Call to the pen
Fansided

Ranking baseball’s general managers for 2018: Part 3

By Bill Felber

OAKLAND, CA - AUGUST 13: General Manager David Forst of the Oakland Athletics sits in the clubhouse prior to the game against the Seattle Mariners at the Oakland Alameda Coliseum on August 13, 2018 in Oakland, California. The Athletics defeated the Mariners 7-6. (Photo by Michael Zagaris/Oakland Athletics/Getty Images)
OAKLAND, CA - AUGUST 13: General Manager David Forst of the Oakland Athletics sits in the clubhouse prior to the game against the Seattle Mariners at the Oakland Alameda Coliseum on August 13, 2018 in Oakland, California. The Athletics defeated the Mariners 7-6. (Photo by Michael Zagaris/Oakland Athletics/Getty Images) /
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CHICAGO, IL – OCTOBER 28: Cleveland Indians general manager Mike Chernoff watches batting practice before Game Three of the 2016 World Series against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field on October 28, 2016 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) /

9. Mike Chernoff, Cleveland Indians, +2.3 games

Heading up a playoff-caliber team in a weak division, Chernoff largely confined himself to touch-up moves that did not fundamentally alter the cast.

His most obvious strength lay in knowing who to walk away from. Following the 2017 season, the Indians let seven players walk away, and those seven produced -5.8 WAA for their new teams. Particularly, Chernoff was smart enough to see the pointlessness of trying to hold on to Austin Jackson (.245, 3 homers, 32 RBIs for the Giants and Mets) . Those same Mets gave ex-Indian Jay Bruce a three-year, $39 million deal and Bruce gave them a .223 average in 361 plate appearances.

The indictment of Chernoff would be for what he failed to do to the Indians. Comfortable in the AL Central, his moves were relatively minimalist, consisting of the callups of four inconspicuous farm products, the signing or re-signing of 14 to new contracts, and the acquisition of six players by trade.

The two most notable arrivals probably were Yonder Alonso, signed to a three-year, $24 million deal out of Seattle, and the deadline trade for Josh Donaldson. Alonso was supposed to spice up life around first base following the loss of free agent Carlos Santana, but his .250 average (albeit with 23 home runs) yielded a -0.4 WAA.

Donaldson actually did contribute value, although by the time he came on board at the end of July Cleveland was so far out in front that the +0.5 WAA he provided was superfluous to the regular season.  His true potential value lay in the post-season, where his 1-for-12 showing against the Astros proved once again the futility of trying to build for the post-season.

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