Call to the pen
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The AL West: An interim report on front office work

By Bill Felber

May 25, 2022; Anaheim, California, USA; Texas Rangers General Manager Chris Young on the field before the game against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-USA TODAY Sports
May 25, 2022; Anaheim, California, USA; Texas Rangers General Manager Chris Young on the field before the game against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-USA TODAY Sports /
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Justin Verlander has made a fine return in Houston. Thomas Shea-USA TODAY Sports
Justin Verlander has made a fine return in Houston. Thomas Shea-USA TODAY Sports /

Houston Astros front office, -1.3

The Astros are so far out front in the division, and their roster so universally praised, that this rating must come as a surprise. So let’s unwrap it. This is a team that lost Carlos Correa to free agency. Click and his front office team did relatively little during the off-season, making only 19 moves of major league consequence. Only four of those have helped the Astros.

That tells you a lot about the talent base Click inherited. Jose Altuve, Yordan Alvarez and Yuli Gurriel are among eight regulars who are holdovers from 2019, and who also are a large part of the team’s core.

Still it’s worth looking at the front office’s five most impactful moves of this season.

April 7. Jeremy Pena was handed the opening day shortstop position to take the place of Correa. Whatever the Astros expected of Pena, he has provided it. He’s batting .270 with a  dozen home runs, a .792 OPS and positive defensive numbers. It all works out to a +2.5 WAA.

March 12. The Astros let Justin Verlander hit the free agent market in November, but managed to woo him back with a  two-year, $50 million contract. Verlander may be 39 and coming off Tommy John surgery, but the Astros still need him as an anchor to an otherwise young staff. In 15 starts he’s produced a league-leading 10 wins with a 2.03 ERA and +1.6 WAA. That’s on pace to be off Verlander’s peak, but still entirely useful.

Nov. 3. The decision to bid farewell to Correa may have been tempered by expectations regarding Pena, but it still had to be chancy. Signed by the Twins, Correa has produced a +1.0 WAA. That’s below Pena’s production, but it’s still a valuable player.

Nov. 19. The Astros traded catcher-outfielder Garrett Stubbs to Philadelphia for Logan Cerny, a minor league prospect. Whatever Cerny eventually becomes, they probably didn’t anticipate Stubbs ramping up his game in Philly. His .275 average is 100 points higher than his Houston work, and he’s carrying a .900 OPS in backup duty. That’s good for a +0.6 WAA.

Nov, 3. Marwin Gonzalez was a 30-something journeyman allowed to walk to free agency because there was no long-term role for him in Houston. Signing with the Yankees, he’s provided his best offensive numbers in five seasons, a .257 average and .725 OPS. It works out to +0.5 WAA.

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