Seattle Mariners' Possibilities for Next GM

With Bill Bavasi's termination (3 years too late), the Seattle Mariners are now looking for a new GM. Who might the M's consider? Who are the favorites? Who is the best fit? Lets run down whom I think will be considered, with my odds tossed in there (Hey, I live in Las Vegas...we have odds on everything).

• Lee Pelekoudas (4-1): Hard to imagine Pelekoudas getting the job on a permanent basis, considering they'll probably go outside the organization. But Pelekoudas got major props at the Bavasi press conference, and is being given a chance to make an impression. If he stays the GM for the rest of the season, I don't see the M's making a change.
• Kim Ng (4-1): Very highly regarded, young, and has a good amount of experience in both LA and NY. The M's could definitely break from the old boys network with Ng. Seattle has a perfect atmosphere for Ng to make her debut…good people, relatively friendly press, and the M's may be only 3-4 good moves from competing. The bad? Can the M's really be open minded enough to consider this move?
• Chris Antonetti (5-1): A long time favorite of the blogosphere, and the current Assistant GM of the Cleveland Indians. Antonetti might not be available, depending on the contract he signed this last off season with the Indians...also, like DePodesta and Forst below, his philosophy clashes with that of Chuck Armstrong and Howard Lincoln, the guys who will be filling the GM position. However, given the success of their previous choice, it may be to their benefit to be a touch more open-minded about the next GM and his/her philosophy.
• Paul Depodesta (7-1): Very good baseball mind, very bad people skills. DePodesta actually did a great time during his stint with the Dodgers, but ended up on the bad side of Tommy Lasorda and a few others. If the M's take a chance on DePodesta, I think he returns them to prominence much faster than anyone on this list.
• David Forst (12-1): Assistant GM to Billy Beane in Oakland...like the other SABER guys on the list, it would take a major philosophy shift by the powers that be for Forst to get a shot...but no one has worked closer to Beane than Forst, so those wanting a Billy Beane clone should be cheering this choice.
• Dan Evans (15-1): Has a history with the M's, having served as a Special Assistant to Bill Bavasi in 2006 and 2007. If the M's insist on staying "old school," Evans could be the choice.
• John Hart (25-1): Another "old school" ex-GM. The former Red Sox and Indians GM is not a terrible choice, but he's also not the solution to the problem.
• Bob Watson (30-1): When Armstrong said he'd confer with Bud Selig (yikes) about possible candidates...you can be sure two names that will be brought up are Kim Ng and Bob Watson. Watson currently works for the Commissioners Office, but no thank you, please.
• Steve Phillips (50-1): Please God, noooooooooooooooo!

However, all bets are off if Pelekoudas stays until the end of the season...odds are they'd keep him in place unless one of these guys became available and was interested in the job.

• Larry Beinfest (10-1): Current GM of the Florida Marlins. I just don't see him leaving the Marlins for the Mariner GM position. He is well liked in Florida and has done an exemplary job considering the payroll constraints placed on him. He has Seattle ties, but I just can't see him leaving a team he has completely rebuilt on more than one occasion for a team that's a complete mess, and hamstrung by older players with unmovable contracts.
• Brian Cashman (15-1): Cashman gets far too much credit for the Yankees success. He basically let the Yankees become an even older version of the Mariners (or what the M's should have been)...a roster with too many older players who can't be moved (without eating a lot of contract). The Yankees have very few top-end prospects, and those they do have are generally over-hyped.

My gut tells me it comes down to Antonetti and DePodesta, and if either one of these men are chosen, the Seattle Mariners should be a competitive force within 2-3 years. However, it all comes back to the guys above the GM: Howard Lincoln and Chuck Armstrong and neither have shown Seattle fans anything that should give us hope that the M's will make the right decision...but that's another article.