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then the best we can say is we don't yet know how good Jack is. He hasn't had much success at the big league level. At what point we can say he is NOT an effective GM is up for debate. He came in with a strong reputation for scouting and drafting. There is absolutely no doubt he has turned around the farm system, and based on that he has created an expectation of future success. But we also need to note that this is Jack's first job as GM. He does not have a track record of success as a GM. All he has is what he's done so far.
For those who pay close attention to Minor League Baseball, for those devoted to prospect watching, I understand that what Jack HAS accomplished with his drafts and trades for prospects makes him a sort of cult figure, a fallible man (who isn't?) but still a hero and some sort of genius. I have no acumen as an analyst of prospects to dispute this, and so I presume that those who view things this way, those whose views I trust, have a valid basis for doing so.
But speaking for myself only, I cannot crown Jack a genius and a hero until his record in Major League Baseball warrants it. Of course, he labors under organizational constraints that would be daunting for the best GM's. So does Billy Beane. Beane has earned his genius and hero status. When Jack begins to accomplish the kinds of things that Beane has accomplished, then I will be convinced that he is a genius and a hero.
I don't think it particularly realistic to expect the M's under current top management to go toe-to-toe year after year with teams that devote far greater passion and resources to winning championships. But until the M's start pulling a little Tampa Bay or Oakland magic, I simply must reserve judgment on Jack. It would help my confidence in him a bunch if we started seeing one or two some of his big acquisitions (via trade or draft) develop into perenial All-Star candidates.