MLB: Rating front offices of the AL West
By Bill Felber
Houston Astros
Jeff Luhnow, GM (through Feb. 2): -0.2; Jim Click, GM (from Feb. 3): +1.5
Luhnow’s impact on Houston’s fortunes turns out to be strikingly modest. He made only 13 personnel decisions affecting the team in 2020, of which by far the most profound was the loss of ace pitcher Gerrit Cole to the Yankees via free agency.
His only signings of consequence were the five-year, $100 million contract he gave Alex Bregman in March of 2019 and the two-year, $7 million deal he gave catcher Martin Maldonado, who played the relatively modest role Maldonado plays wherever he goes.
He also signed Justin Verlander in 2019 to a new deal that began in 2020, but the impact of that signing was almost entirely mitigated when Verlander developed arm problems early in the season.
To Click falls the statistical credit for Houston’s exceptional rookie crop. There were 16 of them, easily the most impactful being outfielder Kyle Tucker. He hit .268 with nine home runs, producing a +1.1 Wins Above Average.
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Pitcher Cristian Javier was a significant second find. At a time when much of the Astros’ staff was succumbing to injury, Javier came up and delivered five wins in 10 starts with a credible 3.48 ERA, good for +0.9 WAA.
Not surprisingly given the circumstances Click inherited – his late arrival, the scandal, and COVID being the three most profound – he moved zero 2020 contributors out of the organization.