MLB impact: Ranking baseball’s decision makers for 2018: Part 1
By Bill Felber
21. Matt Klentak, Philadelphia Phillies, -4.9 games
At the free agent signing table, Klentak had a decent season. He brought in pitcher Jake Arrieta (+1.6) and relievers Tommy Hunter (+0.9) and Pat Neshek (+0.5). The decision not to pursue pitcher Jeremy Hellickson (+1.0 with Baltimore) was a mistake, but walking away from reliever Juan Nicasio (-0.7 for Seattle) was the right move. Overall, Klentak made decisions on a dozen players who generated value for somebody in 2018, and he made the correct call on 8 of them.
Klentak’s trades were for the most part inconsequential. He acquired 8 players by trade, waiver claim or purchase, and while 5 of those acquisitions were nominally positive, none exceeded catcher Wilson Ramos’s +0.5 games of impact. His deadline acquisition of infielder Asdrubal Cabrera from the New York Mets for a player to be named later, meanwhile, undermined the Phillies’ pennant hopes by 1.3 games. Cabrera batted just .228 for the Phillies. The sum total of Klentak’s deals amounted to loss of one-tenth of one win.
In the end, the farm system callups did Klentak in. Philadelphia’s system produced a dozen rookies who produced short-term value for the big league club in 2018, but that value amounted to -4.9 games. Scott Kingery, the team’s regular shortstop, hit just .226 with 35 RBIs that translated to a -2.9 WAA. Of the dozen newcomers, only pitcher Seranthony Dominguez (+1.4) netted a WAA better than +0.1.
Next. 5 teams that should be starting a rebuild. dark
That’s our first look at the MLB impact of general managers around the league. Were you surprised by someone in this first group? Surprised someone was NOT in the group? Comment below!