Jett Rosenstein

Baseball GM & Scouting

Final Paper

An MLB organization must operate like a well-oiled machine for it to be successful.

Everyone has a role whether you are an intern, a player, or an owner. To win a World Series,

everyone needs to buy in and do their part. On the baseball side of things, the general manager is

crucial in the orchestration of a team. He/she has the final say in which players are going to be a

part of the team whether they are acquired via trade, free agency, or the draft. Ultimately, if a

team isn’t getting the job done, the general manager will be the first to go. But the general

manager isn’t making these decisions all by himself/herself. He/she has a supporting cast of

individuals that guide him/her in the right direction. Some of those key individuals make up the

scouting department (finding the talent to acquire), player development (getting the most out of

the acquired talent), and baseball analytics (using data to help a team get an edge over their

opponent). In this paper, we are going to explore how two different teams operate in different

departments. Then, I am going to talk about how I would run the Miami Marlins if I were their

general manager right now. We are going to evaluate the front office of the Atlanta Braves to

better understand how they have been successful over the past few years, and we are going to

evaluate the Los Angeles Dodgers to understand what is unique about their scouting department

and what has made them so successful in identifying major league talent. I had the opportunity to

chat with Caelan Collins (Manager, Major League Operations at the Atlanta Braves) and Brian

Stephenson (National Scouting Supervisor at the Los Angeles Dodgers) to gain as much

information as possible.

Caelan Collins is a part of the Atlanta Braves’ Major League Operations team. Within

this department of the organization, there are various roles to be had. They primarily consist of

analysts who assist Collins in finding the necessary information to make sure the team is in the

best position to succeed. As the manager of this department, Collins is involved with the day-to-
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Baseball GM & Scouting
Final Paper

day operations of the organization. His main job is to oversee those who are aiming to make sure

that the team is prepared for their upcoming opponent. Some of the ways that he contributes to

getting the team prepared is by identifying who will be pitching in the series, what their

tendencies are, and their arsenal. For example, if the Braves are facing off against Sandy

Alcantara of the Marlins in a weekend series coming up, his team will dissect into everything he

does and doesn’t do. How often does he throw his fastball? What does he throw most often in a

two-strike count? How much movement does he get on slider? The goal is to try and find out as

much information as possible to give your team an advantage. On the flip side, Collins is looking

for things that the opposing hitters do that could be to the team’s benefit. For example, how often

does a player pull the ball? If so, in what count or situation? This will reveal the best way to set

up the defense for a specific player. After a season goes by, Collins is tasked with finding new

ways of evaluating talent. With more and more resources at a team’s disposal as time goes by, it

is all about trying to find that sustainable competitive advantage over others around the league.

Collins’ boss is Alex Anthopoulos, the general manager of the Atlanta Braves. Anthopoulos,

who first became a general manager with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2009 overhauled his

philosophy when he joined the Braves in 2017. Since then, he has assembled a nice mix of

players in their prime (Dansby Swanson, Matt Olson, and Max Fried), younger players who have

already emerged (Ronald Acuna, Austin Riley, and Michael Harris II), and proven veterans

(Charlie Morton, Adam Duvall, and Travis d’Arnaud). Anthopoulos was able to reap the benefits

of his philosophical change with a World Series in 2021. He has a team that has been

competitive and will be competitive going forward. But besides being the guy that signs, trades,

and drafts players, what is Anthopoulos like as a leader and how has that shaped his relationship

with those like Collins in the organization. Collins noted that Anthopoulos tends to deploy a
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Baseball GM & Scouting
Final Paper

“hands-off” approach to leadership. This isn’t to say that he doesn’t keep a close eye on what

those around him are doing but rather he has built trust with those around him. He doesn’t feel

the need to closely watch over everyone as he feels everyone is in it for the good of the

organization. They all want to accomplish one goal. Winning another World Series. As a result,

Collins and his team rarely interact with Anthopoulos along with other departments.

Occasionally, they will deal with the player development side of things to make sure players

within the organization are given all the tools they need to succeed.

On the scouting side of things, I turned to the Los Angeles Dodgers to see how things are

done. Brian Stephenson is the National Scouting Supervisor for Dodgers. Stephenson has been

around the game for quite some time. Before becoming a scout, he made a run at making it to the

big leagues as a player. Despite that not working out, he wanted to work in baseball to carry on a

tradition that is three generations long. His first position in baseball was as an amateur scout

where he covered the four corners of the United States (Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, and

Arizona). His brief tenure as a player to go along with his bloodlines helped pave the way for

him to gain credibility in the industry. However, in scouting the best way to build credibility is to

constantly find players that could have a positive impact on the organization. He believes that if

you do not possess any form of competitiveness, it could be hard to flourish within any role in

the scouting department. Every scout has their own philosophy just as every organization does.

For Stephenson and the Dodgers, when looking at pitchers, they want to find guys who have

lower release points accompanied by large amounts of vertical movement. Stephenson pointed

out that in the previous era of baseball, most pitchers wanted to keep the ball down low while

behind in the count. Now, we are seeing more and more heaters that are elevated. This has been

implemented to combat the evolution of launch angle. On a more personal note, Stephenson has
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Baseball GM & Scouting
Final Paper

his eye on certain things when evaluating talent. Obviously, the goal is to find the best possible

players and that is true for every scout. On top of that, you want to find players that have a high

ceiling, especially at the high school level. He believes that the more info that you have on a

player, the better off you will be. This goes further than his arm slot or arm strength. What is the

player’s makeup? Do they really want to play at the highest level? Are they a good student?

Despite analytics being at the forefront of everything baseball-related, Stephenson has been

reluctant to hop on board. This is a showcase of the battle between old and new school scouts. A

scout’s schedule can change by the day but what is at the heart of Stephenson’s responsibilities?

His job is to provide additional scouting reports on the top 100-150 players in the country. There

is a lot of travel, but the organization wants as many eyes as possible on the best prospects in the

game. After all the players are scouted, his attention turns to the draft to discuss who should be

targeted. All the scouts come together to meet up to collaborate and often, fight for their guys.

Within the Dodgers organization, there is a great deal of collaboration leading up to the draft.

Stephenson is constantly talking to his fellow scouts to gain new perspectives. When it comes to

draft day, each scout, no matter what level you are on has a voice and is allowed to speak their

opinion. This philosophy is emphasized by Andrew Friedman, President of Baseball Operations

with the Dodgers. Stephenson and other scouts have developed a rapport with Friedman. Even

with Friedman having the final say on all thing’s personnel-related, it is more important that

everyone gets a stake in the decision-making process. For Stephenson, this is one of the many

things that makes the Dodgers a world-class organization.

The Miami Marlins currently sit at 48-57 as of August 4th, 2022. While it wasn’t a busy

trade deadline, all signs pointed to the Marlins being sellers for this year as they shipped out two

key bullpen pieces for a highly regarded hitting prospect. Going forward, this team is going to
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Baseball GM & Scouting
Final Paper

have plenty of decisions to make from deciding on resigning free agents to adding more

offensive firepower to the lineup. I will put myself in Kim Ng’s shoes to determine what the best

course of action for this team is going forward.

For 2022, the Marlins have a payroll of about $83 million. That ranks 26th among all

MLB teams. As everyone knows, the Marlins are a low market team. Hence, they have ranked

near the bottom of team payroll for quite some time. Looking ahead to the 2023 season, the

Marlins could see as many as six players become a free agent. Jorge Soler, who has a player

option could choose to exercise that option or elect to become a free agent. If he exercises his

option, Soler would be due $15 million (the most annual average value of any player on the

Marlins now). Joey Wendle has a club option at $6.3 million. The Marlins should test the market

to see if anyone is willing to take Soler and his contract, but I doubt that would happen as he will

be entering his age 31 season. Wendle has a team-friendly deal and should be a lock for 2023. Of

all the free agents, the biggest decision will be regarding Jesus Aguilar. After a productive 2021

campaign, Aguilar has struggled to recapture that production in 2022. He is currently making

$7.3 million. While it is not a sizable contract, the Marlins should let Aguilar walk for two

reasons. He will be entering his age 32 season and is blocking some of the younger guys from

developing at the big-league level. With Aguilar off the books, the Marlins can use the extra cash

to bring in younger talent with upside.

There are only two players now that are worthy of an extension. Sandy Alcantara, who

signed a 5-year, $56 million deal in early 2022 and Jazz Chisholm Jr. who has yet to receive one.

Chisholm is currently making $718 K in a season where he became an All-Star for the first time

in his career. On the year, Chisholm has put forth a slash line of .254/.325/.535. He has gotten
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Baseball GM & Scouting
Final Paper

better in each of his first three seasons. While Chisholm would continue to be a bargain until he

hits arbitration and free agency, he needs to be a part of the long-term plans. If the Marlins

extend him now, they still could be looking at somewhat of a discount due to the fact he has not

hit his true potential just yet. The caveat is that Chisholm has had issues staying healthy.

However, this point could only benefit the Marlins as it could contribute towards putting

Chisholm on a team-friendly contract. When determining the type of contract I would give

Chisholm, it is important to understand how the second baseman market stacks up right now.

Currently, Jose Altuve is making the most per year at $29 million. The range I tend to look is

between Kolten Wong ($8.5 million) and Donovan Solano ($4.5 million). More specifically, I

look at Ozzie Albies who signed a 7-year, $35 million contract in 2019. That was after his

second season. When comparing these two guys, Albies had the edge in terms of production and

staying healthy through their first two seasons. However, I believe Chisholm should get more

money especially with the yearly revenue increases MLB sees. Therefore, I am offering

Chisholm a 6-year, $42 million contract. He would become a free agent in 2029 when he is 31.

There is one trade that the Marlins should make. To trade Pablo Lopez. Lopez has been a

fixture of this Marlins rotation for the past five seasons. In that time, he has put forth an ERA of

3.87 in 448.2 IP. However, he has had a tough time staying healthy. Prior to this year, he had not

made more than 21 starts in a season. Before the 2022 Trade Deadline, Lopez had plenty of

interest, but the Marlins didn’t get what they were looking for, so they decided not to make a

deal. This was the perfect time to sell high on a guy who is having a great season. However, they

will get a crack at trying to move him once more and they should. Lopez will still have two more

seasons of control after this one. The Marlins also have a surplus of pitching and need to part

ways with Lopez in order to bolster up the lineup. There are going to be plenty of teams that will
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Baseball GM & Scouting
Final Paper

show interest in Lopez and the goal will be to find a package that has a nice mix of MLB-ready

talent and prospects with upside. The Dodgers checked in on Lopez during the trade deadline but

both teams were unable to make a move. But things will be different in the offseason. With

Clayton Kershaw on the brink of retiring and Walker Buehler’s inability to stay healthy, this is a

perfect match. The Marlins should send Pablo Lopez to the Dodgers in exchange for Gavin Lux,

Jorbit Vivas (#9 Prospect according to MLB.com), and Jesus Galiz (#24 Prospect according to

MLB.com). Lux provides MLB experience and is amidst the best year of his career. He is only

24. While Lux is primarily an infielder, he has played some outfield up to this point his career.

Therefore, I would pencil him in at the center field spot to see if he can solve all the defensive

issues at that spot. As for the prospects being acquired, Vivas is a pure hitter who could develop

some power as he gets older. He is only 21 and could provide more value in the infield. He has

gotten comparisons to Luis Arraez. Galiz is an 18-year-old catcher who possesses a lot of

athleticism to go along with consistent contact. Due to his age, he most likely wouldn’t have an

impact until 2025 at the earliest. It remains to be seen if the Dodgers would be willing to part

with great talent, but this deal makes sense for both teams. An argument can be made for Garrett

Cooper to be traded as he is coming off a career-year but due to the scarce number of bats

throughout the lineup, the Marlins should hold onto him. Another argument can be made that

center field still won’t be solved despite adding Lux. Lux is a very risky option due to it not

being his primary position, but when looking at the other options on the trade market such as

Bryan Reynolds, Cedric Mullins, or Myles Straw, they would require too many assets to send the

other way. If this doesn’t work out, then I push all my chips in on a major-league level center

fielder unless there has been someone in the system that has proven they can field the position.
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Baseball GM & Scouting
Final Paper

The Marlins rarely spend in the free agent market. It is even less likely they make a

splash this offseason due to all the money that was thrown at last year’s acquisitions in Jorge

Soler and Avisail Garcia. There are some interesting options available on the market that could

bolster the lineup such as Andrew Benintendi. He would fill a big hole in the lineup, but the

Marlins will opt to give their young guys (JJ Bleday. Peyton Burdick, among others) a chance to

develop especially with Benintendi’s price tag going up after an all-star caliber season. I just

don’t see any bats that are good enough that will also be affordable. Therefore, they should turn

to adding more arms for the bullpen and rotation. One option is Aaron Sanchez. Sanchez’s career

got off to a fast start as a Blue Jay. He became an All-Star in just his second full season. Since

then, he has struggled and hasn’t posted an ERA below 4. He earned $700 K in 2022. With the

Marlins track record of developing pitchers, they may be able to get something out of Sanchez. A

reclamation project at a low price that can fill Pablo Lopez’s void and serve as a placeholder

until the young guys in the organization prove they are ready. With the Marlins sending out

relievers at this year’s trade deadline, they should also go after some veteran arms. The Marlins

desperately need to bring in someone with closing experience. They should be willing to spend a

little extra on a guy that will close the revolving door at the position. One name I like is Archie

Bradley. Bradley (29) is currently a Los Angeles Angel and will be a free agent by season’s end.

While he has never been a full-time closer, he has shown the ability to close games. His season-

high in saves has been 18 with the Diamondbacks in 2019. Nevertheless, the Marlins should be

able to sign him close to what he is currently making ($3.75 million) and give him the option to

be the full-time closer. If it doesn’t work out, they at least know they are getting a competent

reliever who has a career ERA around 4.

Jett Rosenstein
Baseball GM & Scouting
Final Paper

For the 2022 MLB Draft, the Marlins relied heavily on drafting pitchers. Of their first 12

picks, 11 were pitchers. While the team is deficient on hitting, they relied on their strength of

developing pitchers in this draft. Their lone non-pitcher pick was 1st rounder Jacob Berry out of

LSU. Going forward, I expect the Marlins will continue to lean towards the pitching side of

things until they prove to have more success drafting hitters. For any hitter that they do target, I

would expect them to be out of college as they are safer picks who could make an impact on the

big-league club rather quickly.

This would be my opening day lineup and rotation for the 2023 Miami Marlins:

LINEUP

1. Gavin Lux (CF)

2. Jazz Chisholm Jr. (2B)

3. Garrett Cooper (1B)

4. Jorge Soler (DH)

5. Avisail Garcia (RF)

6. Joey Wendle (3B)

7. JJ Bleday (LF)

8. Miguel Rojas (SS)

9. Jacob Stallings (C)

BENCH

1. Jon Berti

2. Nick Fortes
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Baseball GM & Scouting
Final Paper

3. Jordan Groshans

4. Jesus Sanchez

5. Lewin Diaz

STARTING ROTATION

1. Sandy Alcantara

2. Trevor Rogers

3. Jesus Luzardo

4. Braxton Garrett

5. Aaron Sanchez

BULLPEN

1. Dylan Floro

2. Steven Okert

3. Archie Bradley

4. Richard Bleier

5. Edward Cabrera

6. Anthony Bender

7. Cody Poteet

This team is far from a completed project. There is still a major hole at the center field spot.
While Lux will add some more offensive firepower, he will most likely be a detriment
defensively. If that’s the case, JJ Bleday may shift over there or someone else could be groomed
to play that position. With the pitching depth that the Marlins have, the loss of Pablo Lopez,
while it hurts, doesn’t look as bad. Look for top prospect Eury Perez to get a crack at a starting
job at some point during the season. Finally, the final question is who will be managing this
team? It should not be Don Mattingly. Despite all that he has done for the club, it is time for a
fresh face to take over.