Ultimately the goal of every team is to win the World Series. However, I am not convinced that this is a sign of a good GM. Guys like Theo Epstein of the Boston Red Sox and Brian Cashman of the New York Yankees, who get a bunch of blank checks every season seem to have an advantage over the little guys. Billy Beane of the Oakland Athletics who is one of the most hyped GM’s in the game and is a poster boy for “spending money wisely” has never won a pennant in his 12 years at the helm in Oakland.  Marchman argues that Andrew Friedman of the Tampa Bay Ray’s is the best GM based on  dollars per win and his signing of Evan Longoria to a very club friendly contract. So who do you consider to be the best GM in baseball?

Tim Marchman’s GM Rankings going into the 2010 season:

1. Andrew Friedman, Tampa Bay Rays
2. Theo Epstein, Boston Red Sox
3. Brian Cashman, New York Yankees
4. Larry Beinfest, Florida Marlins
5. Jack Zduriencik, Seattle Mariners
6. Doug Melvin, Milwaukee Brewers
7. Dan O’Dowd, Colorado Rockies
8. Jon Daniels, Texas Rangers
9. Kenny Williams, Chicago White Sox
10. Billy Beane, Oakland A’s
11. Josh Byrnes, Arizona Diamondbacks
12. Andy MacPhail, Baltimore Orioles
13. Dave Dombrowski, Detroit Tigers
14. Walt Jocketty, Cincinnati Reds
15. Tony Reagins, Los Angeles Angels
16. Jim Hendry, Chicago Cubs
17. Frank Wren, Atlanta Braves
18. John Mozeliak, St. Louis Cardinals
19. Ruben Amaro Jr., Philadelphia Phillies
20. Neal Huntington, Pittsburgh Pirates
21. Bill Smith, Minnesota Twins
22. Mark Shapiro, Cleveland Indians
23. Mike Rizzo, Washington Nationals
24. Alex Anthopolous, Toronto Blue Jays
25. Jed Hoyer, San Diego Padres
26. Omar Minaya, New York Mets
27. Ned Colletti, Los Angeles Dodgers
28. Brian Sabean, San Francisco Giants
29. Ed Wade, Houston Astros
30. Dayton Moore, Kansas City Royals

For his career, the 4-time Cy Young Award winner was one of the smartest pitchers in the game. He was able to dominate opposing hitters by knowing how to pitch the corners and get plenty of movement on his pitches. Sometimes it felt like he knew the hitters strengths and weaknesses better than the hitter himself. It will be interesting to see if Maddux can carry that knowledge of the game into his new role.

For the Cubs, this is a good move if nothing else than from a public relations standpoint. The organization now has two former fan favorite and team legends in Ryne Sandberg and Maddux holding different positions in the organization. Sandberg is rumored to be the successor to current manager Lou Piniella after next season and it would be interesting if Maddux somehow found his way to the GM position someday, as unlikely as that seems. As a Cubs fan, both Sandberg and Maddux are my favorite players of all-time and it’s good to see them staying with the organization. However, I am more ready for a World Series victory sometime in my lifetime than good PR. Time will tell if Maddux can help the organization in their pursuit of better talent evaluation.

The most exciting time in the baseball offseason is upon us with next week’s annual Winter Meetings (December 7-10, Indianapolis, IN). The Winter Meetings is where we start to see teams shape their rosters for the upcoming season. The meetings are filled with plenty of rumors as general managers and agents from all of baseball convene and discuss free agents and trade possibilities.

Last year’s meetings were rather slow compared to previous years. The biggest talk of last year’s meetings was the near trade of San Diego Padres pitcher Jake Peavy (currently of the Chicago White Sox) to the Chicago Cubs. The state of our economy played a big role in teams not being as aggressive at last year’s meetings, which led to many notable free agent signings later in the offseason, such as outfielder Bobby Abreu with the Los Angeles Angels.

This year’s meetings should provide plenty of rumors and interesting story lines. Several general managers, including Chicago Cubs’ GM Jim Hendry, feel that this offseason’s trade market will be filled with plenty of possibilities. Some players and teams that are sure to be discussed at next week’s meetings include:

Roy Halladay (Toronto Blue Jays) – Halladay is the biggest name on the trade market. Halladay is an elite pitcher who most consider to be one of the best in all of baseball. He has heard his name in trade discussions since last year and has let the Blue Jays know he is unlikely to resign with them after he becomes a free agent after the 2010 season. The Blue Jays are sure to command a large return in exchange for Halladay’s services.  The Red Sox’s pursuit of Halladay has been discussed this offseason.

Milton Bradley (Chicago Cubs) – It’s no secret that the Cubs-Bradley marriage is headed for a quick divorce. Bradley had a disappointing  season for the Cubs that was filled with plenty of antics. Bradley was suspended by the Cubs for the final two weeks of the season for conduct detrimental to the team. Bradley got off to slow start with the Cubs and never seemed to fit in with his teammates. Plenty of players were outspoken in not wanting Bradley to return to the Cubs next season. Unfortunately for the Cubs, Bradley was signed last off season to a 3 year deal worth 30 million dollars, which makes the market for him very limited. The Cubs are expected to eat most of Bradley’s contract in any possible trade. The biggest rumor going around is a swap of bad contracts in the form of a Bradley for Pat Burrell trade with the Tampa Bay Rays. Bradley’s name will come up several times next week.

Jason Bay (Boston Red Sox) & Matt Holliday (St. Louis Cardinals) – Bay and Holliday have been linked to each other in many discussions this off season. Both are viewed as the prized hitters in the free agent market and ironically both play the left field position. Bay has rejected the Red Sox’s initial offer and his time in Boston long term is questioned. The Red Sox are said to be interested in Holliday should they fail to resign Bay.  Holliday is super agent Scott Boras biggest client this offseason and the price tag for Holliday is sure to be high. Both players are sure to receive plenty of interest with the picture becoming a little more clear on their potential landing spots at next week’s meetings.

Detroit Tigers - Are the Detroit Tigers having a fire sale? That is the question being asked in Detroit. The current economy is especially hitting the city hard and that has expanded to its baseball franchise as well. The Tigers have plenty of interesting names that are sure to command the eye of several GM’s if the Tigers are truly willing to trade. Players such as Curtis Granderson (CF) and Edwin Jackson (RHP) have been the most discussed this off season. Miguel Cabrera (1B) has even been discussed as possibly being available for the right price. The Tigers will be an interesting team to watch next week.

Those are just a few of the things to watch at next week’s meetings. The Hot Stove is sure to be on fire next week, but like last year, I expect to see quite a few quality players available after the meetings as general managers try to look for bargains. Jerry Crasnick of espn.com gives us an idea of who some of those players may be.

What do you guys think? Will this year’s meetings be full of activity? Which of these players or teams are bound to make the most noise next week?