Dusty Baker is taking a wait-and-see attitude towards continuing to manage into the 2022 season, telling reporters (including The Associated Press) that it “Depends how I feel. Depends on how the team feels about me….You never know what changes are going to come about in life.” Hired last January in the wake of A.J. Hinch’s sudden firing, Baker guided the Astros to a wild card berth and then an unexpected run to Game Seven of the ALCS, falling just shy of the franchise’s third AL pennant in four seasons.
Baker is the first manager in baseball history to lead five different franchises to the postseason, adding yet another plaudit to a managerial career that has now stretched to 23 seasons. Last June, Houston exercised its club option on Baker for the 2021 season, though it remains unknown if an extension could be in the offing (Baker made no allusion to any negotiations during his media session). Baker also turns 72 in June, so he could potentially decide to retire after one more year in the dugout.
More from the AL West…
- Also from Baker, he told MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart and other reporters that the Astros are focusing on adding pitching, with “our bullpen probably first. That’s a premium area right now, and then maybe you go to position players and you go to a starter, not necessarily in that order.” Recent reports linked the Astros to the Liam Hendriks market, which would arguably be the biggest possible addition any team could make to their bullpen this winter.
- The Rangers have been one of the offseason’s busiest teams to date, and GM Chris Young told reporters (including the Fort Worth Star-Telegram’s Jeff Wilson) that the club still has more items on its shopping list. The Rangers are looking to add starting pitching, catching, and third base help, with the latter position perhaps being the most interesting considering Elvis Andrus and Nick Solak are already on hand as internal candidates. Both are defensively suspect at the hot corner, however — Solak has limited career playing time at third base, and Andrus has never played anywhere other than shortstop over his 12-year career. Gold Glove winner Isiah Kiner-Falefa will be moving from third base to take over Andrus’ former spot at shortstop.
- Since the Athletics reportedly don’t have much available to spend this offseason, their chances of making any notable free agent additions or even re-signing some of their own free agents don’t seem great, the San Francisco Chronicle’s Susan Slusser writes as part of a reader mailbag. Signing a player like Ha-Seong Kim seems very unlikely given Kim’s expected price tag, and while the A’s have had some talks with Tommy La Stella’s camp, Slusser would “be surprised” if a reunion actually takes place since La Stella should have enough suitors to take him out of Oakland’s price range. In terms of possible returns, Yusmeiro Petit or Joakim Soria might be the likeliest candidates among the Athletics’ free agents, and Mike Fiers could also be re-signed since the A’s might want some rotation depth or perhaps a swingman.
- In other AL West news from earlier today, the Angels and Mariners each signed new relievers, while the Rangers swung a trade with the Reds.
Sources from the Bay Area are saying that A’s and Semien are working out a long-term deal.
(fans with sources)
What’s the pay? $1000 to Outback Steakhouse and health insurance? How can MLB accept a system where teams like the A’s and Rays behave like this?
@BK Man your exactly right it’s mine boggling MLB tolerates it!!
I think you mean how do the teams allow MLB to create a have and have not system where the big market teams continue to pile on $$$ while small market teams are expected to be creative to survive.
That’s what revenue sharing is supposed to fix, unfortunately for the smaller markets there was no revenue sharing this year.
The A’s have been competitive without spending like most teams, granted that doesn’t get fans in the stands or apparently wins in the post season. For me, I pay my subscription to Extra Innings and I watch them win 98 games the past 3 seasons (prorated for 2020) and then I can spend early October watching one A’s wild card game and then go golfing and watch football the rest of the Fall.
I like that rather than my fare weather friends in Philly who don’t know 3 players on the Phillies and won’t care until they get into the playoffs in the next 4 years.
Care to share said sources?
How many arms did Baker ruin in his career?? Over or under a dozen?
Way over.
tired narrative
Hendricks basically found a new gear in 2019, but you wonder if he can keep those results rolling in. He’s headed to age 32 and likely wants a monster contract – probably his last.
Still, wonder why we haven’t heard more about the higher end contenders being in on him. Needs to go to anyone but houston.
Sorry if this hurts your butt, but Houston is a higher end contender…
Conclusion of Rangers shopping list SP Walker and Williams/Sugano
3b Kim Please!!!! Franco or M.Gonzales if not Kim to place hold for Jung
C. Castro, Flowers or trade for Perez in Cleveland.
Double-dip wish that doesn’t sound reasonable but could have huge ancillary benefits sign Wainwright for 1-5 million and Molina 1/12 m with 8 mil team option for 22. Wainwright eats innings, helps young pitchers, Molina helps Trevino, now and Huff in Aug and helps young pitchers. Something to consider.
Vacate the 2017 World Series title
Yaaaaaawn….get some new material.
A.L. West Notes: Astros cheated
I am so happy that we are making moves this off-season. Go get Curt Cusali, Sugano, and Kim please! Make this team even more watchable than it already is!
Forgot about Casali, that would be a good move. Sugano and Kim are musts. I think due to them wanting to limit Cody and probably Palumbo’s innings if he gets a chance and to a lesser degree Dunnings. Rangers likely need a least two more starters other than Sugano. Do not really want to see Allard or Liles on the mound in anything but relief appearances. So, if the Rangers could add Tajuan Walker and or Trevor Williams, I think we would be in good shape.
No, just piggyback Cody and Dunning. Like how last season it was always Cody-King as a duo. You’d have something like Dunning-Hearn and Cody-Palumbo or Cody-Cotton (who we just signed). The rotation could then be:
Sugano
Dunning-Hearn
Cody-Cotton
Gibson
Probably Lyles (sry, but it’s likely)
Then you don’t have to go out and sign two more starters. Save some money for 2022′.
my prediction was the Angels and Athletics effectively swap Simmons and Semian. A’s pay a little less on a short deal for Simmons to rebulid his value, while Halos get a seeming more sure bet for a bit more.
Angels ruined that prediction with Iglesias the first. I had picked the same as you.
That’s what I thought would happen at the start of free agency. I still think that Simmons will go to the Athletics and make it the best infield defense in baseball, but I don’t see the Angels targeting Semien after trading for Jose Iglesias.
Astros are pathetic
Still a good team
So is your comment
If A’s owner John Fisher does not feel like spending then why not selling the team? Plenty of suitors including Warriors owner Joe Jacob…
@julyn it’s very sad MLB tolerates it!! If Joe Jacob owned the A’s it would be a night and day difference! Fisher doesn’t care about winning just collecting his millions every year!
Ah dusty, he can get a team to the postseason but can’t ever win. The man cannot manage a bullpen. Dusty is a forevergiant but he’s a terrible manager. The giants loss in 02 was 100% on dusty baker just like the rays loss this year is 100% on Kevin Cash.
It’s Lacob….
Correct. Thanks, mate…
Dusty Baker is a class act.
Forget about teams like the Astros and Athletics spending big money this offseason – and that’s true for a lot of teams. Collectively all the teams in baseball lost over $3 billion this year, so an average of $100 loss/team. With the uncertainty over when and how fans will return, just don’t see the owners tossing a lot of $$ around.
Baker is a good player’s manager. He’s well-liked and keeps everyone loose, but his teams that made the playoffs always had a ton of talent. So the talent is always the driving force behind the wins. He’s an absolutely atrocious game-manager. That’s why his teams never win anything, beyond regular season. He lacks any sort of strategic skills. In the playoffs, the pressure builds, each game is important, and strategy is of the utmost importance. That’s when he spectacularly fails.
Meh. He did fine in 2020