Baseball America names Duquette MLB Executive of the Year

While executive vice president Dan Duquette works toward putting together a roster for the 2015 season, he continues to be rewarded for his work this year.

Baseball America has named Duquette as its Major League Executive of the Year. The Sporting News honored him last month during the general managers' meetings.

One day after Nelson Cruz agreed to terms on a four-year, $57 million contract with the Mariners, Duquette is rewarded in part for signing the outfielder to a one-year, $8 million deal in spring training. Cruz led the majors with 40 home runs.

Duquette signed Delmon Young after a minicamp tryout in January, and the veteran morphed into the best pinch-hitter in baseball. Duquette took advantage of a loophole in late April to re-sign Steve Pearce, who put up the best numbers of his career while serving in a variety of roles.

Brad Brach came to the Orioles in an under-the-radar trade with the Padres in November and developed into one of the more valuable pieces in the bullpen. Duquette also traded for left-hander Andrew Miller, catcher Nick Hundley, outfielder Alejandro De Aza, and infielders Jimmy Paredes and Kelly Johnson during the season, as the Orioles won their first division title in 17 years and advanced to the American League Championship Series.

The Orioles kept winning despite season-ending injuries to catcher Matt Wieters and third baseman Manny Machado and first baseman Chris Davis' 25-game suspension. They kept winning by filling the holes and relying on their depth.

"I like to work," Duquette said while watching the Orioles take batting practice in Kansas City during the playoffs. "It's not really work. When you have your passion aligned with your vocation, it's a privilege. So I guess that's probably what I bring. I just love to be around baseball and I enjoy building teams and helping people develop their skills.

"It's an organizational honor when you receive this recognition, but it's really recognition of the good work of our major league team, our player development operation, which has improved over the last couple of years. We were in the bottom 10th and now we're somewhere between 12th and 15th in terms of signing and developing ballplayers. But it's a tribute to the work that our scouting director, Gary Rajsich, has done, along with his staff. And the work that Fred Ferreira has done in the international market, signing good players. And it's a good reflection on (director of player development) Brian Graham and his staff, (director of minor league operations) Kent Qualls.

"It's like the anchorman for the news team. It takes about 100 people to put him on the air, right? But he's out there reading the news. It's a recognition of the good work that everybody does within the Orioles organization to help us field a competitive team and a team that our fans can be proud of and we all can be proud of."

Duquette is the first Oriole to receive the award, which has been given since 1998.