2019 MLB Season: The AL East’s best GM in 2019? Not him

2019 MLB Season: The AL East’s best GM

Erik Neander, Tampa Bay Rays

Neander’s Rays operated in the vast shadow of the dominant Yankees. For that reason, it became easy to overlook several of the Tampa Bay GM’s moves that elevated his team to post-season status.

Begin with the signing of Charlie Morton to a three-year, $45 million deal. Morton responded with a 16-6 record, 3.05 ERA and 3.3 WAA. Morton was just one of seven signings who generated a net 5.3 WAA  to the Rays’ cause. Who saw that coming?

The December three-team trade that brought in Emilio Pagan added another 1.4 WAA, much of the reason why the Rays improved by 2 games at the trade table.

He also displayed judgment in the players he shipped away from Tampa St. Pete. Since the end of the 2018 season, the Rays traded away 11 players, creating a net 2.3 game improvement to the team by their absences.

As with most teams, Neander’s rookie class stumbled through freshman orientation. Tampa used seven first-year players to a cumulative -1.4 game impact. At the same time, former rookies did far better, producing a net +3.7 score. At +2.2, 2018 rookie Willie Adames led that group.

Although Neander won’t get nearly the post-season accolade that will come to Cashman, he actually had a substantially better season. His problem was his inability to start from as strong a base as Cashman.

Short-term acquisitions: +2.0

Short-term trade losses: +2.3

Short-term free-agent signings: +5.3

Short-term free-agent losses: +0.1

Short-term rookie production: -1.2

Short-term total: +8.5