I am hoping we have become better at this. Maybe this is a Sam Fuld hire because he still has ties to the organization and there are multiple others that tried to hire the guy. Clearly we have not done a good job of developing these types of forward thinking managers internally. Dombrowski hiring Fuld was a curious hire since it contained little external authority. But it could be Dombrowski's strongest legacy if he has actually hired some smart young personnel guys AND let them do their job.
There are lots of ways this organization can improve on the past regarding drafting and development. But it seems one of our failings is really in assessing what our young players can actually do. No, Rhys Hoskins cannot play LF. No, Scott Kingery was not ready for the majors after a cup of coffee in AAA. No, Mickey Moniak does not have a great hit tool. Yes, we overrated Alec Bohm at 3B because we fell in love with one hit tool.
As we imagine what future players can do, we can think about whether someone like Stott is ready in 2022. Whether he should be considered a SS. Or whether he just needs more time. Hopefully these hires of people outside the organization will help us better answer these questions that we have been consistently wrong on over the past decade.
