Nicasio and James Pazos in a trade with Seattle. The Phillies have also been mentioned prominently of late as a landing spot for J.T. Realmuto, and if they get him for the right price, it would be a major boon for the franchise. Expectations are high in Philly, even after a late-season swoon took the Phils from 15 games over .500 on Aug. 7 to an 80-82 finish. But Klentak's team, the youngest in baseball, still has plenty of room to get better. 

Dipoto's ongoing disassembly of the 89-win Mariners has drawn scorn from all corners, but a more measured analysis suggests that he might be doing the right thing. Seattle was minus-34 in run differential last year, which puts it closer to a 77-win team. Only the Mariners' otherworldly good luck in one-run and extra-inning games allowed them to post that fairly gaudy record. Last year's Mariners were the oldest team in baseball, and they didn't manage to end the sport's longest playoff drought, so a rebuild by "Trader Jerry" was in order. Mariners fans who care more about wins and losses than predictive metrics might not agree.

Hazen's Diamondbacks were in first place in the NL West on April 1, May 1, July 1, Aug. 1 and Sept. 1. Then they went 7-19 in September and cratered to an 82-80 finish. To make matters worse, they lost ace Patrick Corbin to Washington in free agency and center fielder A.J. Pollock to the Dodgers. Hazen traded Paul Goldschmidt to the Cardinals for some prospects, but many felt the return was underwhelming. Arizona's rebuild seems to have started, but Hazen's recent work, which included a 93-win 2017, places him in the top half of the list — for now. The Goldschmidt deal, while not popular now, could prove a wise maneuver.

Bridich has done the impossible in Colorado, and that is build a team around a highly effective starting rotation. Colorado doesn't need major upgrades anywhere other than fifth starter, and despite the loss of Adam Ottavino to the Yankees in free agency, the Rockies still have a sturdy back end of the bullpen, provided Wade Davis regains his dominant form this year. Colorado's left side of the infield is set with Nolan Arenado and Trevor Story, but there are some weaker spots, notably catcher. The base is there for Colorado to keep right on contending with the Dodgers in the NL West, but now Bridich needs to make the right tweaks to keep the Rockies on the right path.

Hoyer is technically the GM of the Cubs, even though Theo Epstein still casts a long shadow. Regardless of who gets the most ink, Chicago has been fairly quiet so far this offseason. The Cubs picked up Cole Hamels' $20 million option, signed righty Kendall Graveman, and aside from a move here or there, that's it. Chicago's payroll is already above $200 million, and there are questions about how much the team can spend, so the players who can have the biggest potential impact in 2019 are almost certainly already on the roster. If Yu Darvish stays healthy and Tyler Chatwood has a better year, things should be fine on the North Side. If not, the questions posed to Hoyer and Epstein will become louder and more pointed.

The Dodgers have six straight NL West crowns, back-to-back NL pennants, and ran into generationally great teams in Houston and Boston in the World Series in consecutive years. So far, Friedman, who added general manager duties to his job description after Farhan Zaidi left to run the Giants, has shipped Matt Kemp and Yasiel Puig out of town, as well as lefty Alex Wood, getting Homer Bailey and prospects in return. He also signed Joe Kelly and traded for Russell Martin. None of this makes L.A. better on paper, but the signing of center fielder A.J. Pollock might. Clearly, the Dodgers are trying to shift their focus slightly from feast or famine power hitting to become more well-rounded, but it might not matter unless Bailey regains his form of five years ago. 

Mozeliak could be higher on this list after getting Paul Goldschmidt away from the Diamondbacks for what most insiders felt was a small price. Goldschmidt immediately makes the Cardinals a co-favorite in the rugged NL Central, and Andrew Miller represents an intriguing free agent signing. If Miller regains anything close to his previous form, he could be a major asset in a division that features some serious left-handed threats in the form of reigning NL MVP Christian Yelich, Joey Votto and Anthony Rizzo. The Cardinals lineup projects as quite fearsome, and there are some impressive names in the rotation, though health questions exist. If things break St. Louis' way, Mozeliak could look like a genius come early November.

Chernoff traded away or lost to free agency plenty of production from last year's team, one that won its third straight AL Central crown. The challenge for Chernoff will be to try and identify the right pieces to keep around, with money always something of a concern. He already pulled off a trade that sent Edwin Encarnacion to Seattle and brought back former Indian Carlos Santana, traded away Yan Gomes, and made a few smaller free agent signings, notably veteran reliever Oliver Perez, who figures to get a chance to help fill the void left by departed lefty Andrew Miller. Cleveland should still have terrific starting pitching, so it will be interesting to see if Chernoff's fairly active offseason bears fruit.

The A's were once again scrap heap wizards in 2018, winning 95 games and somehow hanging in against the mighty Astros with a duct tape and chicken wire starting rotation, one that was without its ace, Sean Manaea, for the season's final month. Matt Chapman turned into a bona fide MVP candidate, Khris Davis led baseball with 48 home runs, and players like Steven Piscotty, Jed Lowrie and youngster Matt Olson were solid contributors. Billy Beane tends to get all of the headlines, but technically this is Forst's team. Forst traded for Jurickson Profar and signed reliever Joakim Soria. Profar is coming off his best offensive season by a mile, and Soria was good last year. If we know anything about Oakland, we know that it will likely be an unexpected name who helps the A's keep pace.

Anthopoulos' work with the Braves has been remarkable for multiple reasons. First, he took over a franchise experiencing some upheaval after the misdeeds of his predecessor, John Coppolella, were laid bare. Second, Anthopoulos engineered an 18-game improvement in his first year on the job, taking Atlanta from third to first in the NL East in the process. He benefited mightily from the rapid rise of Ronald Acuna Jr., as well as a big season from Freddie Freeman and some solid, if unspectacular, pitching. Anthopoulos did inherit plenty of high-end young talent, but given his history in Toronto and Los Angeles, there is every reason to think he will keep the Braves rolling.

Is this too low for the man who put together the World Series champion Red Sox? Probably. While Dombrowski made a crucial move to bring in J.D. Martinez, who was somehow not the best offensive player on the roster — that distinction went to AL MVP Mookie Betts — others on this list did more with less already in place. As great as the Sox were, and as counterintuitive as it may seem to have Dombrowski lower than Jeff Luhnow, a man whose team Boston steamrolled in the ALCS, it's hard for me to put the man who had a loaded roster already — some of it his doing, some of it not — above other GMs who, dollar for dollar, were just as good or better. 

Cashman, long seen as a man whose unlimited budget afforded him leeway no other GM had, is now a man who has tried to build the Yankees from within, with youth. He has largely succeeded, albeit with help from a few trades, and the team won 100 games last year, suffering only the misfortune of playing in the same division as the powerhouse Red Sox. This offseason, Cashman has re-signed CC Sabathia and pulled off a trade for Seattle lefty James Paxton. Paxton is viewed by scouts as a potential ace, so long as he can stay healthy. If he does, and he handles the pressure of playing in the Bronx, Cashman may end up succeeding in toppling Boston. Oh, and one more thing: Will Cashman go after Manny Machado or Bryce Harper? Stay tuned.

Neander's Rays had no business whatsoever winning 80 games in the brutal AL East, let alone the 90 that they actually won. Much of the credit for that goes to Neander, who made some small but impactful in-season trades and also empowered his field manager, Kevin Cash, to utilize the unconventional "opener" strategy, one that was a major factor in Tampa Bay's surprising success. Given the dearth of resources at his disposal as well as the perpetual attendance problems that the franchise grapples with every year and the caliber of competition in the division, it's arguable that Neander did the best job of any GM in baseball last year.

Luhnow's Astros were, in some ways, baseball's most overwhelming team last year. They weren't able to defend their World Series title, but they finished with 103 wins and a gaudy plus-263 run differential, 34 runs better than the next best team. Luhnow swung a blockbuster last offseason for Gerrit Cole, and Cole and Justin Verlander are a potent one-two punch at the top of Houston's rotation. The Astros have so far been quiet this offseason, and Lance McCullers will miss all of 2019. Still, their best players — Carlos Correa and Alex Bregman — are both young and under team control, and the farm system is deep. Luhnow has Houston well-positioned to rule the AL West for years to come.

Most small-market teams probably wish Stearns was their GM. He has the Brewers well-positioned to make another deep run in 2019, after falling a game short of the World Series in 2018. Milwaukee has the reigning MVP in Christian Yelich, one of baseball's best all-around talents in Lorenzo Cain and Stearns just signed Yasmani Grandal to shore up his catching situation. One year at just over $18 million for Grandal might well be an overpay, but he's an upgrade. It's refreshing to see a smaller-revenue club spend some money to keep pace. Just 34, Stearns has all the makings of baseball's next "it" GM.