2019 MLB Season: Rating the NL West GMs
By Bill Felber
2019 MLB Season: Rating the NL West General Managers
1. Mike Hazen, Arizona Diamondbacks, +4.2 WAA
Hazen played victim in perhaps the most highly publicized trade of the winter, the swap of Paul Goldschmidt to St. Louis in exchange for a couple of prospects. It’s only mid-season, and things certainly could change. But for the present, Hazen comes out the clear winner in that deal.
Luke Weaver, the young pitcher acquired in that deal, has produced a 4-3 record and 3.03 ERA in 11 starts, figures that translate to a +1.0 Wins Above Average (WAA). Catcher Carson Kelly is batt9ong .282 with a .902 OPS in regular duty, generating an additional +1.0 WAA.
Meanwhile St. Louis is waiting for Goldschmidt to unleash himself. His first half has produced a .246 average and a .742 OPS that wouldn’t look good under normal offensive conditions much less than power explosion that has prevailed in 2019. His mid-season WAA is -0.3. In sum, that single deal has so far improved the D-Backs to the tune of 2.3 games.
Hazen let five players go to free agency over the winter, of whom Patrick Corbin’s loss to Washington was the only damaging one. However the departures of A.J. Pollock, Shelby Miller, Chris Owings, Brad Boxberger and Jon Jay have all been blessings in disguise. The net impact of those departures on the Diamondbacks works out to +2.6 WAA.
What Hazen has not done is reap any help to speak of from his farm system. Six rookies have debuted for Arizona this 2019 MLB season, and none has produced a WAA better than +0.1. There net impact is -1.4 games. With some help from that source, the Diamondbacks might be in better position to challenge the Dodgers.