Jeff Bagwell has spent 3 1/2 years around the Astros as a Senior Advisor to baseball ops, and the case being made here is simple: Jim Crane should turn that into a front office promotion and make Bagwell the next GM.
The argument starts with a familiar sports idea. Great players have moved into executive roles before and done it at the highest level.
Ozzie Newsome and John Elway both won Super Bowls as players and later helped build championship teams from the front office. Jerry West is described here as maybe the greatest executive of all-time, while Danny Ainge is cited for helping bring Boston a title in 2008 with deals for Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett.
The common thread in those examples is a blend of big moves and the right core pieces. Elway paired Peyton Manning with Von Miller and won SB 50. Newsome helped put together Baltimore’s foundation with Jonathan Ogden and Ray Lewis in his first draft of 1996, then added players like Ed Reed and Terrell Suggs later on.
The Astros, according to this argument, have already shown that kind of formula works. José Altuve was the anchor, then Springer, Correa and Bregman joined to form the quartet.
Add the deals for Verlander and Ryan Pressley, and that became the nucleus of a championship run. The question now is who gets to build the next era.
The pushback against Bagwell is said to center on three things: budget, meddling and commitment. But the budget complaint is dismissed outright.
The Rays are mentioned as a club that might reach the World Series in several weeks despite ranking 28th in payroll, while the Marlins are pointed to as a low-spending team that could get back into a Wild Card spot. Miami is last in payroll at 82 million.
The point being made is that success can be built without spending like the Dodgers, Mets and Yankees.
There’s also a claim that Houston’s issues this season haven’t just been about injuries. The Astros are said to have been wrong in a number of their pitcher projections.
On the meddling question, the piece argues that ownership influence is part of sports, not a reason to reject a candidate. Brian Cashman is offered as an example of a GM who has stayed in place since 1998 under George Steinbrenner and kept the Yankees in contender status. The relationship between Bagwell and Crane is presented as especially strong, with the 2017 Championship run described as the moment Bagwell got sober and has remained so while building a tremendous relationship with Crane, whom he feels indebted to for helping him through his personal issues.
Finally, there’s the Hall of Fame factor. Bagwell’s 449 homeruns and permanent plaque in Cooperstown are presented as credentials that should carry weight when ownership makes the call.
The view here is that Crane already has someone inside the building who is respected by ownership, players and scouts alike. Bagwell has been in the role for years, and the belief is that he is not going anywhere.
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