Grading Gillick
Posted by Tim Malcolm, Mon, November 03, 2008 03:39 PM | Comments: 15
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Pat Gillick is no longer general manager of the Phillies. He came aboard in 2005, ridding the club of pieces that didn’t fit, while supporting a young foundation with role players who made them better. In three years, he put the team on the verge of the postseason, then took them there via a division championship, then won the World Series.
Pretty good. Pretty damn good.
Let’s look at his separate moves. I’ve graded each one using a -10 to 10 point scale, with all moves being grade-ready after Wednesday. I canceled out most of the smaller moves, concentrating merely on the bigger ones:
Traded Jim Thome, cash to CWS for Aaron Rowand, Daniel Hagwood, Gio Gonzalez
Gave up a a lot of money for a guy who’d create clubhouse character and two prospects who would leave soon.
Score: -1
Signed Abraham Nunez
No offense, but good defense. Probably played too much. Eh.
Grade: -2
Signed Tom Gordon
Of the three years the Phils had Gordon, they got about two out of him, and about 1.5 was pretty good.
Grade: 2
Traded Vicente Padilla to TEX for Ricardo Rodriguez
Padilla continued mediocre success in Texas, while Rodriguez … who?
Score: -3
Traded Jason Michaels to CLE for Arthur Rhodes
Rhodes stunk for a year in Philly; Michaels is a viable fourth outfielder in Pittsburgh now.
Score: -3
Signed Ryan Franklin
One year in Philly and he was poor. Then he goes to Baseball Heaven and does well. Go figure.
Score: -3
Traded Robinson Tejeda and Jake Blalock to TEX for David Dellucci
Jury is still out on Tejeda and Blalock is back in the system; Dellucci gave the Phils a strong fourth outfielder.
Score: 2
Traded Daniel Haigwood to TEX for Fabio Castro
Haigwood is now in the Red Sox system and may get a shot; Castro had a brief stint in Philly, but is now in Toronto.
Score: 1
Traded Bobby Abreu and Cory Lidle to NYY for CJ henry, Matt Smith, Jesus Sanchez and Carlos Monesteros
Not a great deal in value, but it changed the complexion of the franchise forever, and is the turning point in a road that led the team to the title.
Score: -5
Traded Rheal Cormier to CIN for Justin Germano
Could’ve been so much better if they held onto Germano for that half season in 2007.
Score: 1
Traded Ryan Franklin, cash to STL for Zac Scott
Got nothing for a guy who’d become a viable late-innings reliever in Saint Louis.
Score: -3
Traded Andy Baldwin and Andrew Barb to SEA for Jamie Moyer
To boost a contending team, Gillick pulled off this winner. Moyer has been pretty good since coming over.
Score: 9
Traded Angel Chavez to BAL for Jeff Conine
Conine helped a little in the playoff race. Chavez?
Score: 2
Signed Wes Helms
Threw away two years for about 0.3-years worth of play.
Score: -6
Signed Adam Eaton
Bad player. Bad money. Bad years. Bad, bad deal.
Score: -9
Traded Gavin Floyd and Gio Gonzalez to CWS for Freddy Garcia
Oh boy. The big one. Jury is out on Gonzalez, but Floyd pitched well for Chicago in 2008. Garcia? Ugh.
Score: -10
Signed Jayson Werth
Parlayed a one-year flier to a regular outfielder capable of delivering for a world champion.
Score: 6
Claimed Greg Dobbs from SEA
A pretty solid pickup. Dobbs has become maybe the franchise’s greatest pinch hitter.
Score: 4
Signed Antonio Alfonseca
Battled in the bad 2007 bullpen. A forgettable year.
Score: -2
Claimed JD Durbin from BOS
Threw a shutout in San Diego; other than that, he stunk.
Score: -4
Signed Jose Mesa
Didn’t really work out.
Score: -3
Signed JC Romero
Did really work out.
Score: 6
Traded Michael Dubee to CWS for Tadahito Iguchi
A “my bad” from the Garcia trade. Iguchi was huge in 2007 and came back in late ’08.
Score: 4
Traded Matt Maloney to CIN for Kyle Lohse
Another big deadline-style deal, Lohse was nice down the stretch in ’07. Maloney isn’t a bad prospect who could be in the Cincinnati rotation in 2009.
Score: 2
Traded Jesus Merchan to SEA for Julio Mateo
Mateo never saw life in Philly because of some abuse problems. Meanwhile, Merchan hit .339 and drove in 72 in 114 PCL games last season. Just a weird deal.
Score: -3
Traded cash to CLE for Russell Branyan
The hulking slugger hit two big homers for the Phils down the stretch in 2007.
Score: 1
Traded Michael Bourn, Geoff Geary and Mike Costanzo to HOU for Brad Lidge and Eric Bruntlett
Hell yes. A coup so far, Lidge put together one of the best closer season’s ever en route to a world title. Bruntlett wasn’t bad either. Geary wasn’t terrible in Houston; Bourn can’t hit.
Score: 9
Signed Geoff Jenkins
Hasn’t played up to his abilities.
Score: -3
Traded cash to TB for Chris Snelling
Snelling did hit a nice homer early in the season for a win.
Score: 1
Signed Chad Durbin
Very good signing, as Durbin became a strong bullpen piece.
Score: 3
Signed So Taguchi
Taguchi probably should’ve been more, but never amounted to it.
Score: -2
Signed Pedro Feliz
Shored up third base hole and wasn’t so bad offensively. It’s a two-year deal with a third-year option.
Score: 3
Signed Rudy Seanez
Provided ample right-handed middle relief all season on a one-year deal.
Score: 2
Traded Adrian Cardenas, Josh Outman and Matt Spencer to OAK for Joe Blanton
Cardenas and Outman might turn into stars, but Blanton did exactly what he was asked to do.
Score: 3
Traded Brian Schlitter to CHC for Scott Eyre
Eyre proved to be a solid reliever for the champs.
Score: 3
Traded Fabio Castro to TOR for Matt Stairs
Stairs hit the biggest home run of his life as a Phillie; Castro still has a ways to go.
Score: 1
Okay, our total is 4. Interestingly, Gillick was in the negatives way up until the 2008 season. He was at his worst point after the Garcia trade, but came back strong this year. The jury is still out on Feliz, Jenkins, Blanton, Eyre, Stairs, Lidge and Bruntlett, but a world championship usually helps things out for you.
It seems Gillick wasn’t a great general manager, but he wasn’t terrible. He surely wasn’t in good standing after a bunch of miscues before 2007. Moreover, you can see he didn’t fare well with big deals (except Lidge); instead, he performed well with bargain additions that panned out. He did end up on top (literally and figuratively), and it shows that you’re only as good as the way you left the team.
Posts: 0 PhillyGirlinMichigan
Good synopsis. However, didn’t see new deal Durbin however – just the old one. Is he gone already?
I saw some recent posts stating some wouldn’t mind seeing him let go because of his tiring at the end of the season. Well, he did the same in 2007 for Detroit after having been split between starting and short-relief which seemed to wear on his arm. He definately bounced back well in 2008 (far better than I expected) so I would think he’d be fine in 2009. Also, how can you say negative things about a guy who led the NL in relief innings and still had a 2.87 era? He kept this team in contention when Madson and the rest weren’t doing as well. I guess its “what have you done for me lately time….” around here.
Also, others see Seanez as gone. I think he’d be a good cheap signing to keep w/the team. At least an invite to ST.
Read on mlbcom that Gillick is staying on – as an advisor. Good news :) Too bad Arbuckle is walking, however.
Ok – back to work for me…
Posted: 03:57 PM on November 3, 2008
Posts: 1650 Tim Malcolm
Forgot about Durbin and Taguchi, actually. Edited those in. Like I said, a lot of small deals cancelled each other out.
Posted: 04:10 PM on November 3, 2008
Posts: 0 JimPhils
Antonio Alfonseca filled as a closer and was respectable for a while. He did a good job for a while.
Posted: 04:50 PM on November 3, 2008
Posts: 0 J-Man
The Adam Eaton signing was the worst of em all it should be -10,$8 millon a year for that pos,i wish we could trade him somehow i know he has no trade value but offer to pay half his salary and just get him outta town…The Freddy Garcia trade was a bad one too,but we were gonna have to trade Gavin Floyd soon or later it was never gonna work out for him here,i just wish we could of gotten something better in return.
Posted: 05:10 PM on November 3, 2008
Posts: 0 Chase Mutley
C’mon if Eaton is a -10, Lidge has to be a +10. You can spot him that extra point. Without Lidge, this season looks much, much different.
Posted: 05:22 PM on November 3, 2008
Posts: 0 Sam
Eh I think we can give more than that for a few players…to obtain Werth, Durbin and Dobbs, we gave up absolutely nothing. What we paid should be factored in.
Posted: 05:31 PM on November 3, 2008
Posts: 1650 Tim Malcolm
True about Lidge, but they gave up Geary, who had a career year, and the jury is still out on Bourn and Constanzo. Meanwhile, Garcia gave the Phils nothing. Eaton, meanwhile, gave the Phils nothing in comparison with his contract.
I tried to be fair with the grades, and to argue small adjustments is apples and oranges. My final grade of “4″ seems about right – a little above average.
Posted: 05:39 PM on November 3, 2008
Posts: 0 ped
They should send Wade a ring for picking the guys that make the core of the team.
Posted: 05:43 PM on November 3, 2008
Posts: 0 Greg B
ALfonseca as a negative? He kept us afloat in that stretch with no Myers and no Gordon. He was shot by the end of the year (a la Durbin), but no way the phils pull off the divsion without his contribution. Seriously, for the gamble that it was, I demand that be changed to a positive.
Personally, I thought Gillick deserved the Nobel Prize for his rag-tag patchwork from nothing for 2007′s division crowd.
The Abreu trade was CRAZY. CRAAAAZY. I couldn’t believe it happened. We got nothing…except a serious shot in the arm. Phils probably have the top record in baseball after that move.
Posted: 05:58 PM on November 3, 2008
Posts: 0 Mark
I don’t understand giving the Thome deal a -1.
Posted: 07:32 PM on November 3, 2008
Posts: 0 Lee
Jason Michaels got his option declined by the Pirates… viable option?
Posted: 08:18 PM on November 3, 2008
Posts: 0 Jackson
You don’t make much sense here. -3 for getting Ryan Franklin then -3 for trading him. I understand he didn’t work out here, and I understand he was good where he went…but the thing is, you can’t fault Gillick for his success after he left. That’s just the way it happens, he had to get rid of him. He was a waste, he wasn’t going to do that here.
Also, trading Abreu had to be done. -5? Try the team almost made the playoffs after having no hope. Matt Smith was OK, and it got rid of Abreu, which he had to to do.
And minus for the Thome trade? He HAD to. Howard needed a spot to play, and he got tons of value for an aging first baseman.
You have to value these trades from a logic point of view too, what’s best for the team/what had to be done. I’m not angry for the Schilling trade. It had to be done. Is that a -90 because he was so good in Arizona? These kinda moves just have to be made sometimes, whether you get full value for a player or not.
Posted: 12:14 AM on November 4, 2008
Posts: 0 Pat
This is why this is the best Philly website… where else can you find analysis like this? Has anyone seen the SI Philly Special Issue yet?
Posted: 10:32 AM on November 4, 2008
Posts: 0 Joe
I don’t agree with the Geoff Jenkins. How about his double to lead off the second part of game 5? That was one of the biggest hits that got us the win that night
Posted: 12:26 PM on November 4, 2008
Posts: 0 Mark T
Here is something interesting for everyone who says they’d make a better GM: http://sports.espn.go.com/espnmag/story?id=3682039
The NFL Head Coach game did not fare well at all, so I will be curious to see how this works out.
Posted: 09:59 AM on November 5, 2008