Feeling the Heat

As we march through the MLB free agency period, fans, executives and players alike will all be keeping a watchful eye on the moves of their clubs and those of their rivals. And for certain executives, the moves they make this winter could very well be their ticket to a contract extension or a pink slip in the very near future. Here are 5 GM's that are under the most pressure to start building a winner this offseason.


Ben Cherington (Boston Red Sox)

















We could go ahead and put a Red Sox GM in this spot every year they fail to win a World Series, but this year the stakes are even higher than normal. Cherington takes over a team with one of the most-publicized late-season collapses in baseball history. Gone are Theo Epstein, Terry Francona, and possibly any shred of team chemistry, and Cherington has quite a daunting task. Considered one of the smartest guys in baseball, Cherington certainly has the talent and baseball knowledge to put together a playoff club, but he will undoubtedly be under the microscope far more than what he has been used to recently. The Sox have plenty of contract decisions to make, including those of David Ortiz, Jonathan Papelbon and Tim Wakefield, in addition to hiring a manager. Cherington will take his time putting together a club that can regain its position as a powerhouse in the AL East and as long as he keeps ownership as far away as possible, he should be able to do it.


Jack Zduriencik (Seattle Mariners)














Zduriencik was faced with the daunting task of rebuilding an organization practically void of talent when he took the reigns in 2008 and the results have been great thus far. Top prospects Michael Pineda and Dustin Ackley both contributed to the big club this season, but the M's still suffered the third 90+ loss season in the last four years. The offense was anemic at best for the second consecutive year and many believe the M's must land a big bat this winter if they want to compete with the rest of the AL West in the long term. Some have linked Brewers slugger Prince Fielder to Seattle, as Zduriencik was responsible for drafting him during his front office days in Milwaukee. Questions still remain concerning whether the steep financial investment it would take to land Fielder would be worth it, but Zduriencik has also been known to get creative in trades. He signed a contract extension through the 2013 season and if Seattle isn't winning consistently by then, he could very well be headed out the door.


Jerry Dipoto (Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim)















Tony Reagins' lasting legacy will likely always be the head-scratching Vernon Wells trade, and it was ultimately his ticket out of town. Dipoto, widely regarded as a great baseball mind among scouts and executives, will try to return the club back to their division-winning ways. Dipoto served as the interim GM for the Arizona Diamondbacks after Josh Byrnes was fired and orchestrated the Dan Haren and Edwin Jackson trades, two deals whose returns were instrumental in the D-backs winning the NL West this season. He inherits a roster in Anaheim that is in rough shape financially, especially with the huge contracts of Torii Hunter, Wells and Jered Weaver eating up a majority of the payroll. Super prospect Mike Trout spent quality time with the big club this season and closer Jordan Walden proved to be a valuable late-inning reliever. Owner Arte Moreno is no stranger to spending money and it's clear that he's determined to ease the frustrations of Angels fans after watching the Texas Rangers take the last two division titles. Dipoto has the resources and smarts to build a championship-caliber club and it shouldn't be long before Angels fans start seeing results.


Brian Sabean (San Francisco Giants)














As much as 2010 was the Year of the Giants, 2011 was the Year of the Brian Wilson Sensory Overload. After catcher Buster Posey went down with a controversial season-ending injury, San Francisco simply wasn't the same. Though the pitching remained strong, the offense wasn't able to keep pace as the surprising Arizona Diamondbacks claimed the NL West title. Despite trading for Carlos Beltran at the deadline, it was too little, too late for the Giants. Some believe part of the problem was a lack of activity over the winter, with the only two major moves being the re-signings of Aubrey Huff and Pat Burrell and free agent signing of Miguel Tejada. Though the return of Posey and continued development of Brandon Belt will help the Giants' offense in 2012, there are still moves to be made. After having already curiously spending nearly $10 million to lock up Javier Lopez and Jeremy Affeldt for next season, Sabean is off to an interesting start. The club remains linked to Jose Reyes and signing a player of Reyes' caliber would undoubtedly cement the Giants as favorites in a weak NL West for the foreseeable future.


Jed Hoyer (Chicago Cubs)












After spending the last two seasons as the general manager in San Diego, Hoyer heads to the Windy City with his former pal Theo Epstein to lead the Cubs. The move to the North Side will be a stark contrast compared with Hoyer's tenure with the Padres, where ownership was intent on spending as little as possible. Hoyer did the best he could for being handcuffed financially, acquiring young talent in the Adrian Gonzalez and Mike Adams trade, in addition to trading for one of the team's few bright spots in 2011, Cameron Maybin. It was clear from the beginning that Hoyer was the guy whom Epstein wanted in the general manager position, but the two will certainly be collaborating on nearly every baseball decision made. One of the first steps in the Cubs' rebuilding process will be to find a manager. Epstein has stated that they are looking for someone with major league managing experience and there are a number of viable candidates in the running. They have already been linked to Albert Pujols and Prince Fielder in free agency, but the club's pitching will likely be the first issue addressed by the front office. Hoyer and Co. will have nearly unlimited resources to build the Cubs into a championship contender and with the experience and baseball knowledge they bring with them, the whole "lovable losers" moniker may not apply for much longer.