Baseball for the Thinking Fan

Login | Register | Feedback

btf_logo
You are here > Home > Baseball Newsstand > Discussion
Baseball Primer Newsblog
— The Best News Links from the Baseball Newsstand

Monday, November 07, 2022

2022 World Series- How Dusty Baker’s Astros beat the Phillies

The Astros and Chicago Cubs were in agreement on a trade to send star catcher Willson Contreras to the Astros for starter Jose Urquidy, four sources familiar with the deal told ESPN. The straight-up trade was agreed upon, pending owner approval. That approval never came.

During the 2022 season, as the Astros churned toward a regular-season win total one shy of their franchise record, relationships outside the clubhouse soured, according to sources. Owner Jim Crane, who paid a record $5 million fine levied by commissioner Rob Manfred for the cheating scandal, took a more hands-on role in baseball operations. New voices, such as Astros Hall of Fame first baseman Jeff Bagwell, grew in prominence. And when Click tried to execute the trade for Contreras—a pending free agent who is not regarded as a good defensive catcher but would’ve ably filled the hole at designated hitter that plagued the Astros during the postseason—another prominent name let his opposition be known: Dusty Baker.

“Much as I like Willson Contreras, Urquidy was one of our best pitchers then,” Baker said. “I needed a guy that wasn’t going to complain about not playing every day. And this is his [free agent] year. See, that’s tough. When you trade for a player in his [free agent] year. Everybody’s about numbers and stuff, and I can’t blame them, no doubt. But that’s not what we needed.”

In the best organizations, the general manager’s and manager’s aspirations cohere. Both Click’s and Baker’s contracts are now expired, and the 2022 season illustrated how lame-duck status for both simultaneously can influence something as seminal as player acquisition. Dealing Urquidy, a 27-year-old right-hander with three years of team control until he reaches free agency, made sense to the Astros’ front office, particularly with the team’s starting pitching depth. Crane—who when asked for comment walked into the clubhouse that was closed off to reporters—disagreed and spiked the deal, only furthering widespread concerns among front-office members that despite maintaining the Astros’ success, Click’s return is no given. Click declined comment.

jimfurtado Posted: November 07, 2022 at 05:54 AM | 6 comment(s) Login to Bookmark
  Tags: astros, phillies

Reader Comments and Retorts

Go to end of page

Statements posted here are those of our readers and do not represent the BaseballThinkFactory. Names are provided by the poster and are not verified. We ask that posters follow our submission policy. Please report any inappropriate comments.

   1. Walt Davis Posted: November 07, 2022 at 06:15 PM (#6104720)
“I needed a guy that wasn’t going to complain about not playing every day.

I feel like saying something obscene to Dusty here who has no justification for throwing Willson under teh bus. I will though just assume he's pulling a line of BS to justify his gut. I'm not aware of Contreras ever complaining during his tenure. What I do know, cuz I have the internet, is that Contreras has never started more than 123 games in a season and that was back in 2018. Some of that is injury but mostly not. He's a C, he knows he's not going to start every day. This year with the Cubs, he was only about a half-time C and started at DH about 2 of his 3 days off -- i.e. he started about 5 games a week (and missed most of Sept).

Now the writer's claim that DH had been a problem for the Astros?? No, LF had been a problem requiring Yordan to spend some time out there -- Contreras might be as good a LF as Yordan or could have given them a better bat at 1B on his days off.

Anyway, if Dusty meant "I only wanted a C to start 20 of the last 60 games because I love Martin Maldonado" then I wish he'd said so. And I'd agree there's no reason to get Contreras for such a limited role, Willson might well not have been too happy about it (who could blame him) and it's certainly not worth giving up Urquidy for. Now, give him 20 starts at C and 20-30 starts across DH/LF/1B and that would have been not far off his Cubs usage this year and maybe worth Urquidy (probably not, I think Urquidy is pretty good). If Dusty was going to refuse to use Contreras in that way, then that's Dusty's mistake. Contreras would have made it all moot missing most of Sept.

Instead (I assume), the Astros dealt Jose Siri and 3 minor-leaguers for Trey Mancini, Christian Vazquez and a minor-leaguer (via Tampa). Mancini got 45 starts in the last 57 games, presumably as a reward for not being a player that would complain about not starting every day in his FA year. Mancini put up -0.6 WAR for them and went 1 for 21 in the postseason. Vazquez got 24 starts (1 at DH) and put up -0.1 WAR but a decent 4-17 (3 starts) with a few RBI in the postseason. As I said, Contreras would have missed most of Sept so wouldn't have been a big help either but was back before the year ended so might have given a postseason boost. Finally, Urquidy was blah in 9 late season starts and 3 innings of garbage time in G3 of the WS.

In the end, a nothing burger for 2022 no matter which way they went but still 3 years of Urquidy so Dusty the GM wins this one.
   2. Buck Coats Posted: November 07, 2022 at 07:23 PM (#6104727)
It does kind of show how the Cubs could have held on to Contreras if they were that close to getting somebody like Urquidy for him. It would be hard to then trade him for a lottery ticket from the Mets.
   3. McCoy Posted: November 07, 2022 at 07:42 PM (#6104729)
Dusty can go eat a bag of poop.
   4. kirstie819 Posted: November 08, 2022 at 01:25 AM (#6104765)
This project is basically started by travel companies to offer reliable tour guides. They helped in planning zipjob review tours with family and friends and they also offer low-budget packages for their regular users.
   5. Cris E Posted: November 08, 2022 at 05:12 PM (#6104834)
So is "this project" referring to beating the Phils or feeding a bag of poop to Dusty? It matters, because I don't think I want my family and friends doing and poop feeding, much less low budget poop feeding.
   6. Lars6788 Posted: November 08, 2022 at 06:33 PM (#6104847)
Dusty had too much respect for Contreras for the Astros to pick him up and play him sparingly, especially in his free agent year.

So yes, he can go eat a bag of poop.

You must be Registered and Logged In to post comments.

 

 

<< Back to main

BBTF Partner

Dynasty League Baseball

Support BBTF

donate

Thanks to
greenback does not like sand
for his generous support.

You must be logged in to view your Bookmarks.

Hot Topics

NewsblogRangers ace Jacob deGrom needs Tommy John surgery, will miss rest of 2023 season
(32 - 1:32am, Jun 09)
Last: The Yankee Clapper

NewsblogOMNICHATTER for June 2023
(276 - 12:51am, Jun 09)
Last: Addie Joss

NewsblogEconomic boost or big business hand-out? Nevada lawmakers consider A’s stadium financing
(16 - 12:48am, Jun 09)
Last: Doug Jones threw harder than me

NewsblogJays pitcher Anthony Bass sorry for posting video endorsing anti-LGBTQ boycotts
(172 - 11:43pm, Jun 08)
Last: You Cannot Transcribe Zonk

NewsblogThe Official Mets Fan Self-Immolation Thread
(995 - 11:32pm, Jun 08)
Last: cHiEf iMpaCt oFfiCEr JE

Sox TherapyLining Up The Minors
(39 - 11:08pm, Jun 08)
Last: Darren

Newsblog2023 NBA Playoffs Thread
(2656 - 11:06pm, Jun 08)
Last: tshipman (The Viscount of Variance)

NewsblogBeloved ex-Met Bartolo Colon finally retires from baseball at 50
(26 - 10:22pm, Jun 08)
Last: A triple short of the cycle

Hall of MeritReranking Shortstops: Results
(2 - 9:25pm, Jun 08)
Last: Jaack

NewsblogMLB postpones Yankees, Phillies games as Canadian wildfire smoke harms air quality
(34 - 7:34pm, Jun 08)
Last: Pat Rapper's Delight (as quoted on MLB Network)

NewsblogBobby Bolin, former Giants pitcher, dead at 84
(19 - 4:18pm, Jun 08)
Last: sanny manguillen

NewsblogBrewers' Jon Singleton back in majors for 1st time since '15
(2 - 4:07pm, Jun 08)
Last: Petunia

NewsblogArraez and Let Us Swing
(42 - 12:01pm, Jun 08)
Last: Tom and Shivs couples counselor

NewsblogReds call up top prospect Elly De La Cruz, put Nick Senzel on IL
(11 - 2:36am, Jun 08)
Last: Walt Davis

NewsblogBlue Jays demote Alek Manoah to rookie-level Florida Complex League
(17 - 8:12pm, Jun 07)
Last: Captain Joe Bivens, Pointless and Wonderful

Page rendered in 0.4474 seconds
48 querie(s) executed