"We're going to be wrong a good amount of times, too, " said Billy Eppler, the Yankees' assistant general manager for pro personnel.

WSJ: Yankees Become Savvy Shoppers

During his career as an executive with the Seahawks, the Arizona Cardinals and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Idzik made a reputation for himself as an adroit cap manager, though he did begin his career as a personnel assistant with Tampa Bay in 1993.

WSJ: Jets Finally Land a GM