Matt Arnold, POBO thread

[Brewcrew82]

How about a new thread to recognize and discuss our new POBO? Magic Matt already making moves!

 

[markedman5]

 

[sveumrules]

I know next to nothing about Matt Arnold except that he used to work with the Rays and he has been Stearns right hand man for the last seven years, so I googled "Matt Arnold Podcast" and the text in one of the links said, "With a vast scouting background and an interest in everything ranging from biomechanics to financial planning, Arnold has been referred to as the Benjamin Zobrist of front offices."

I look forward to his wife's Christian Pop album.

[nate82]

1 hour ago, sveumrules said:

I know next to nothing about Matt Arnold except that he used to work with the Rays and he has been Stearns right hand man for the last seven years, so I googled "Matt Arnold Podcast" and the text in one of the links said, "With a vast scouting background and an interest in everything ranging from biomechanics to financial planning, Arnold has been referred to as the Benjamin Zobrist of front offices."

I look forward to his wife's Christian Pop album.

Before Stearns was hired Arnold was someone I wanted the Brewers to go after.  He was one of the key execs that helped Friedman when he was in Tampa.  Arnold is highly regarded in the baseball front offices.  

[SF70]

11 minutes ago, nate82 said:

Before Stearns was hired Arnold was someone I wanted the Brewers to go after.  He was one of the key execs that helped Friedman when he was in Tampa.  Arnold is highly regarded in the baseball front offices.  

And was the man Stearns picked to help him rebuild the Brewers organization. First hires mean a lot.

I know he was instrumental in building-up their IFA department, scouting the likes of Garcia, Hedbert & Quero back when he was assistant GM.

Looking forward to his continuing to strengthen the organization as a whole, which without question, Stearns has masterfully accomplished over the last 7 years.

[patrickgpe]

The good news is that I don’t think it will be a house cleaning since Arnold was involved in ever move to build the organization. I think it was clear that Stearns was coming back after his contract his up. MA can now get his new baseball operations leadership team in place a year early. 

Anyone that thinks he will do a good or bad job, has no basis since nobody really knows what he was involved in during his time here. 

[UpandIn]

9 hours ago, nate82 said:

Before Stearns was hired Arnold was someone I wanted the Brewers to go after.  He was one of the key execs that helped Friedman when he was in Tampa.  Arnold is highly regarded in the baseball front offices.  

He was also one of the guys leading the scouting department or going around scouting when they drafted Corey Ray...so...yeah, time to move on. 

Nah, I'm happy with the continuity of this organization. IF Stearns goes to either NYM or the Yankees, Stearns is probably going to go to a place where he has a lot of his staff already in place. So thrilled that we'll just be keeping things how they are. We seem like we're really just in a good place right now in terms of developing players, prospects, etc...

[SF70]

4 hours ago, UpandIn said:

He was also one of the guys leading the scouting department or going around scouting when they drafted Corey Ray...so...yeah, time to move on. 

Nah, I'm happy with the continuity of this organization. IF Stearns goes to either NYM or the Yankees, Stearns is probably going to go to a place where he has a lot of his staff already in place. So thrilled that we'll just be keeping things how they are. We seem like we're really just in a good place right now in terms of developing players, prospects, etc...

We are in a good place, especially with regards to the amateur draft. Back to back to back supreme classes that have transformed the teams farm. 

Mitchell & Wiemer from the ‘20 class, Frelick, Black, Rodriguez & Avina in ‘21, and maybe their best class last year with Brown, Moore, Misiorowski, Wagoner, Woessner, Adames, Wood & Hall. Johnson & co after a slow start, ‘17 &’19 drafts left a lot to be desired, now look like a well oiled machine.

Losing Groopman to the Bosox hurt, but Matt Klentack, imo, was a good hire by the FO to help keep the international department strong, which it absolutely has been since Arnold & Groopman helped turn things around, especially with regards to scouting Venezuela.

If they can keep this pipeline going, when they trade-off Burnes, Woodruff and Adames if they can’t extend, this organization’s young talent will be extraordinary.

 

[UpandIn]

55 minutes ago, SF70 said:

We are in a good place, especially with regards to the amateur draft. Back to back to back supreme classes that have transformed the teams farm. 

Mitchell & Wiemer from the ‘20 class, Frelick, Black, Rodriguez & Avina in ‘21, and maybe their best class last year with Brown, Moore, Misiorowski, Wagoner, Woessner, Adames, Wood & Hall. Johnson & co after a slow start, ‘17 &’19 drafts left a lot to be desired, now look like a well oiled machine.

Losing Groopman to the Bosox hurt, but Matt Klentack, imo, was a good hire by the FO to help keep the international department strong, which it absolutely has been since Arnold & Groopman helped turn things around, especially with regards to scouting Venezuela.

If they can keep this pipeline going, when they trade-off Burnes, Woodruff and Adames if they can’t extend, this organization’s young talent will be extraordinary.

 

I want to re-sign all 3 of 'em...and if we were the LAD...maybe we would(or maybe Seattle suddenly). 

But unless we make a run this year and get to the WS and fall just short, they should turn those 3 into...at least 7-8 good prospect and a few top 100 depending on when they trade them. 

Still hope they DO spend to extend one, but we'll see. Either way, moving forward, I hope they're aggressive in extending these young guys and buying out some FA years with team options. 

But for now, keep developing that pitching, Misiorowski, Gasser, Uribe(who looks like his command has vastly improved)...that's gotta be the priority for this franchise after finding guys who can put the bat on the ball and get on base(and then get themselves over to 2nd). 

Again, ideally we extend Burnes, but even if we don't extend him or Woody, I'm confident that this team is going to be able to get some impact talent. And I KINDA want them to maybe make that first move this off-season if it means getting something like Miller, Vargas, Stone and a younger arm from the Dodgers for Burnes, or a comparable package...but if they don't, I'm also excited to see if these young guys can give the Brewers the lift they need. 

[nate82]

10 hours ago, UpandIn said:

He was also one of the guys leading the scouting department or going around scouting when they drafted Corey Ray...so...yeah, time to move on. 

You are not going to be 100% on your picks in the draft even when picking early.  There are a lot of duds in the draft.  

[Austin Tatious]

48 minutes ago, nate82 said:

You are not going to be 100% on your picks in the draft even when picking early.  There are a lot of duds in the draft.  

For sure.  And the draft, and particularly int'l signings, are being handled infinitely better after Stearns arrived.  There was like an 8 year previous stretch where it was a barren wasteland.  That period arguably prevented us from getting over the hump.  That's a crazy long time where we had a good core and we didn't add enough reinforcements. 

I don't agree with everything, but I really like where our system is, and have strong hopes that it will continue.  Look at the Cards.  They were very shrewd in their drafting and they sustained success.  We seem to be on that path if Arnold can sustain it (and many have cited his role in the int'l venues).

[patrickgpe]

Was there any clarity on if a GM will be hired to replace Arnold or is he running the whole show?

[nate82]

Just now, patrickgpe said:

Was there any clarity on if a GM will be hired to replace Arnold or is he running the whole show?

It will either be a promotion or Arnold will be running everything.  Arnold was mostly promoted to GM to keep him away from other teams.  

I don't think the Brewers will hire another GM maybe the current Astros GM who may leave after this season.  I am not sure if that would be a lateral move for them or a move down.  I don't really expect the Brewers to sign anyone to be the GM it will more than likely be a promotion for someone.  

[patrickgpe]

@nate82 I think you are right, when i heard the news, I assumed that a search for a GM would start, but since that wasn’t stated, It looks like that is not the case. I would imagine Arnold would have both titles, or Tod Johnson would get promoted to GM. 

 

Stearns was clearly doing both jobs, so if Arnold has both titles, I think they will fine. 

[UpandIn]

12 hours ago, nate82 said:

You are not going to be 100% on your picks in the draft even when picking early.  There are a lot of duds in the draft.  

Of course, I was being facetious. 

 

[Lathund]

It's so hard to judge from the outside how someone will be in a role like this. But I think the assessment that it'll be a smooth transition is a safe one: After all, it's not the top executive (GM/POBO) who does everything, decides on every single international signing or draft pick etc. A huge part of the job is building up the organization, hiring people and setting up the way the various departments operate etc. So when you have one person who has worked in that same system, and helped build it, for the last 7 years taking over, you wouldn't expect a lot to change when everything else remains unchanged. 

It's also hard to know what kind of input Matt Arnold had under Stearns. We don't know if the Brewers we've seen over the last 7 years was already to a significant degree a work of Matt Arnold, or if he was just one of several voices advising Stearns. Nor do we know to what degree his and David Stearns views aligned, even if he was influential. Like did they agree on most things, or is the moves we've seen the result of their compromises or a combination of "Arnold moves" and "Stearns moves"? Or, again, was it nearly all Stearns? 

I suppose my point is that I have no idea what kind of an executive he'll be, or if he's any good. What I would say though, is that he came from the same Rays front office that had Friedman (Dodgers), Click (Astros), Bloom (Red Sox), of course Neander (Rays) and a bunch more #2's and assistant GMs and such. Doesn't mean every single person who worked there is a genius, but they do a lot of things right and it's probably a great environment to learn the job in. He then also worked 7 years with David Stearns, who came from another of the most advanced and progressive front offices with the Astros. A fusion of the Rays, Astros and Brewers seems like a very good foundation. He was also highly enough thought of that the Mets wanted him after they couldn't have Stearns. And he signed an extension after they were rebuffed (I remember reading reports that it was really Arnold who turned them down, but the Brewers took the hit. The extension would at the very least suggest he wasn't particularly unhappy about it), signalling a desire to be here. 

So while I, again, don't know anything, he certainly has an exccellent CV as far as first-time top decision makers go. 

[SF70]

4 minutes ago, Lathund said:

It's so hard to judge from the outside how someone will be in a role like this. But I think the assessment that it'll be a smooth transition is a safe one: After all, it's not the top executive (GM/POBO) who does everything, decides on every single international signing or draft pick etc. A huge part of the job is building up the organization, hiring people and setting up the way the various departments operate etc. So when you have one person who has worked in that same system, and helped build it, for the last 7 years taking over, you wouldn't expect a lot to change when everything else remains unchanged. 

It's also hard to know what kind of input Matt Arnold had under Stearns. We don't know if the Brewers we've seen over the last 7 years was already to a significant degree a work of Matt Arnold, or if he was just one of several voices advising Stearns. Nor do we know to what degree his and David Stearns views aligned, even if he was influential. Like did they agree on most things, or is the moves we've seen the result of their compromises or a combination of "Arnold moves" and "Stearns moves"? Or, again, was it nearly all Stearns? 

I suppose my point is that I have no idea what kind of an executive he'll be, or if he's any good. What I would say though, is that he came from the same Rays front office that had Friedman (Dodgers), Click (Astros), Bloom (Red Sox), of course Neander (Rays) and a bunch more #2's and assistant GMs and such. Doesn't mean every single person who worked there is a genius, but they do a lot of things right and it's probably a great environment to learn the job in. He then also worked 7 years with David Stearns, who came from another of the most advanced and progressive front offices with the Astros. A fusion of the Rays, Astros and Brewers seems like a very good foundation. He was also highly enough thought of that the Mets wanted him after they couldn't have Stearns. And he signed an extension after they were rebuffed (I remember reading reports that it was really Arnold who turned them down, but the Brewers took the hit. The extension would at the very least suggest he wasn't particularly unhappy about it), signalling a desire to be here. 

So while I, again, don't know anything, he certainly has an exccellent CV as far as first-time top decision makers go. 

Excellent post.

I would only add Stearns having also worked for Cleveland’s FO as well, Shapiro, Antonetti, Falvey, etc.

That’s an awful lot of small-market brainpower to have learned from between the two of them.

 

[rickh150]

13 hours ago, SF70 said:

Excellent post.

I would only add Stearns having also worked for Cleveland’s FO as well, Shapiro, Antonetti, Falvey, etc.

That’s an awful lot of small-market brainpower to have learned from between the two of them.

 

I believe he said that the team needs to be “opportunistic”..… code for not trading off Burnes or Woody this season?

[Brewcrew82]

29 minutes ago, rickh150 said:

I believe he said that the team needs to be “opportunistic”..… code for not trading off Burnes or Woody this season?

Attanasio also said something to the effect of, "we're very intent on returning to the playoffs in 2023." Who ultimately knows, but it doesn't sound like they're ready to go in that direction. I probably wouldn't either, unless someone makes you an offer you can't refuse (e.g., Orioles offering us Grayson Rodriguez for Burnes). 

[Brewcrew82]

On 10/27/2022 at 1:40 PM, Brewcrew82 said:

How about a new thread to recognize and discuss our new POBO? Magic Matt already making moves!

 

Bump. Magic Matt pulling rabbits out of his Esteury Ruiz hat!

 

[Matt]

Lower half of that MA pic.