This is the time of year for MLB executives to shine. But even the top executive for each team in charge of player personnel isn't a one-man show; they're part of a functioning department full of baseball minds. As we approach the winter meetings (next week), Jim Bowden lays out the chain of command for each team.
American League
Financial wherewithal: Middle
GM: Dan Duquette
Who makes the final baseball call: Duquette
Ownership involvement: Slow decision-making and concerns have stymied or delayed many deals over the years
Duquette, who also has served as a GM for the Montreal Expos and Boston Red Sox, has a wide range of experience -- from small markets to large ones -- and has proven himself capable of making both big moves and small, undervalued ones. He listens to his baseball people and to manager Buck Showalter, and he trusts his scouts. Duquette is also capable of making quick but solid decisions, but at times he gets frustrated by intervention from ownership, which often leads to deals going astray. Orioles owners have given Duquette the checkbook and the green light to pursue significant free agents this offseason, but Showalter's opinion is valued by ownership as much as Duquette's.
Financial wherewithal: High
GM: Mike Hazen
Who makes the final baseball call: President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski
Ownership involvement: Likes to be kept abreast of developments and to offer opinions, and has final say on all baseball decisions