Top General Managers Who Make the Best Moves
Want to see your favorite general manager earn his paycheck? Then do yourself a favor and tune in to the MLB Winter Meetings next week in San Diego. Rumor has it some Jon Lester fellow is looking for a place to call home.
Of course, this offseason has already been full of daring maneuvers. Boston Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington shook things up by signing not one but two All-Star position players (Pablo Sandoval and Hanley Ramirez).
Not to be outdone, Oakland Athletics general manager Billy Beane swapped Josh Donaldson for Brett Lawrie while reeling in former Kansas City Royals designated hitter Billy Butler.
With bidding wars unfolding at every corner, baseball's offseason is certainly at the forefront of our collective consciousness. But that doesn't mean NFL, NHL, NBA and even soccer executives aren't doing everything in their power to stay relevant. Here's a look at 15 of the smartest GMs in the business, across all the major sports.
In order to rank highly on this list, each general manager must have some measure of success, be it a title or at the very least a team that is consistently in the championship conversation. Standing pat is not an option. Every general manager featured on this list has a habit of bold decision-making.
No. 15: Dan Duquette, Baltimore Orioles
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Having to compete with big-market division rivals like the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees puts Baltimore at a disadvantage. But thanks to some savvy moves by general manager Dan Duquette over the past few years, the Orioles have managed to stay competitive.
The groundwork was already set with the hiring of Buck Showalter in 2010, but give Duquette credit for taking a chance on Nate McLouth and Steve Pearce when no one else would.
Even if he didn't stay, Nelson Cruz's resurgence was one of the great stories of the 2014 season. So was Andrew Miller, a lights-out reliever Duquette acquired from the Boston Red Sox at this year's trade deadline (he left Baltimore to sign with the Yankees on Friday).
With Duquette in charge, the Orioles seem to be in good hands.
No. 14: Danny Ainge, Boston Celtics
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You want to resurrect your struggling franchise in one offseason? Take lessons from Danny Ainge.
Ainge built a winner in two trades by acquiring Ray Allen from the Seattle Sonics and then landing Kevin Garnett from the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Boston Celtics immediately went from worst to first, winning the title in 2008 and returning to the Finals two years later.
Part of being a good GM is knowing when to cut your losses. Recognizing Boston's title window was closing, Ainge made the unpopular choice of dealing Garnett and Paul Pierce to Brooklyn the night of the 2013 NBA draft.
With young stars like Jared Sullinger, Kelly Olynyk and Marcus Smart beginning to show their potential, Ainge's rebuilding effort is already paying dividends.
No. 13: John Mozeliak, St. Louis Cardinals
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When Albert Pujols skipped town after the 2011 season, the St. Louis Cardinals' dynasty was supposed to collapse.
John Mozeliak had other plans.
The 2014 season marked the team's fourth consecutive NLCS appearance. Like Billy Beane, Mozeliak is a master of doing more with less. Joe Kelly, David Freese, Carlos Beltran and Allen Craig have all departed, yet the Cardinals remain as competitive as ever.
Mozeliak made a splash earlier this offseason by acquiring outfielder Jason Heyward from the Atlanta Braves. He should be a great fit for a lineup that already features studs Yadier Molina, Matt Holliday and Matt Adams.
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No. 12: Bill Belichick, New England Patriots
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People forget Bill Belichick is also the New England Patriots' de facto general manager in addition to his head coaching duties.
The man always seems to press the right buttons. Wes Welker, Danny Woodhead, BenJarvus Green-Ellis and Jonas Gray are just a few of the unlikely talents he's developed over the years.
That's not to say Belichick never goes after big names. Randy Moss and Darrelle Revis were already established stars when Belichick lured them to Foxboro.
Belichick can't always pull a rabbit out of his hat. Chad Johnson and Albert Haynesworth were two of his failed experiments. But more often than not, Belichick knows which players will get the job done.
Of course, it's easy to look smart when Tom Brady is your starting quarterback.
11: Stan Bowman, Chicago Blackhawks
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The Chicago Blackhawks already had a stacked roster when Stan Bowman took over as general manager in 2009. But instead of letting it all slip away, Bowman has mostly kept Chicago's talented core in tact.
In fact, he's added to it by drafting forwards Andrew Shaw and Brandon Saad. Bowman also signed Brad Richards in free agency this past offseason.
With Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane recently agreeing to long-term contracts, the Blackhawks should be in the hunt for years to come. They've already won two Stanley Cups in Bowman's first five seasons.
No. 10: Peter Chiarelli, Boston Bruins
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Peter Chiarelli's formula for success isn't all that different from Stan Bowman's. Draft wisely, maintain your roster and then if the need arises, add a top-notch free agent. It's a simple concept, but it works wonders.
The 2006 year proved to be a gold mine for Chiarelli. That was the year the Bruins drafted Brad Marchand and Milan Lucic while also adding Zdeno Chara in free agency. These players all played a pivotal role in Boston's Stanley Cup victory in 2011.
Tuukka Rask, whom the Bruins traded for in 2007, was another wise investment. He was sensational during Boston's run to the Stanley Cup in 2013.
Not all of Chiarelli's moves have paid off, but many have. That's why he deserves a spot on this list.
No. 9: Daryl Morey, Houston Rockets
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In the ultra-competitive Western Conference, the only way to move the needle is by adding stars, preferably stars who can score at will.
Daryl Morey accomplished this by acquiring James Harden from the Oklahoma City Thunder just prior to the 2012 season. Harden has been an All-NBA selection each of the last two seasons.
But a high-scoring guard isn't enough. To compete against the Tim Duncans of the world, you need an elite rim protector. Morey did this by outbidding several teams for Dwight Howard in 2013.
Letting Chandler Parsons sign with Dallas may have been an oversight, but replacing him with Trevor Ariza seems brilliant now that Houston is off to a 14-4 start. Now if only Harden could learn to play defense.
No. 8: Brian Cashman, New York Yankees
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Nobody wields a checkbook as dangerously as New York Yankees GM Brian Cashman. Last offseason, he racked up close to $400 million on free agents Jacoby Ellsbury, Masahiro Tanaka and Brian McCann without breaking a sweat.
Cashman doesn't submit to Billy Beane's Moneyball approach. He's all about the big names. Sometimes that can work to his detriment (see Alex Rodriguez), but usually the influx of top-tier talent keeps New York near the top of the AL East.
Mark Feinsand and Bill Madden of the New York Daily News insist the Yankees will play it cool this offseason, but Cashman's history of expensive signings says otherwise. It will be interesting to see if the Yankees pursue free agent Max Scherzer at the Winter Meetings.
No. 7: Dave Dombrowski, Detroit Tigers
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With Justin Verlander, Anibal Sanchez, David Price and Rick Porcello, the Detroit Tigers have quietly assembled one of the best pitching staffs in all of baseball.
OK, maybe they didn't do it all that quietly.
Dave Dombrowski and the suddenly free-spending Tigers have been making noise in the free-agent market for years. They spent more than $200 million to lure Prince Fielder away from Milwaukee, while paying an additional $292 million to keep Miguel Cabrera in a Tigers uniform for the rest of his life.
Earlier this offseason, Dombrowski brought back designated hitter Victor Martinez on a more-than-generous four-year deal.
Now the only question left is, do the Tigers have enough money to keep Max Scherzer from going elsewhere? With super-agent Scott Boras running the negotiations, that seems unlikely.
No. 6: Pat Riley, Miami Heat
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The magnitude of talent Pat Riley has acquired over the years is staggering.
He was instrumental in bringing Shaquille O'Neal to Miami, which led to a championship in 2006. But that was nothing compared to 2010, when he landed LeBron James and Chris Bosh. The James/Bosh/Dwyane Wade trio went to four NBA Finals in a row, winning two of them.
Even after LeBron left this past offseason, Riley did a decent job of retooling. Luol Deng was given a two-year contract while UConn standout Shabazz Napier was acquired from the Charlotte Hornets on draft night.
Clearly, the 69-year-old still has a few tricks up his sleeve.
No. 5: Florentino Perez, Real Madrid
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Things can get pretty hectic in La Liga. That's why you need someone like Florentino Perez calling the shots.
Perez has never been shy about going after the world's best players. Since his arrival in Madrid, Florentino has landed Cristiano Ronaldo, David Beckham, Karim Benzema, Ronaldo, Sergio Ramos, Kaka, James Rodriguez and Gareth Bale. With talent like that, it's no wonder Real Madrid is considered one of the top soccer clubs on the planet.
Perez has served as club president of Real Madrid since 1995, making him one of the longest tenured executives in international soccer.
No. 4: Ben Cherington, Boston Red Sox
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It's been a wild three years for Boston Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington.
First, he traded Josh Beckett, Carl Crawford and Adrian Gonzalez to the Los Angeles Dodgers in what equated to almost a straight salary dump.
Getting those contracts off the books gave Boston the flexibility to go after Shane Victorino, Mike Napoli, Jonny Gomes and Koji Uehara in free agency. Those four helped Boston win the World Series in 2013.
That didn't last long either as Cherington dealt Jon Lester, Gomes, Andrew Miller, John Lackey, Jake Peavy and Stephen Drew in a flurry of activity at the 2014 trade deadline. Cherington started the cycle again last week by spending big on top free agents Pablo Sandoval and Hanley Ramirez.
It's hard to say if Cherington's "trade, sign, trade" pattern is working, but he certainly isn't afraid to make a splash. That has to be worth something.
No. 3: Billy Beane, Oakland Athletics
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Billy Beane has the "Brad Pitt played me in a movie" thing going for him. He's also brought Oakland to the playoffs each of the last three seasons. Considering the Athletics usually have one of the smallest payrolls in baseball, that's quite an accomplishment.
But what's holding Beane back, both career-wise and on this list, is his lack of playoff success. Despite finishing with a winning percentage of .500 or better 11 times since 2000, the A's have only made it out of the first round once. Maybe that's as far as the A's can go on such a limited budget.
Beane has already had a busy offseason and could be gearing up to trade All-Star first baseman Brandon Moss. Even with Josh Donaldson gone and Moss likely to follow, most of us still expect Oakland to be a contender next season. That says a lot about Beane's ability to find the right pieces.
No. 2: John Elway, Denver Broncos
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John Elway knows talent when he sees it. That's why as soon as Peyton Manning became available in 2012, he knew he had to have him.
The Manning signing started a domino effect. It brought Wes Welker and Emmanuel Sanders to Denver, while also paving the way for defensive studs like DeMarcus Ware, Aqib Talib and T.J. Ward. Now the Broncos have one of the most dynamic rosters in pro sports.
Talent attracts other talent. It's one of the fundamentals of building a successful team. Denver's championship window is wide open, and Elway deserves a lot of the credit.
No. 1: Brian Sabean, San Francisco Giants
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The resume speaks for itself—five division titles, 13 winning seasons, four World Series appearances, three titles.
Getting to October isn't enough for Brian Sabean. The last three times the San Francisco Giants have made the postseason, they've gone all the way.
And for the most part, Sabean has built his baseball empire without having to overpay. According to USA Today, the Giants have never finished higher than sixth in payroll since Sabean took over in 1996.
The Giants did lose Pablo Sandoval this offseason, but the future is still bright in San Francisco. Buster Posey, Hunter Pence and Madison Bumgarner are all under contract for several more years.
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