Call to the pen
Fansided

Among AL West GMs, Houston Astros Jeff Luhnow rules

By Bill Felber

HOUSTON, TX - AUGUST 22: General manager Jeff Luhnow of the Houston Astros attends batting practice before the game against the Detroit Tigers at Minute Maid Park on August 22, 2019 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images)
HOUSTON, TX - AUGUST 22: General manager Jeff Luhnow of the Houston Astros attends batting practice before the game against the Detroit Tigers at Minute Maid Park on August 22, 2019 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
6 of 6
Next
Seattle Mariners
Seattle Mariners general manager Jerry Dipoto talks with manager Scott Servais. (Photo by Stephen Brashear/Getty Images) /

Jerry DiPoto, Seattle Mariners

DiPoto has always been an attention-getter for his willingness to make a deal, and that was certainly the case again last winter. Most visibly, DiPoto shipped two of his highest-profile names, Robinson Cano and closer Edwin Diaz, to the Mets for five players, the best known of whom was veteran Jay Bruce.

More from Call to the Pen

There is a certain value to getting rid of a high-priced, declining value such as Cano along with a soon-to-be-expensive closer. At the same time, it would be nice to get something of value in return. Bruce and reliever Anthony Swarzak, hurt the Mariners to the tune of -0.7 WAA before both were traded away at the deadline. Two other arrivals in the trade – Gerson Bautista and Justin Dunn – debuted and generated -0.4.

That highly publicized trade was, in the short term, a poison pill administered to both sides.

Bautista, Dunn, Swarzak and Bruce were only four of a healthy 23 players DiPoto incorporated into the Mariners mixture via deals with other teams. So he gets credit for churn. But that’s about it. Those 23 cost the Mariners a net of six games; only one, catcher Tom Murphy, turned out to be worth more than six-tenths of a game in the standings. Murphy was acquired from San Francisco around opening day following a career as a backup in Colorado.

Next. The subtleties to beating Gerrit Cole. dark

Nothing if not energetic, DiPoto signed another 17 players on the open market, notably Edwin Encarnacion and Japanese star Yusei Kikuchi. As the M’s plans collapsed – in part at least because of Kikuchi’s disappointing 6-11, 5.46 season, Encarnacion was shipped to the Yankees for yet another prospect.

Short-term acquisitions: -6.0

Short-term trade losses: +7.0

Short-term free agent signings: -1.1

Short-term free agent losses: -1.8

Short-term rookie production: -1.8

Short-term total: -3.7

Home/AL West