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Ranking MLB General Managers Based On Their 2015 Performance

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Ranking MLB General Managers Based On Their 2015 Performance

Jeff Luhnow Astros
Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

There are two sets of standards to measure the success of a general manager, present and future. In the future, the job requirement of a general manager is to develop his own talent so that he doesn't have spend a boatload of cash in free agency. In the present, the goal is to win by spending the least amount possible to make his team into a playoff team. I've ranked each general manager based on who is spending the lowest sum per win.

30. Farhan Zaidi, Los Angeles Dodgers, $11,616,870 per Win

Farhan Zaidi Dodgers
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

30. Farhan Zaidi, Los Angeles Dodgers, $11,616,870 per Win

Farhan Zaidi Dodgers
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Los Angeles Dodgers general manager, Farhan Zaidi, has the luxury of spending as much money as humanly possible in order to deliver the Dodgers a World Series title. Cash is just an object to the entire organization, and that explains why the team has the highest payroll in the league by over $61 million. It's worked to a point, as the Dodgers currently lead the NL West, but overspending isn't a skill.

29. Brian Cashman, New York Yankees, $9,873,539.95 per Win

Brian Cashman Yankees
Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

29. Brian Cashman, New York Yankees, $9,873,539.95 per Win

Brian Cashman Yankees
Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Brian Cashman has been with the New York Yankees for a long time, and this past offseason was the first that I can remember, where the Yankees were almost silent during the offseason. The focus has shifted from blindly spending on the major league team, to developing the farm system and winning with their own players. The team still has a $222 million payroll, so even though they have 22 wins, those wins come at a high price tag.

28. Ben Cherington, Boston Red Sox, $9,162,478.89 per Win

Ben Cherington Red Sox
Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports

28. Ben Cherington, Boston Red Sox, $9,162,478.89 per Win

Ben Cherington Red Sox
Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports

If this list were based on whether or not a general manager gave his team the best chance to win, Cherington would have finished last. How does a team with a $165 million payroll, end up with a pitching staff like the Red Sox have? Any ordinary fan could see, going into this past offseason, the biggest weakness on the roster was the pitching, and Cherington's two big offseason splashes were Pablo Sandoval and Hanley Ramirez.

27. Jon Daniels, Texas Rangers, $9,108,473.19 per Win

Jon Daniels Rangers
Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

27. Jon Daniels, Texas Rangers, $9,108,473.19 per Win

Jon Daniels Rangers
Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Jon Daniels looks like a man without a plan. The Texas Rangers have gone from being a perennial contender to an AL West bottom-feeder. The starting pitching and bullpen are in shambles, and Daniels has done nothing to address the situation for two years now. The Rangers have the seventh-highest payroll in all of baseball, and continuing to finish at the bottom of their division is not acceptable.

26. Brian Sabean, San Francisco Giants, $8,617,633.85 per Win

Brian Sabean Giants
Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

26. Brian Sabean, San Francisco Giants, $8,617,633.85 per Win

Brian Sabean Giants
Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

When you have won three championships in the last six seasons, it doesn't matter how low you rank on this list. The ultimate goal of any general manager is to win as much as humanly possible. Brian Sabean has the right formula to win World Series titles, but the Giants started slow out of the gates this season due to some injuries. The team payroll is much higher than I expected, but winning three titles makes it a non-issue.

25. Ruben Amaro Jr., Philadelphia Phillies, $8,265,065.35 per Win

Ruben Amaro Jr. Phillies
Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

25. Ruben Amaro Jr., Philadelphia Phillies, $8,265,065.35 per Win

Ruben Amaro Jr. Phillies
Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Ruben Amaro is the worst general manager in MLB, and it's not close. He has continued to stick with a core of Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, Cliff Lee, and Carlos Ruiz for way too long. The team is devoid of game-changing young talent because Amaro continued to pay these guys until they started their decline, and now he's stuck with their gaudy contracts as a result. A good general manager would've traded them a couple years ago.

24. Jeff Bridich, Colorado Rockies, $7,791,553.54 per Win

Jeff Bridich Rockies
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24. Jeff Bridich, Colorado Rockies, $7,791,553.54 per Win

Jeff Bridich Rockies
Getty Images

Jeff Bridich is in his inaugural season as the Colorado Rockies general manager, and the results have not been pretty. The Rockies are in last place in the NL West with only 13 wins, and their pitching staff is a mess. Bridich should get a two or three year buffer period to try and clean up former GM Dan O'Dowd's mess. Recruiting pitchers to Coors Field has been, and always will be a struggle.

23. Jerry DiPoto, Los Angeles Angels, $7,595,243.432 per Win

Jerry DiPoto Angels
Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports

23. Jerry DiPoto, Los Angeles Angels, $7,595,243.432 per Win

Jerry DiPoto Angels
Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports

The Los Angeles Angels got off to a terrible start this season, but have since climbed back to .500. DiPoto's two huge mistakes were signing Albert Pujols and Josh Hamilton to enormous contracts, and not getting the type of production out of them that was expected. With the type of cash flow the team has, the Angels should be playoff contenders every year.

22. Dave Dombrowski, Detroit Tigers, $7,569,688.26 per Win

Dave Dombrowski Tigers
Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports

22. Dave Dombrowski, Detroit Tigers, $7,569,688.26 per Win

Dave Dombrowski Tigers
Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports

The city of Detroit's economy has been in the tank for years now, but that hasn't affected the Tigers at all. The Tigers currently have the third-highest payroll in MLB, and continue to spend like there is no limit. Having a blank check in order to bring the Tigers a World Series, is a huge advantage for Dombrowski.

21. Dan Duquette, Baltimore Orioles, $7,533,382.38 per Win

Dan Duquette Orioles
Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports

21. Dan Duquette, Baltimore Orioles, $7,533,382.38 per Win

Dan Duquette Orioles
Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports

Dan Duquette has been extremely lucky having a manager like Buck Showalter to make the Orioles competitive. Outside of Adam Jones and Manny Machado, there isn't a whole lot of talent on the roster. Duquette hasn't made any improvements to a starting rotation that hasn't been productive in a few years. Owner Peter Angelos doesn't like to spend this type of dough, without seeing results on the field.

20. Doug Melvin, Milwaukee Brewers, $7,498,909.21 per WIn

Doug Melvin Brewers
Mark J. Rebilas

20. Doug Melvin, Milwaukee Brewers, $7,498,909.21 per Win

Doug Melvin Brewers
Mark J. Rebilas

Brewers fans have to be miserable. There is absolutely no optimism surrounding the worst team in the league. The starting rotation and bullpen aren't talented enough to pitch in the major leagues and the only bright spots on the offense are Carlos Gomez and Ryan Braun. The minor league cupboard is bare, and don't be surprised to see Doug Melvin out of a job relatively soon.

19. Mike Rizzo, Washington Nationals, $7,476,143.14 per Win

Mike Rizzo Nationals
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

19. Mike Rizzo, Washington Nationals, $7,476,143.14 per Win

Mike Rizzo Nationals
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Mike Rizzo deserves a lot of credit for the turnaround in Washington. Signing Jayson Werth was the beginning, and since then the team has won two division titles in five years. They look to be World Series contenders this year. The most important thing that Rizzo has accomplished, however, is convincing the Lerner family to loosen their purse strings and spend some of that fortune the family is sitting on.

18. Jack Zduriencik, Seattle Mariners, $7,238,539.41 per Win

Jack Zduriencik Mariners
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

18. Jack Zduriencik, Seattle Mariners, $7,238,539.41 per Win

Jack Zduriencik Mariners
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Jack Zduriencik has done a nice job constructing a roster that is ready to compete for a playoff spot. He did a poor job of hiring manager Lloyd McClendon to run the ship. Once Zduriencik figures out that McClendon is the problem, the Mariners will shoot right up this list, and be a playoff contender.

17. Alex Anthopoulos, Toronto Blue Jays, $7,130,683.39 per Win

Alex Anthopoulos Blue Jays
Getty Images

17. Alex Anthopoulos, Toronto Blue Jays, $7,130,683.39 per Win

Alex Anthopoulos Blue Jays
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Alex Anthopoulos continues to search for the right mix of offseason moves to turn the Blue Jays into a serious contender. He has already failed once when he brought in he brought in Jose Reyes, Mark Buehrle, Josh Johnson, and John Buck from the Miami Marlins. If the Blue Jays don't start competing soon, Anthopoulos may be looking for another job.

16. Walt Jocketty, Cincinnati Reds, $6,765,955.78 per Win

Walt Jocketty Reds
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

16. Walt Jocketty, Cincinnati Reds, $6,765,955.78 per Win

Walt Jocketty Reds
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The Cincinnati Reds have been a team mired in mediocrity for the last few years and without making some serious changes, will continue their current trend. Offensively, Joey Votto has had a nice comeback season, but he is getting zero help from the rest of the offense outside of Todd Frazier and Zack Cozart. The pitching staff has also had their own struggles. Johnny Cueto and Aroldis Chapman are the only ones fulfilling their potential.

15. Rick Hahn, Chicago White Sox, $6,553,618.11 per Win

Rick Hahn White Sox
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

15. Rick Hahn, Chicago White Sox, $6,553,618.11 per Win

Rick Hahn White Sox
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Rick Hahn made some big moves in the offseason to try to turn the White Sox into contenders. After a slow start, the White Sox have been playing much better recently, and are now a game above .500. If the White Sox can make a playoff run, Hahn's job security would spike significantly.

14. Billy Beane, Oakland Athletics, $6,329,912.93 per Win

Billy Beane Athletics
Getty Images

14. Billy Beane, Oakland Athletics, $6,329,912.93 per Win

Billy Beane Athletics
Getty Images

Billy Beane's moneyball approach has worked like a charm for many years, but so far this season, it has not been successful one iota. Beane loves high on-base percentage guys, but this year, he doesn't have anyone to drive them. Besides Josh Reddick and Stephen Vogt, there is no power to speak of for the Athletics. Beane is not going to accept 13 wins in six weeks for much longer. If the team doesn't improve, a fire sale could be on the horizon.

13. Chris Antonetti, Cleveland Indians, $6,016,466.21 per Win

Chris Antonetti Indians
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

13. Chris Antonetti, Cleveland Indians, $6,016,466.21 per Win

Chris Antonetti Indians
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Despite having the fourth-lowest payroll in MLB coming into the season, the expectations were sky-high for the Indians. Multiple media outlets chose the Indians to win the World Series in 2015, and they have been the complete opposite. The biggest culprit is their inability to score runs. Michael Brantley is the only threat in the lineup, and he can't carry the team on his own. It will make for an interesting trade deadline for the Indians.

12. Jed Hoyer, Chicago Cubs, $5,821,793.57 per Win

Jed Hoyer Cubs
Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports

12. Jed Hoyer, Chicago Cubs, $5,821,793.57 per Win

Jed Hoyer Cubs
Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports

The Chicago Cubs have the best young talent of any team in MLB and as young as they are, the talent is already showing on the field. Jed Hoyer and Theo Epstein have the Cubs built to win for a long time, and the main reason the team's payroll is so high, is because of the Jon Lester signing this past offseason.

11. A.J. Preller, San Diego Padres, $5,723,291.37 per Win

A.J. Preller Padres
Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

11. A.J. Preller, San Diego Padres, $5,723,291.37 per Win

A.J. Preller Padres
Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

A.J. Preller has made a lot of noise since taking over the Padres. He completely mortgaged the team's future by trading all of his top prospects to bring in enough top major league talent to win now. The plan hasn't worked as he would've liked, and if the Padres don't begin competing soon, it will be a long drought before they are able to compete again.

10. John Hart, Atlanta Braves, $5,491,131.67 per Win

John Hart Braves
Twitter

10. John Hart, Atlanta Braves, $5,491,131.67 per Win

John Hart Braves
Twitter

John Hart began making changes to the Braves roster immediately upon arriving. He did the opposite of what Preller did, and took the majority of his veteran players, and flipped them for top prospects. The Braves' farm system was lacking, but now is much improved. The moves haven't affected the Braves much at all, as the team is only a game under .500. Shedding payroll, acquiring prospects, and playing decent ball are good first impressions.

9. Dave Stewart, Arizona Diamondbacks, $5,405,246.63 per Win

Dave Stewart Diamondbacks
Getty Images

9. Dave Stewart, Arizona Diamondbacks, $5,405,246.63 per Win

Dave Stewart Diamondbacks
Getty Images

The Arizona Diamondbacks are a team that doesn't seem to have a plan. Dave Stewart's main additions this past offseason were Yasmany Tomas and Jeremy Hellickson. Hellickson has struggled and for whatever reason, Stewart decided it was best to keep Tomas, who signed a $90 million contract in the minor leagues to begin the season. Stewart needs to figure out a way to progress this team, even if that means doing a full rebuild.

8. Neal Huntington, Pittsburgh Pirates, $4,891,029.06 per Win

Neal Huntington Pirates
Getty Images

8. Neal Huntington, Pittsburgh Pirates, $4,891,029.06 per Win

Neal Huntington Pirates
Getty Images

Neal Huntington has done a tremendous job building the Pirates into a perennial contender by drafting and developing his own talent. He will never have the benefit of a big payroll, but if he continues to dominate the draft like he has, he will never need one.

7. Dayton Moore, Kansas City , $4,882,247.96 per Win

Dayton Moore Royals
Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

7. Dayton Moore, Kansas City , $4,882,247.96 per Win

Dayton Moore Royals
Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

Speaking of homegrown talent. Kansas City Royals general manager, Dayton Moore, has done a masterful job taking a perennial loser and turning them into the best team in the American League the past two seasons. The team is built on pitching, defense, and playing small-ball on offense. The Royals making the World Series last season will buy Moore a job until he doesn't want it anymore.

6. John Mozeliak, St. Louis Cardinals, $4,874,431 per Win

John Mozeliak Cardinals
Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

6. John Mozeliak, St. Louis Cardinals, $4,874,431 per Win

John Mozeliak Cardinals
Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

If this were a career list, John Mozeliak would be in the top five for what he's done with the Cardinals. Taking a team to four straight National League Championship series is an amazing feat, and the team looks primed to be there once again this year. The Cardinals have a middle-of-the-road type payroll, but Mozeliak continues to squeeze every ounce of talent out of the roster.

5. Terry Ryan, Minnesota Twins, $4,851,770.57 per Win

Terry Ryan Twins
Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports

5. Terry Ryan, Minnesota Twins, $4,851,770.57 per Win

Terry Ryan Twins
Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports

The Minnesota Twins have been one of the surprise teams of the 2015 season. The roster is full of placeholders for all their dynamic young talent in the minor leagues, but they are outperforming their means, and could be a potential playoff contender. Whatever the Twins end up accomplishing this season, is just a precursor for what the future will hold for the team with the best minor league system in MLB.

4. Sandy Alderson, New York Mets, $4,759,735.35 per Win

Sandy Alderson Mets
Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

4. Sandy Alderson, New York Mets, $4,759,735.35 per Win

Sandy Alderson Mets
Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Mets are built to compete for years to come, and that's thanks to the insane young pitching that Sandy Alderson has put together. Matt Harvey, Zack Wheeler, Noah Syndergaard, and Jacob DeGrom will be four-fifths of the Mets' rotation for the foreseeable future. Good luck to the rest of the National League.

3. Dan Jennings, Miami Marlins, $4,403,157.75 per Win

Dan Jennings Marlins
Robert Mayer-USA TODAY Sports

3. Dan Jennings, Miami Marlins, $4,403,157.75 per Win

Dan Jennings Marlins
Robert Mayer-USA TODAY Sports

Dan Jennings thought he had put together a team that was ready to have a major breakthrough in 2015, but hasn't exactly happened. The team has been scuffling the entire year, and Jennings ended up firing manager Mike Redmond and hiring himself as the new manager. The Marlins still have a talented roster and could turn it around at any point, but the main reason they are so high on this list is due to their microscopic payroll.

2. Matthew Silverman, Tampa Bay Rays, $3,598,529.43 per Win

Matthew Silverman Rays
Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

2. Matthew Silverman, Tampa Bay Rays, $3,598,529.43 per Win

Matthew Silverman Rays
Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Most of the Tampa Bay Rays success is due to the brilliance of former general manager, Andrew Friedman, who is now with the Dodgers. Matthew Silverman did a nice job of finding a diamond in the rough in manager, Kevin Cash. The Rays possess the third lowest payroll in MLB, but that has never stopped them from being considered a contender. Young and talented pitchers grow on trees outside Tropicana Field, apparently.

1. Jeff Luhnow, Houston Astros, $2,817,497.36 per Win

Jeff Luhnow Astros
Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

1. Jeff Luhnow, Houston Astros, $2,817,497.36 per Win

Jeff Luhnow Astros
Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

The Houston Astros are the talk of the town, and it's only fitting that they would be at the top of this list. The team is overloaded with young and immensely talented players, who are mostly still on their rookie contract, which has allowed the team to keep its payroll extremely low. I'm still not quite sure why Carlos Correa is wasting away at Triple-A, but other than that there is nothing else you can criticize Jeff Luhnow for.

Jason Fletcher is a MLB Featured Writer For www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @JasonFletcher25, “Like” him on Facebook, or add him to your network on Google+.

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