Let's look at the scope of AA's offseason failure. It's actually quite impressive.
The OF:
We had an open OF spot giving us a real chance to improve the lineup. What does AA do? He brings back Duvall trying to explain it was health problems that caused his struggles and then re-signs Markakis. Instead of upgrading he literally brought back the same guys who are good bets to decline. Duvall was so putrid in spring he didn't even make the roster.
The Rotation:
You can blame some of this on injuries to Folty and Gaus but injuries is a big reason why you need another proven starter. We're going to be starting Kyle Wright in our third game of the season. A guy with a bright future but still in need of polish.
The Pen:
The bullpen got zero attention this offseason and it shows. Carle, Jackson, and Tomlin made the opening day roster. Over a third of our pen spots were won by guys who shouldn't be pitching on a major league roster. How can all those guys make our roster while not signing a single legitimate reliever? This might be the biggest failure of any GM in baseball this offseason.
The Bench:
AA being convinced Duvall was going to bounce back had us scrambling at the end of ST. Camargo going to the bench helps but there's no real power threat off the bench (even with Joyce hitting the HR today).
AA's failure this offseason was enormous. Not every hole on a roster needs a $20 million fix. The lack of getting role players that cost $2 to $5 million a piece has left us with a roster full of holes. Holes that have been made worse with injuries.
Honestly, if AA was fired tomorrow I wouldn't be upset. I realize he hasn't been at the job long but whiffing so many times this offseason is just embarrassing.
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