Brian Kenny's choice for #1 offseason goes to...

[Warner2BruceTD]

...Oakland, based on their bullpen acquisitions.

Hold on, I thought "smart" GM's don't waste assets on the bullpen?

Do you think if a non "cool kid" GM like, say, Kevin Towers or Doug Melvin had made the same exact moves, Kenny would have ranked Arizona or Milwaukee #1? Not a chance.

I remember when sabermetrics were fair and entirely based on data. Now many of the SABR guys play favorites, and moves are judged on who made them as opposed to what was actually done.

To me, this is just as bad as breaking things down based on wins, losses, and RIBEYES like the dinosaurs do.

Another example. Kenny had the Sporting News SABR geek on (his name escapes me), who was lauding the Tampa offseason, based on Ryan Hanigan (eh, ok, underrated player, good addition), not trading David Price (huh?), and Heath Bell. HEATH BELL. C'mon. Heath Bell STINKS. Not VSN "everybody stinks", he just really STINKS. Even Pete wouldn't tell you Tampa had a great offseason. But, it's Tampa. Shit they DON'T do gets praise now. I can guarantee had they traded Price, that would get praise as well, regardless of the real return. Because it's a cool kid team.

 

[Hasselbeck]

Another example. Kenny had the Sporting News SABR geek on (his name escapes me), who was lauding the Tampa offseason, based on Ryan Hanigan (eh, ok, underrated player, good addition), not trading David Price (huh?), and Heath Bell. HEATH BELL. C'mon. Heath Bell STINKS. Not VSN "everybody stinks", he just really STINKS. Even Pete wouldn't tell you Tampa had a great offseason. But, it's Tampa. Shit they DON'T do gets praise now. I can guarantee had they traded Price, that would get praise as well, regardless of the real return. Because it's a cool kid team.

Different sport, but it's similar to the NFL with the Seahawks. When the Seahawks had the draft with Russell Wilson, every expert ripped them to shreds for it... clearly they were wrong and made everyone look foolish so last year when the Seahawks draft a running back of all positions with the first pick.. every expert with fear of being completely wrong again just goes.. "Great draft! Seattle did it again!" Or to take it further.. every Patriots draft since Brady has been "WOW BELICHICK DOES IT AGAIN!"

Same with Tampa.. they've done these low ball moves for the past several years (Loney, Rodney, Joyce, etc) and instead of honestly looking at the moves for what they are.. experts just go .. "Well shit I don't want to look bad in case Heath Bell returns to his fun belly sliding at the ASG days.. I'll just commend them on the offseason instead!"

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

For what it's worth, I like what Oakland did and think they'll have a great bullpen. But if SABR Rule #1 is "get on base", SABR Rule #2 is "don't ever use assets on your bullpen". Kenny is not being consistent. But Billy Beane, so...

For me, the best offseasons in terms of getting better were White Sox, Rangers, Yankees.

I thought the White Sox made a bunch of sneaky low risk, high reward moves. Rangers & Yankees very much were win now moves, but I don't see how the Yankees won't be better with Beltran, McCann, Ellbury, Tanaka than they were last year when they were bum hunting the waiver wire all year.