Grading Dana Brown and the Houston Astros front office at the season’s midway point
By Bill Felber
Free agency
Houston’s big off-season splash got a lot of attention, most of it due to the name involved. In late November, former MVP first baseman Jose Abreu agreed to terms on a three-year deal for $58.5 million.
Abreu was considered one of the most valuable players on the free agent market, so the Astros’ ability to sign him (especially given the vacancy at the top of the normal administrative channels) was impressive.
What has not been impressive has been Abreu’s actual performance. One-half season into that three-year deal, he’s batting .236 with just six home runs and 41 RBI, carrying a -1.9 WAA.
Deadlines forced the pre-Brown administration to assume responsibility for free agent decisions on the team’s 2022 roster. There were eight such decisions of substances, Crane, Bagwell and Friends opting to re-sign Michael Brantley, Christian Javier and Rafael Montero … and sacrifice the rest to the marketplace.
‘The rest’ included infielder Aledmys Diaz, first baseman Yuli Gurriel, catcher Christian Vazquez, pitcher Will Smith and the big name, Cy Young Award winner Justin Verlander.
Verlander, of course, signed with the Mets in December for three years and $121.667 million. In New York, he’s been okay, but not Cy Young okay and certainly not $12 million okay. In 57 innings over 10 starts, he’s 2-4 with a 4.11 ERA. That reduces to a modestly positive +0.3 WAA.
Diaz has been the one who has dragged his new team down … and by extension artificially enhanced the Astros’ organizational score. Having landed in Oakland, he’s hitting a hollow .257 with a .528 OPS, creating a -2.0 WAA.