Major League Baseball's 30 General Managers: Who's the Best?

12)  Jon Daniels, Texas Rangers – If there was a “Most Improved” award he’d probably win it.  He’s recovered nicely from trading away Alfonso Soriano, Chris Young, Adrian Gonzalez and John Danks.  Josh Hamilton was a very fair return for Edinson Volquez, while the bumper crop of prospects Daniels received in the Mark Teixeira and Eric Gagne trades has left the farm system in excellent shape.  The Rangers could very well become the Rays of 2010.

13)  Josh Byrnes, Arizona Diamondbacks – He inherited a team already stacked with young talent.  His decisions to grant Eric Byrnes (no relation) a pricy extension and practically give away Carlos Quentin have been much maligned.  However, Byrnes’ trade for Dan Haren significantly bolstered the club’s pitching.

14)  Brian Cashman, New York Yankees – By far the toughest GM to evaluate.  While the Steinbrenners’ deep pockets have masked his many expensive failures (Hideki Irabu, Carl Pavano, Jaret Wright, just to name just a few), the bottom line is that the Yankees have made it to the postseason in 10 of Cashman’s 11 years at the helm.  Cashman should also be commended for his dexterity in dealing with the New York media and various factions within the Yankees’ universe.

Disappointing

15)  Omar Minaya, New York Mets – While he has had some good free agent signings (Carlos Beltran sure looks like a bargain now) and made some astute trades (John Maine was a steal), Minaya should be held accountable for the Mets’ last two September swoons.  Where was he last year after Billy Wagner went down and the Mets desperately needed bullpen help?  With a new stadium generating consistent revenue streams in a mega market, Minaya has run out of excuses.

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