Legendary Astros Manager Cites Front Office 'Battles' as Reason For His Exit

Some more information is being revealed by the Houston Astros legendary manager about why he left the team.

Oct 23, 2023; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros manager Dusty Baker (12) before game seven of the ALCS against the Texas Rangers for the 2023 MLB playoffs at Minute Maid Park / Erik Williams-Imagn Images

This season brought some changes to the Houston Astros.

After four years where they were managed by legendary skipper Dusty Baker, he made the decision to retire following their exit in the American League Championship Series.

It seemed like the writing was on the wall he would depart at the end of the 2023 season, and when that officially happened, there was some sporadic information revealed about why he ultimately stepped away.

Well, Baker has unveiled a bit more information regarding his retirement.

"Some of the battles with the front office I've had for a number of years, sometimes you get tired of fighting city hall on something you're sure about," he said during his appearance on The Show With Joel Sherman and Jon Heyman.

A few of those "battles" he's referring to were well documented.

The Astros largely lamented the way he used certain players, specifically when it came to his decision to continue playing catcher Martin Maldanado in lieu of star rookie Yainer Diaz despite the veteran's struggles at the plate.

It's hard to argue with the results Baker produced on the field, though.

Not only did he win the World Series in 2022, but he also made four straight American League Championship Series that extended their AL record to seven, while also winning three out of four AL West titles.

The disagreements regarding playing time were likely much more pronounced than just the conflict surrounding the catcher position, and according to Baker, that wasn't the only thing he had an issue with during his tenure.

"The one thing that kind of bothered me a little bit is I only chose one person on my staff ... That was A.J. Hinch's staff, everybody there but one guy. We had a [blueprint] on how to win, but I wish I coulda had more freedom in choosing my staff," he added.

This whole situation continues to be interesting.

It's becoming more clear that Baker and the front office weren't in lockstep, especially towards the end of his tenure when Dana Brown took over as general manager.

The good news for Houston is that it seems like new skipper Joe Espada and the front office are much more in line with each other, something that will hopefully allow the entire organization to start pulling in the same direction.