Stearns promoted to President Baseball Ops - contract extension

[MrTPlush]

David Stearns is actually a two job man now. His new title and he is still General Manager. They would have to promote someone to GM to make Stearns a one job kind of guy.

[zurch1818]

That makes a ton of sense. I'm happy for him if he got a well-deserved raise...but as a fan, I'm not really that excited. We still have the same person pulling the same strings.

[tigerbrew]

Great news on the promotion/extension, Stearns is a young guy hope he received a 10 years extension at least. Doug Melvin was Brewers GM for 14 years, I want/expect to see Stearns as Brewers GM/President a lot longer than that.

[OnTheBlack]

This news made me as excited as signing Grandal. Huge to promote David and lock him up. Was starting to get pretty nervous a big market club would give him an offer he couldn't refuse. This should keep him here for probably another 4-5 years minimum.

 

 

Same here. I was worried he'd be aggressively pursued by the next big market East Coast team in need of a GM. I love the continuity and I love the random FA signings that come out of nowhere and that nobody has reported on.

[JimH5]

I'm glad he likes it here and glad that they extended him. He has shown himself to be pretty adept at building a major league roster. It's still too early to assess his handling of the draft and minor leaguers. But I'm glad he plans to stay.

[Lathund]

https://web.archive.org/web/20190111170159/https://www.mlb.com/brewers/team/front-office

 

Here is the website of the org chart prior to today's promotion. What exactly is the change? There was nobody that had title. Looks like it is really just a title change but will still assume the same responsibilities.

 

For example, my job description is technically just structural engineer...but I also do computer programming, manage people, and many other things that aren't really a part of my technical job description.

 

The biggest news is the contract extension. The main point of the promotion is to keep him from being poached by other teams. Rejecting approaches from other teams for what is seen as a promotion isn't a wise choice in the long run; Brewers basically had to make this move after rejecting the approach from the Giants. I mean they probably considered doing it anyway, but that sealed the deal. Remains to be seen whether it means any real change in his duties; my impression was that he basically had the same kind of control that a PBO does in other organizations.

 

Which also brings me to the issue of PBO in general. I sort of get it when it comes to a guy like Billy Beane, a reward for long and faithful and successful service. It's a way to give a pay rise to your current guy, while still paying the next guy (initially anyway) like a normal GM by simply hiring him as a GM and not PBO. But I also don't see why this isn't abused more; assuming a club can afford a pay rise (Which they all can), why don't more clubs simply make their GM into a PBO, preventing other teams from poaching them, and making it easier to poach a succesful GM from other teams? Isn't it just a paper excercise, creating an arms race that will eventually see all clubs with a PBO, creating a level playing field again. Except with clubs already paying them more. Sort of like why no team will pay minor leaguers more, even if they get an advantage in the short term. But with executives they'e already got the ball rolling so it'll be hard to stop.

 

Next step is to create the position of "Grand Poobah De Doink Of All This And That'

[Montezuma]

Strong business move by Mark A. Play Ball !!!!!

[SeaBass]

https://web.archive.org/web/20190111170159/https://www.mlb.com/brewers/team/front-office

 

Here is the website of the org chart prior to today's promotion. What exactly is the change? There was nobody that had title. Looks like it is really just a title change but will still assume the same responsibilities.

 

For example, my job description is technically just structural engineer...but I also do computer programming, manage people, and many other things that aren't really a part of my technical job description.

A few months ago, back when there were rumors about the Mets possibly targeting Stearns for their GM position, I had looked at this organizational chart and seem to remember that Doug Melvin was listed as President and Senior Advisor. I can't prove that but I wouldn't be surprised that the site may have been updated in anticipation of this move to "promote" Stearns.

 

I've been pretty much expecting that the Brewers would make this move with Stearns and I'm glad they did. I guess teams will now have to create even bigger job titles to elevate their GM's over President. Supreme Galactic Leader of Baseball Operations perhaps?

[coolhandluke121]

I was expecting more contrarian posts and veiled shots at "Stearns apologists" in here.

[Brew crew 92]

I'm glad he likes it here and glad that they extended him. He has shown himself to be pretty adept at building a major league roster. It's still too early to assess his handling of the draft and minor leaguers. But I'm glad he plans to stay.

 

I’m trying to think of the words to give this man the credit that he deserves for what he has done for this franchise. In my humble opinion what he has done could go down as the best job any GM has ever done for any franchise in baseball history. Hyperbole? Exaggeration? Maybe. Maybe not. How many GM’s have started and then completed a rebuild in 17 MONTHS. In baseballs SMALLEST market. Elite roster depth. Elite analytics dept. Elite game planning. Elite culture. Elite team chemistry.

I could go on and on. The national media won’t give him the credit he deserves because they’re oblivious to the small markets. The Mets and Giants and 28 other baseball clubs know what we have and so do we fans of the brewers. I hope his extension is for 25 years. Yes I agree it’s too early to judge his handling of the draft and minor leaguers. But my prediction is he’s elite there too. Although the 2016draft at least on the pitching side is looking awfully good with Burnes,Brown and Webb just to name a few.

[sveumrules]

There was a really interesting piece in the FanGraphs Community Research section recently which broke dwon how much value each team received in 2018 from the various sources (Draft, FA, Trade, Waivers) of player acquisition.

 

https://community.fangraphs.com/where-teams-got-their-value-in-2018/

 

TL,DR version is that the 2018 Brewers lead all of MLB in WAR acquired externally (39.2 WAR, NYY 2nd with 35.2 WAR) but were also dead last in WAR developed internally (3.9 WAR, DET 2nd worst with 4.2 WAR).

[HiAndTight]

I was expecting more contrarian posts and veiled shots at "Stearns apologists" in here.

 

What's there to apologize for?

 

We should still be losing 100 games as we just start to get ready to rebuild under normal circumstances.

 

Are there that many people who follow the team but who are critical or Stearns?

[Brew crew 92]

I was expecting more contrarian posts and veiled shots at "Stearns apologists" in here.

 

What's there to apologize for?

 

We should still be losing 100 games as we just start to get ready to rebuild under normal circumstances.

 

Are there that many people who follow the team but who are critical or Stearns?

 

Even the casual non- brewers fan would give Stearns a nice round of applause. And the fact that he laughed at the 3-5 years 100 loss tanking concept popularized by that wealthy large market team just a little south of Milwaukee should get a standing ovation.

[HiAndTight]

I was expecting more contrarian posts and veiled shots at "Stearns apologists" in here.

 

What's there to apologize for?

 

We should still be losing 100 games as we just start to get ready to rebuild under normal circumstances.

 

Are there that many people who follow the team but who are critical or Stearns?

 

Even the casual non- brewers fan would give Stearns a nice round of applause. And the fact that he laughed at the 3-5 years 100 loss tanking concept popularized by that wealthy large market team just a little south of Milwaukee should get a standing ovation.

 

 

You would certainly think so. And it's much sweater that we came back and overtook the Cubs in less time than it took them to rebuild and when they were supposed to be at their best, but how many teams(without spending half a billion dollars in the off-season) can turn things around as fast as we did?

 

 

Though I guess I do remember people were upset that Stearns wasn't doing anything when a few guys signed at the owners meetings. So I guess there's always a few....

[Brew crew 92]

Rebuilt so fast national media still thinks brewers flash in the pan team. No clue. It’ll take a World Series to get there attention. Can’t wait.

[Lathund]

I was expecting more contrarian posts and veiled shots at "Stearns apologists" in here.

 

What's there to apologize for?

 

We should still be losing 100 games as we just start to get ready to rebuild under normal circumstances.

 

Are there that many people who follow the team but who are critical or Stearns?

 

After getting within one game of the WS I don't think there are many left (though the ones who still won't give this front office the benefit of the doubt are still around). But yeah, all the way up until that great finish to the season you'd find them, as inexplicable as it may seem. The Stearns detractors would be extra visible when moves they didn't like were made. IIRC there were even some vehemently negative reactions to Chacin and Yelich being acquired. Min you these people were always in the minority, but they were vocal enough to make themselves heard. Counsell haters, on the other hand, could probably be found in every game thread where the Brewers trailed for even half an inning.

[TURBO]

Counsell haters, on the other hand, could probably be found in every game thread where the Brewers trailed for even half an inning.

 

Counsell "Questioners" would be more accurate.

 

Questioning and hating are two different things...

[Brew crew 92]

I think 95% of brewer fans Stearns won over before mid season 2017. The other 4.999% since then. .001% closet cubs fans/trolls

[stalton]

Nobody will please everybody but there's a good chance that 30 or 40 years from now, the general consensus will be (in some order) the top 2 brewer GMs are Bud and DS

[Brew crew 92]

Nobody will please everybody but there's a good chance that 30 or 40 years from now, the general consensus will be (in some order) the top 2 brewer GMs are Bud and DS

 

Or DS stand alone at the top with his 3 World Series titles!

[MadScientist]

Nobody will please everybody but there's a good chance that 30 or 40 years from now, the general consensus will be (in some order) the top 2 brewer GMs are Bud and DS

Bud was the owner. Dalton was the good GM in the 70's and 80's. I hope Sterns tops him by bringing home a WS trophy.

[stalton]

Nobody will please everybody but there's a good chance that 30 or 40 years from now, the general consensus will be (in some order) the top 2 brewer GMs are Bud and DS

Bud was the owner. Dalton was the good GM in the 70's and 80's. I hope Sterns tops him by bringing home a WS trophy.

Doh! That's a pretty significant difference.

[Brew crew 92]

I'm glad he likes it here and glad that they extended him. He has shown himself to be pretty adept at building a major league roster. It's still too early to assess his handling of the draft and minor leaguers. But I'm glad he plans to stay.

 

Not too early for a too early assessment from me:

 

I’ll take his 2016 draft, his first-

Ray Erceg feliciano Webb Burnes Brown Henry

 

I would argue with the pitching trio a resounding success, looking good with Ray(trade chip)Erceg-meh, feliciano-injuries, Henry rising. Draft too early grade A.

 

Is there any doubt in stearns 3+ years that the development of the minor league pitching has takin a giant leap forward? Just take the young trio, I would argue there pre draft grades vs current have improved as much as any young pitchers in baseball> minor league development, at least the pitching, A+

[Brew crew 92]

I think we would all universally agree David Stearns has done an outrageously superlative job up to this point completely rebuilding the Organization from top to bottom.

 

I’m very interested to see how he handles what, in my opinion, is a pitching deficiency not worthy of a serious title contender. With an inconsistent homerun reliance offense and a tremendously inexperienced starting staff, i’ll be curious to see how much patience he exhibits and or what remedies he decides to offer.

 

Is he going to wait for possible internal replacements? Stay the course?

 

Or does he have a little Rizzo DiPoto Theo in him?

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

I think we would all universally agree David Stearns has done an outrageously superlative job up to this point completely rebuilding the Organization from top to bottom.

 

I’m very interested to see how he handles what, in my opinion, is a pitching deficiency not worthy of a serious title contender. With an inconsistent homerun reliance offense and a tremendously inexperienced starting staff, i’ll be curious to see how much patience he exhibits and or what remedies he decides to offer.

 

Is he going to wait for possible internal replacements? Stay the course?

 

Or does he have a little Rizzo DiPoto Theo in him?

 

To be determined ...

 

 

That might seem like a cop-out answer, but it's really the only logical answer right now. We are 13 games into the season. Yeah, it can be perceived that the pitching is going to need help, but a 13 game sample is simply much too small to make that determination with 100% validity. This staff will likely see the return of Jeffress soon, and hopefully Nelson in a few weeks. There are several arms at the AAA level that look to be possible pen reinforcements. The well is far from dry. But as this team has shown in the past, they aren't afraid to make moves when they deem them appropriate. The "they" part of that is the key point there, as it really doesn't matter what we as fans think they should do and when they should be doing it. If Stearns and company see a need, and have a logical answer, they determine that timeline. We're just along for the ride.