AJC > Sports > Braves > Blog > Archives > 2006 > May > 31
Wednesday, May 31, 2006
Royals GM hire a hit
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Few of you would recognize Dayton Moore if you bumped into him at Turner Field. But you’ll be seeing his face a lot soon, when he’s introduced as the new GM of the K.C. Royals.
We’ve had it confirmed to the paper that Dayton, the 39-year-old Braves asst. GM and rising star in exec circles, will be taking his talents to the downtrodden Royals, though as of this moment it’s unclear if they’re going to make the announcement before or after next week’s draft.
Anyway, it’s a big loss to the Braves. By that I mean, he’s a really sharp, really personable and extremely talented guy who’s played a huge role in maintaining one of the best, if not THE best, minor league/player development systems in baseball. And as we know, the continued production of major league-ready players is what’s enabled the Braves to keep their division-title streak alive despite budget cuts in recent years that have prevented them from making the kind of free-agent moves the Braves used to make when they spent almost as much as the Yankees (believe it or not, that wasn’t long ago, though it might seem it was).
But while it’s a big loss for the Braves, it also shouldn’t be overstated. By that, I mean folks shouldn’t assume the Braves are left in a lurch now to find a replacement for John Schuerholz, assuming he will eventually step down from the job (he’s here through at least 2007, and I’d guess 2-3 years beyond that, if I had to guess now). While Dayton was obviously at the top of the list of likely heirs to the Braves GM throne, he wasn’t alone on the list. Too many around baseball seem to have forgotten that Scheurholz’s right-hand man in major league operations has been Frank Wren, not Moore.
Frank is the guy who handles arbitration cases, most contract negotiations, and many other duties for John, who has wisely delegated duties in the increasingly complex and difficult position he’s in. Not letting his admittedly substantial ego stand in the way of making such decisions is one reason Schuerholz has survived and thrived for so long, while other GMs have burned out or faded away.
John’s a really smart man, smart enough to know that having really smart younger and loyal men helping him in crucial elements of the operation is the way to go. And he’s done that.
Now, I’d assume Frank moves back to the top of the list of likely replacements. He’s worked under Dave Dombrowski and Schuerholz for most of two decades in Montreal, Florida and Atlanta, and believes in most of the same principles of running a team that John does, included the most important one: The minor league system and scouting/player development are the lifeblood of the franchise, nothing less.
Though Frank’s short tenure as Baltimore GM didn’t go well, that means absolutely nothing in terms of evaluation him in that role, simply because Peter Angelos and his meddling sons made it impossible, according to everyone I’ve talked to familiar with the situation, for Wren to succeed. His hands were tied, decisions made for him, etc. Bad, bad situation.
Back to Dayton leaving: I understand why he’d take the Royals job, on the one hand. K.C.’s a nice place to raise a family, the franchise was solid years ago - albeit many years - and the town will support baseball if given a decent product. The situation reminds me of Detroit in that regard. The Royals are marrying up in this one, getting the guy who turned down the Red Sox last winter.
But there were factors involved in that decision that most don’t realize, and there was the specter of The Kid (Theo Eptstein) possibly returning, which is just what ended up happening. I know John Henry from his days owning the Marlins, and I know plenty of people who’ve worked for Larry Lucchino who say he (Lucchino) can be the most difficult boss imaginable. That’s a pressure-cooker job to step into, especially in your first GM job. And Dayton is also a midwesterner, born in Wichita, and moving his kids to Kansas City might seem a little less daunting than moving them to Boston.
Expectations aren’t high in Kansas City. They have nowhere to go but up, and Dayton’s work ethic and knowledge of player development and scouting will assure they put the most emphasis on that part of the organization, which is the only way the Royals can become consistently competitive again, by developing their own talent the way the Braves have done, assuring you have players who will be affordable major leaguers until their fourth or fifth years, and giving you pieces to use in trades for a veteran pitcher here or hitter there, etc. The Royals have to do it like that to have any hope.
The Braves? Their player development side will be in good hands. Dayton’s assistants and colleagues, such as minor league operations director J.J. Picollo and Latin and international scouting heads Marco Paddy and Rene Francisco, are all top-notch, experienced guys, and scouting director Roy Clark is absolutely one of the best in the business. Those areas shouldn’t suffer, even if they divide Dayton’s duties until figuring out a full-time replacement.
The Royals hit a home run with Dayton. But unless Stan Kasten swoops in and hires away Frank Wren - and that’s definitely a possibility - the Braves have another heir waiting at John’s side. And even if Wren is hired away before Schuerholz retires, there will be no shortage of candidates for the Braves to choose from. I have a feeling guys like Billy Beane might be interested when the job becomes available.
OK, sorry I didn’t have time to discuss on-field stuff. Just thought I’d throw in my two-cents’ worth about Dayton leaving.
As bad as the Braves have looked the past couple of days, keep in mind they are 15-7 since May 7, while the Mets are 10-11 and Phillies 11-10 in that stretch. The division is very winnable (just be thankful Braves aren’t in the west … whew, do they struggle against those teams in recent years, or what?)
Tyler Yates ain’t the answer in the ‘pen, but Schuerholz is combing the wires, talking to GMs, checking all possibilities. I really believe he’ll find another guy suitable for closing/set-up work before July 31, and that the Braves will stay in this thing until then. But Lidge is back in the closer job for Houston now, and with them signing Roger, I don’t see them dumping their closer when they don’t have another guy who looks better for the role. Or dumping anyone, for that matter, who might help them. They’re going for it.
