Call to the pen
Fansided

The AL West: An interim report on front office work

By Bill Felber

May 25, 2022; Anaheim, California, USA; Texas Rangers General Manager Chris Young on the field before the game against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-USA TODAY Sports
May 25, 2022; Anaheim, California, USA; Texas Rangers General Manager Chris Young on the field before the game against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
1 of 6
Next

This has not been a good first half of 2022 for front office leaders of AL West teams.

Four of the five division front offices have actually hurt their teams’ chances due to their moves since the conclusion of the 2021 season. The total impact of all moves by division front office decision-makers amounts to -18.9 games.

The analysis that follows is an assessment of the impact each AL West front office’s personnel decisions since November of 2021 have had on their team’s standing right now. It is based on the aggregate Wins Above Average of moves made in five areas:

Players acquired by trade, purchase or waiver claim.

Players signed as free agents or extended for more than one year.

  • Minor league callups.
  • Players lost via trade, waiver claim or sale.
  • Players lost to free agency or released.
  • Wins Above Average is the preferred metric for this calculation because it is zero-based, meaning that it approximately reflects  the number of games by which a front office either helped or hurt its team in the standings.

The data in this analysis is as of July 5, approximately the season’s halfway point.

The roster of front office leadership among AL West teams is unchanged from 2021. Here are those execs.

  • Houston Astros: Jim Click, general manager
  • Los Angeles Angels: Perry Minasian, general manager
  • Oakland Athletics: Billy Beane, executive vice president of baseball operations; David Forst, general manager.
  • Seattle Mariners: Jerry Dipoto, president of baseball operations.
  • Texas Rangers: Jon Daniels, president of baseball operations; Chris Young, executive vice president and general manager.

In order of effectiveness, here’s how all five AL West front offices have performed thus far in 2022. Also listed are the most significant moves by each front office.

Home/AL West