What they're saying about Dan Duquette
Here's a roundup of a few takes on the Orioles' hiring of Dan Duquette by other writers.
* At SB Nation, Marc Normandin takes a look at Duquette’s personnel moves while with the Expos and Red Sox and wonders which Duquette the Orioles are getting — the one who drafted well and succeeded in the international market while with small-budget Montreal, or the one who didn’t draft as well with big-budget Boston but made some smart acquisitions and trades:
“It's tough to say how good Duquette will be in today's game. The kinds of things that led to success for him in the ’90s are more prevalent now — on-base percentage is valued much more, and the rich teams are even richer than they were 10 years ago. What we do know, though, is that the Orioles need Montreal's Dan Duquette more than Boston's, given the sorry state of their player development has led them to where they are, and strong drafting and trades are the only way to climb back out of that hole.”
* Also at SB Nation, Rob Neyer notes that while Duquette talked a lot at his introductory news conference about building a quality farm system, he didn't leave the Red Sox's minor league system in very good shape.
"In 2002, with Duquette on the verge of being fired, Baseball America's Prospect Handbook ranked the Red Sox farm system 28th in the majors. ...
"One year later the system ranked 27th, with this comment: "End of the Duquette regime means this ranking could finally turn around."
* Boston Globe columnist Tony Massarotti writes that Duquette deserves another shot running a team and reminds us that Duquette did a better job with the Red Sox than he is given credit for:
“Duquette needs the Orioles as much (or more) as the Orioles need Duquette, both parties in need of rehabilitating their credibility and image in the wake of what has been a forgettable decade. And so maybe this is a match made for redemption, a team and its chief baseball executive both believing they have been given another chance.”
* Boston Herald columnist John Tomase also praises the job Duquette did with the Red Sox and expresses surprise he didn’t get another GM job directly after his firing:
“Add [his success in Boston] to his legacy in Montreal — the Expos looked like the best team in baseball before the 1994 strike — and it’s a wonder Duquette wasn’t immediately hired after departing in 2002.”
* ESPNBoston.com’s Gordon Edes has a less rosy outlook on Duquette’s ability to turn the Orioles around. He looks at Duquette’s time away from the major leagues and wonders why the Orioles would want him:
“It's hard to divine what in that lineup [of Duquette’s pursuits while away from the major leagues] qualifies him in the eyes of Orioles owner Peter Angelos to have another go-round as GM in the AL East, where he will compete against the likes of a multiple-World Series winner in Brian Cashman (Yankees), highly regarded young GMs Andrew Friedman (Tampa) and Alex Anthopoulos (Toronto), and a Theo Epstein protégé (Ben Cherington) who comes out of Duquette's alma mater, Amherst College, and was given his first opportunity by Duquette.”
Categories: What They're Saying about the O's
A Baltimore native, 
Comments
I read on ESPN.com that he was quoted as saying he believes that major league free agency is a bit riskier and that he prefers low risk.
Sounds like McPhail redux.
I don't think we can afford to start from scratch.
Posted by: Jay from Connecticut | November 8, 2011 10:01 PM
"I don't think we can afford to start from scratch."
The Orioles have no clean up hitter, #1 or #2 starters, or a closer.
The team is starting from scratch with few if any trade chips.
Posted by: smithbaltimore | November 8, 2011 11:07 PM
Regarding his comments about signing free agents, I'm going to give Duquette the benefit of the doubt and assume he doesn't want to tip his hand.
We'll know before ST begins what his real view is toward signing FA's.
Posted by: ctfan | November 9, 2011 6:48 AM
Let's hope he will not sign another rally killing DH such as Vlad. Keep only Guthrie, Johnson, and possibly Hunter and either trade or release the remainder of the staff. Sign or aquire some pitching that will throw strikes and has some balls to pitch inside.
Posted by: lee | November 9, 2011 2:19 PM
Guys,
Seriously, please name me 1 contender that built their team through free agency? There aren't any. Free agency is for adding those last 2 or 3 pieces. We're nowhere near that point, so of course he's not to go on a free agent spending spree. He's right, and Andy was right. That's not the way to go. As much as you'd like to see the O's spend $250 million this offseason and buy 3 starters plus Fielder, it ain't happening! Get over it; that's reality.
Posted by: Pat | November 9, 2011 7:48 PM
@ Lee....Have you noticed that we tried your approach during McPhail's tenure with NO success? What makes you think we will find some luck in this approach now after having no luck for the last 5 years?
The Orioles have a terrible time identifying and nurturing young talent. Because of this, they have NOTHING to trade. The will need to buy some respectable players and do so soon. Even if these FA's do not meet the long term philosphy of the club, they should yield some trade leverage in the future.
The O's are so far behind the competition curve, they can no longer afford to go after high schools stars in the draft and then wait/hope that they mature into Big Leaguers....
How much time do you really thing we have left with the likes of Adam Jones and Matt Weiters?
Posted by: Patrick | November 10, 2011 9:28 AM
I'm with Pat, please stop going on about free agents as if that's the solution to all of our problems. Yes, free agency is the way to go when you are just a player or two away from winning, not when you're "starting from scratch" as another poster noted here. Don't waste $200 million on one guy when that money could be spent building up a talent poor minor league system that definitely needs a major scouting upgrade and renwed presence in the international market which, if I'm hearing correctly, is what Duquette is emphasizing, thank the good Lord. All I can say is, I'm already liking this guy. We both share the same first name; he was an English major who was involved in community theater, I was an English major and am involved in community theater; he works for the Orioles, I love the Orioles, and, ran his photo past my girlfriend and she agrees, I even LOOK like the guy. Heck, a few different decisions in my own life, I could BE this guy. So I'm pulling for him as my Dad would say. Go Dan, Go O's, we've got no place to go but up!!!
Posted by: maxmorf | November 10, 2011 4:22 PM
"I don't think we can afford to start from scratch."
"The Orioles have no clean up hitter, #1 or #2 starters, or a closer. "
This team hasn't had a "cleanup" hitter since the late 1990s, and it hasn't had a Number One starter since Mussina left.
McFail failed to address those long-standing issues.
Posted by: Scot from Gettysburg | November 21, 2011 1:28 PM