To me after six-plus seasons the primary way of grading a GM is the success of his big league club. It's certainly a plus if you have a stocked MiLB system (which few seem to say any more about the M's), and it's fine if you can justify a passing-or-better grade on the drafts, but when it comes to keeping his job all of that fades into the background because of his failures at the MLB level.
This is not to discount the exercise of grading Jack's drafts. It's a very interesting exercise, and thanks for doing it, moe.
Is there ANYbody out there these days strongly supporting a continuation of the Zduriencik regime in anticipation of a burst of young talent that's about to take place? Is there ANYbody down in MiLB who looks like more than just a potential MLB peice, like real difference-maker who is liable to help lead us to pennants?
From 2010 until this past offseason I've been panning Jack with little mercy (in the baseball world, you understand). But like everyone, I thought he had pulled things together in an oustanding way this offseason. For me that outlook lasted maybe a month. Now I'm all for chasing him out of town with tar and feathers.
One thing I've always harped re: evaluating his drafts and trades: he had a seriously stacked deck in the early years. Valuable trade bait like Cliff Lee and Doug Fister, not just draft picks but EXTREMELY HIGH draft picks several years running. It's one thing to just evaluate who he ended up picking. It's aNOTHer to consider what other GM's might have done with the selection and asset advantages Jack had to work with.
Thassall I have to say about Jack.
Onward and upward, moe. Nice work.