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Originally Posted by Discuss Thrower
Does the Callaspo trade hint at a problem in the scouting department..?
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I don't think so (though there are certainly trades that can be pointed to that raise concerns in MLB-level scouting).
1) Callaspo declined pretty sharply after being traded (and this was after an offseason in which Moore tried pretty hard to find someone to trade for him). Callaspo was pretty bad for LA in the second half of 2010 and his .740 OPS last season would have been playable at 2B but is below-average at 3B (the only position he can really play).
2) While Sean O'Sullivan sucks hard, Will Smith looks like a pretty nice piece and was the "main" acquisition, according to the Royals. Smith isn't anything overly special, but he's probably an OK No. 5 starter at the MLB level.
3) Callaspo was about to get expensive for KC.
Now, if you want to talk about Mike Jacobs for Leo Nunez/Juan Aviedo or whatever the hell his real name is, that would be a trade that can raise some red flags, though the abject failure of Kila Ka'ahuie does provide some evidence of effective MLB talent judgment. That eval is tied pretty closely to Jacobs, and it looks OK that the Royals never believed in him, and it turns out he actually sucks.
JP Howell for Joey Gathright is another really bad move, though there were some character concerns with Howell before the trade.
Moore has done fairly well on trades, IMO. There have been some steals (Billy Bucker for Callaspo in the first place, who was cheap and productive in KC; Burgos for Bannister; Tim Collins for Farnsworth and Ankiel). There have been some duds (Dotel for Kyle Davies), and then there's the Greinke deal (which is a major win).
Moore has moved one premium piece in trade, and done extremely well on the return.
But that's not to say the guy DOESN'T have problems judging MLB talent. His obsession with the LFBG (lightning-fast black guy) in CF is maddening, and has been detrimental to the team. I don't know what the heck they're looking for at 2B (apparently guys with no range but big arms are the call there). His stubborn backing of "his guys" - Francouer and Betancourt and Sanchez now, Davies and Jesse Chavez and Roman Colan and etc.
GMs make mistakes. I expect that to happen. Especially when you're dealing with non-premium pieces or signing on the cheap end of the FA market. Good GMs, however, don't compound mistakes by continuing to run mistakes out on the field long past the point of failure.
Kyle Davies was a fine gamble for 1/2 season of Octavio Dotel. He gave them one halfway decent 2/3 of a season, and otherwise sucked major donkey d*ck. That's fine. What wasn't fine was stubbornly running him out long after he'd busted.
Moore is too loyal/gives too many chances to his guys. That's his biggest problem, IMO. #StubbornDayton