Dusty Baker Blasts Astros’ Front Office for Quiet Offseason

It's hard to win the World Series without a general manager.

And yet, that's essentially what the Houston Astros are trying to do this year. They went nearly the entire winter without a GM, firing James Click a week after winning the Fall Classic and not replacing him until hiring Dana Brown in late January, by which point the offseason was essentially over.

Manager Dusty Baker believes the front-office dysfunction put his team in a tough position to win this year.

Asked whether the Astros considered adding a veteran starter this wintee, Dusty Baker said “you got to ask the powers that be. I got the power, but not the authority. That was always a consideration for me … we didn’t have a general manager in place in order to make that move.”
— Chandler Rome (@Chandler_Rome) February 23, 2023

Houston Astros News

Baker is especially frustrated about Houston's lack of starting pitching depth, which wasn't adequately addressed in the offseason. Ace and Cy Young winner Justin Verlander left in free agency and wasn't replaced, creating a massive hole at the top of the rotation. That hole looks even bigger now given the concerning injury news with Lance McCullers Jr., who won't be ready for the start of the season.

While Baker apparently lobbied for the team to sign a veteran starter to help replace Verlander, his request fell on deaf ears. Aside from signing Jose Abreu to bolster the lineup, the 2022 World Series champs mostly stood pat after winning their second title in six seasons.

Time will tell if the Astros' underwhelming offseason comes back to bite them in the end. They still have most of their juggernaut roster intact and have several promising young players primed to break out as well, setting them up for additional success this year. Houston is currently favored to win the 2023 World Series at +600 on FanDuel Sportsbook's MLB odds.

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