I can see needing Crane’s blessing and him brewing involved in the negotiations, but it’s hard for me to see him requiring the signing of Click is like “this is ****ing stupid.” It that is true, then it’s for the best that Click is gone and I feel sorry for Brown.
Crane has always been involved in the bigger contract negotiations… even in the Luhnow days. He was instrumental in signing JV to his first extension as well, so it wasn’t like he hadn’t been a part of this specific process with this player before. He wants his GM to be all about player development, keeping the pipeline open, being aggressive on trades when needs are there and the team is in contention, and having the connections/savvy to be able to navigate his way with other GM’s/VP’s around the league. Click had communication issues… not just with Crane but with others in baseball. Not surprising given his background. Not all make the leap from consulting to GM’ing like Luhnow did, and old school GM’s were more about those relationships than anything. Brown should be a decent combination of old/new and still function as a GM with all the above job descriptions. But to say Crane was never hands on is a little bit revisionist history.
Truth Because usually the lefty comes in to face Yordan and unless he gets Yordan out and that ends the inning, he is still in the game to face Tucker, the 3 batter minimum rule takes care of that It's so frustrating to watch Why would that be funny? I certainly don’t understand the anti-Crane sentiment He is easily the best sports owner in Houston history, and it isn’t even close
Uhh yeah, he didn’t trust Click. Click didn’t want to sign Verlander last year and Crane called and salvaged the deal. That was part of the issue between Crane and Click. Click also led Crane to believe he would get Josh Bell at the deadline, and Crane wasn’t happy Bell went to San Diego. Click was trading Urquidy and minor leaguers to the Cubs for Wilson Contreras. Crane stepped in and said that wasn’t happening. I don’t know this for sure - but several fairly reputable people (but not in the organization) said that Baker wanted Gurriel on the playoff roster but Click did not - Gurriel ended up on the roster. Click didn’t get offered a strong extension because a lot of the things he was adamant about, that were contested by Baker - ended up turning out like Baker/Crane expected. Verlander… Gurriel in the playoffs… Maldonado as catcher. There were more, those are just what I remember - and as a result Crane lost confidence in Click - and that was before there were complaints from others in the organization that Click was trying to change everything and wasn’t someone that got everyone on the same page. I can see both sides of it… but it isn’t quite as simple as Click got the shaft. It was a bad fit - a hire that Click felt pressured to make quickly. As for Abreu, if he still isn’t hitting at the break, then maybe Crane should eat some crow - but isn’t been a month, and Abreu has had bad months to start the year before. Montero has been solid so far as well…. Hell, if anything we can criticize Crane for not offering a little more for Wilson Contreras. Ever since Crane felt betrayed by Luhnow and cheating, he has been deeply involved in the day to day happenings of the club. FWIW Baker wants him involved and from what I have been told, Crane and Brown get along really well both professionally and personally… Baker, Brown and Crane spend time together.
I’m blanking on who it was off the top of my head, but there was someone that was struggling and Click did not want to get help for in trade and Crane disagreed and asked Click if he was willing to bet his job on not getting help at the deadline…. I heard that from someone with the Astros and then when Click left, it was in the chronicle. I’m not sure why you feel bad for Brown. First, even under Luhnow the Astros relied on a number of people to offer opinions before moves were made and Crane had to agree. The reason it worked was because Luhnow (even with all the toxicity) was able to get the manager (Hinch), scouts and other executives to have a common focus and come to a consensus. Further, Luhnow earned the trust of Crane… so they were largely on the same page outside of the Verlander trade deadline - Crane wanted Verlander but deferred to his GM until the non waiver deadline where everyone in the front office now wanted Verlander. When Click was hired, he was not asked to reinvent the wheel. Crane wanted him to incorporate all the talented people and resources already in the organization and only add some of his experience in Tampa to what was on hand…. Instead he tried to change how the Astros did a lot of stuff, from scouting to how the front office values information. Guys like Scott Powers did not fit the culture…. Crane heard from others in the organization not happy about it, heard from his manager and older player development guys. The trust in Click and confidence was gone- so Click was offered a one year prove it deal and he complained at the GM meetings and was gone. Powers was his right hand man and fired as well. Crane alluded after the firing that he was never comfortable with the rushed hire. Click deserves credit for building the pen and not panicking and reading away our young arms - but he mismanaged the trade deadline and Brantley injury news. He was combative with his manager and coworkers… he didn’t read the room or apparently listen to what Crane said he wanted from his GM - ie adding to the existing Group, not change it. FWIW - Brown has a history of being fiery and has lost his patience in the past- but he personality wise is a good fit with the guys already in the system. I’ll be curious to see if Kip Gross leaves next year.
I would love for us to go after goldschmidt if the cardinals keep losing which looks like they will. If we can get Wilson too that would be awesome. I don't trust Brantley
The names you mentioned would be great, but I don't see the Cardinals rebuilding. They have too much talent in a very winnable division. If they ever decided to trade away a star or two they would only be pending Free agents and then try again the following season. Have they EVER traded away a star player if he had another year of control left? I can't think of any. Gary Templeton for Ozzie Smith, maybe?
So we wanted Bell at the deadline but then didn't go after him in the offseason. We didn't want Contreras at the deadline but did go after him in free agency? Just trying to make sense of that.
We wanted Bell at the deadline because he was available and Abreu was not. When Free agency came, Click was no longer here and Crane wanted Abreu so he made it happen quickly. We did want Contreras at the deadline, but Crane didn't like the last second counter offer we got and thought Click was getting fleeced (which he probably was). We the pursued him again in the offseason as a free agent. It is interesting to think how this all would have played out in hindsight if Click was allowed to do what he wanted with those trades, and if he was still the GM in the offseason. I imagine Click would have held out for Bell in free agency and maybe kept Contreras long term (losing Urquidy in the trade). Do we still win the WS without Urquidy (who wasn't needed) and then do we add another pitcher to replace him in the offseason.
All of this could have been avoided if Crane had hired Sig instead of Click I never was a Click fan after I saw how he was trying to change the the system, people that were in place.
All of this could have been avoided if Crane had hired Sig instead of Click I never was a Click fan after I saw how he was trying to change the the system, people that were in place.
Concern Contreras - Click wanted Contreras to catch, and was willing to pay more for him after he lost out on several trade targets. Baker said that the Astros had the best pitching in baseball, and that he did not support changing catchers so late in the season.... but would play him some at 1st and DH. Some of the long term baseball people felt that Urquidy was too steep for a rental of Contreras, and Crane agreed with them and Baker. Click supposedly was really upset about it - especially with Click already knowing Crane wasn't happy that Click did not deliver on some of the players he believed he could get at the trade deadline. The Astros did pursue Contreras this Winter and probably would have gotten him if not for the Cardinals. My understanding is that the Cardinals were always the preference for Contreras. If I had to guess, the catcher we are most likely to get in a trade is Salvador Perez.
