Owner: Astros ‘in discussions’ with GM on deal
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Jeff PassanESPN
In a news conference to welcome back Dusty Baker as manager of the Houston Astros, team owner Jim Crane tiptoed around questions regarding general manager James Click, saying he was “in discussions” with the World Series-winning general manager on a new deal.
Click’s lame-duck status continues to hang over the organization following the Oct. 31 expiration of his contract. Conflict within the organization on baseball operations decision-making persisted throughout the Astros’ championship run this season, sources told ESPN, and Click’s reticence to accept Crane’s one-year contract offer was the talk of baseball’s GM meetings in Las Vegas, where Click arrived Monday after the team’s parade through Houston.
Baker and Click were hired in 2020 after Crane fired manager A.J. Hinch and GM Jeff Luhnow after the revelation of the team’s sign-stealing scheme during its championship-winning 2017 season. The Astros reached the American League Championship Series in 2020 and lost in the World Series in 2021 before beating the Philadelphia Phillies in six games to win the title this season.
“James has done a good job,” Crane said. “He’s stepped in, made some good moves. We’ll sit down and see where we’re going to end up with James.”
The return of Baker, whose 2,093 regular-season wins rank ninth all-time and lead active managers, was seen as a fait accompli after Houston’s title. The 73-year-old, who became the oldest manager to win a championship, had said previously that when he won his first championship as a manager, he planned to chase another. Crane said he and Baker worked out the deal for him to return to the 106-win team within 15 minutes.
“How many times in your life do you say something and then have the opportunity to fulfill it?” Baker said. “And that’s how I feel at this moment. Wasn’t just talking. I meant what I said, and I love keeping my word. So, hey, man, we got a chance to win back-to-back, and this is what I’d like to do.”
Baker said he has a “good relationship” with Click and that “we’ve accomplished some good things together in a short period of time. And so people always looking for if there’s some conflict or not getting along or whatever, but that’s not the case.”
Before the trade deadline, Baker blanched at an agreed-upon deal with the Chicago Cubs that would have landed All-Star catcher Willson Contreras for starter Jose Urquidy. Crane wound up spiking the trade. Baker said he and Click, who came to the Astros from the Tampa Bay Rays, do not always see eye to eye but have learned to work well together.
“You come from two different places,” Baker said. “Everybody in here comes from different places, but the secret is to learn how to coexist in the workplace and that’s what makes a successful formula.”
Click, 44, said Tuesday he was “optimistic” he would return to the Astros, whose baseball operations department he continues to run even though he’s not under contract. Generally, the top executives for World Series-winning teams return the next season with multiple years remaining on their contracts or receive long-term extensions. The last time a head of baseball operations didn’t return to steward his team the next season was 75 years ago, when New York Yankees general manager Larry MacPhail resigned.
Click could leave the Astros and sit out the 2023 season or work in a top role in another organization like Alex Anthopoulos, who left his position as GM of the Toronto Blue Jays following the hiring of president Mark Shapiro and spent two years as a vice president with the Los Angeles Dodgers before taking over as president of baseball operations for Atlanta.
While it’s unclear who would run baseball operations for Houston if Click left, the influence of Hall of Famers Jeff Bagwell and Reggie Jackson on Crane grew this year, sources said. Further, David Stearns, a former Houston assistant GM under Luhnow who remains well-regarded by Crane, stepped down as the Milwaukee Brewers‘ president of baseball operations in October and could rejoin the Astros after his contract expires at the end of the 2023 season.
If Click does remain with the Astros, he’ll do so with Baker as his manager for at least one year — and perhaps longer. Baker left open the possibility of him continuing to manage beyond 2023. When asked about the love he feels from the city and Astros players, Baker offered an answer that applies perhaps best to Click’s situation.
“Love goes both ways,” Baker said. “You hate to be in love and the other person don’t love you.”
The 2025 MLB All-Star Home Run Derby is fast approaching — and the field is set.
Braves hometown hero Ronald Acuna Jr. became the first player to commit to the event, which will be held at Truist Park in Atlanta on July 14 (8 p.m. ET on ESPN). He was followed by MLB home run leader Cal Raleigh of the Seattle Mariners, James Wood of the Washington Nationals, Byron Buxton of the Minnesota Twins, Oneil Cruz of the Pittsburgh Pirates, Junior Caminero of the Tampa Bay Rays, Brent Rooker of the Athletics and Jazz Chisholm Jr. of the New York Yankees.
On Friday, however, Acuna was replaced by teammate Matt Olson.
With all the entrants announced, let’s break down their chances at taking home this year’s Derby prize.
Full All-Star Game coverage: How to watch, schedule, rosters, more
2025 home runs: 17 | Longest: 434 feet
Why he could win: Olson is a late replacement for Acuna as the home team’s representative at this year’s Derby. Apart from being the Braves’ first baseman, however, Olson also was born in Atlanta and grew up a Braves fan, giving him some extra motivation. The left-handed slugger led the majors in home runs in 2023 — his 54 round-trippers that season also set a franchise record — and he remains among the best in the game when it comes to exit velo and hard-hit rate.
Why he might not: The home-field advantage can also be a detriment if a player gets too hyped up in the first round. See Julio Rodriguez in Seattle in 2023, when he had a monster first round, with 41 home runs, but then tired out in the second round.
2025 home runs: 36 | Longest: 440 feet
Why he could win: It’s the season of Cal! The Mariners’ catcher is having one of the greatest slugging first halves in MLB history, as he’s been crushing mistakes all season . His easy raw power might be tailor-made for the Derby — he ranks in the 87th percentile in average exit velocity and delivers the ball, on average, at the optimal home run launch angle of 23 degrees. His calm demeanor might also be perfect for the contest as he won’t get too amped up.
Why he might not: He’s a catcher — and one who has carried a heavy workload, playing in all but one game this season. This contest is as much about stamina as anything, and whether Raleigh can carry his power through three rounds would be a concern. No catcher has ever won the Derby, with only Ivan Rodriguez back in 2005 even reaching the finals.
2025 home runs: 24 | Longest: 451 feet
Why he could win: He’s big, he’s strong, he’s young, he’s awesome, he might or might not be able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. This is the perfect opportunity for Wood to show his talent on the national stage, and he wouldn’t be the first young player to star in the Derby. He ranks in the 97th percentile in average exit velocity and 99th percentile in hard-hit rate, so he can still muscle the ball out in BP even if he slightly mishits it. His long arms might be viewed as a detriment, but remember the similarly tall Aaron Judge won in 2017.
Why he might not: His natural swing isn’t a pure uppercut — he has a pretty low average launch angle of just 6.2 degrees — so we’ll see how that plays in a rapid-fire session. In real games, his power is primarily to the opposite field, but in a Home Run Derby you can get more cheapies pulling the ball down the line.
2025 home runs: 20 | Longest: 479 feet
Why he could win: Buxton’s raw power remains as impressive as nearly any hitter in the game. He crushed a 479-foot home run earlier this season and has four others of at least 425 feet. Indeed, his “no doubter” percentage — home runs that would be out of all 30 parks based on distance — is 75%, the highest in the majors among players with more than a dozen home runs. His bat speed ranks in the 89th percentile. In other words, two tools that could translate to a BP lightning show.
Why he might not: Buxton is 31 and the Home Run Derby feels a little more like a younger man’s competition. Teoscar Hernandez did win last year at age 31, but before that, the last winner older than 29 was David Ortiz in 2010, and that was under much different rules than are used now.
2025 home runs: 16 | Longest: 463 feet
Why he could win: If you drew up a short list of players everyone wants to see in the Home Run Derby, Cruz would be near the top. He has the hardest-hit ball of the 2025 season, and the hardest ever tracked by Statcast, a 432-foot missile of a home run with an exit velocity of 122.9 mph. He also crushed a 463-foot home run in Anaheim that soared way beyond the trees in center field. With his elite bat speed — 100th percentile — Cruz has the ability to awe the crowd with a potentially all-time performance.
Why he might not: Like all first-time contestants, can he stay within himself and not get too caught up in the moment? He has a long swing, which will result in some huge blasts, but might not be the most efficient for a contest like this one, where the more swings a hitter can get in before the clock expires, the better.
2025 home runs: 23 | Longest: 425 feet
Why he could win: Although Caminero was one of the most hyped prospects entering 2024, everyone kind of forgot about him heading into this season since he didn’t immediately rip apart the majors as a rookie. In his first full season, however, he has showed off his big-time raw power — giving him a chance to become just the third player to reach 40 home runs in his age-21 season. He has perhaps the quickest bat in the majors, ranking in the 100th percentile in bat speed, and his top exit velocity ranks in the top 15. That could translate to a barrage of home runs.
Why he might not: In game action, Caminero does hit the ball on the ground quite often — in fact, he’s on pace to break Jim Rice’s record for double plays grounded into in a season. If he gets out of rhythm, that could lead to a lot of low line drives during the Derby instead of fly balls that clear the fences.
2025 home runs: 19 | Longest: 440 feet
Why he could win: The Athletics slugger has been one of the top power hitters in the majors for three seasons now and is on his way to a third straight 30-homer season. Rooker has plus bat speed and raw power, but his biggest strength is an optimal average launch angle (19 degrees in 2024, 15 degrees this season) that translates to home runs in game action. That natural swing could be picture perfect for the Home Run Derby. He also wasn’t shy about saying he wanted to participate — and maybe that bodes well for his chances.
Why he might not: Rooker might not have quite the same raw power as some of the other competitors, as he has just one home run longer than 425 feet in 2025. But that’s a little nitpicky, as 11 of his home runs have still gone 400-plus feet. He competed in the college home run derby in Omaha while at Mississippi State in 2016 and finished fourth.
2025 home runs: 17 | Longest: 442 feet
Why he could win: Chisholm might not be the most obvious name to participate, given his career high of 24 home runs, but he has belted 17 already in 2025 in his first 61 games after missing some time with an injury. He ranks among the MLB leaders in a couple of home run-related categories, ranking in the 96th percentile in expected slugging percentage and 98th percentile in barrel rate. His raw power might not match that of the other participants, but he’s a dead-pull hitter who has increased his launch angle this season, which might translate well to the Derby, even if he won’t be the guy hitting the longest home runs.
Why he might not: Most of the guys who have won this have been big, powerful sluggers. Chisholm is listed at 5-foot-11, 184 pounds, and you have to go back to Miguel Tejada in 2004 to find the last player under 6 foot to win.
CHICAGO — Chicago White Sox great Paul Konerko got a present from one No. 14 to another in honor of the 20th anniversary of the 2005 World Series championship run: a jersey signed by noted Chicago fan Pope Leo XIV.
Cardinal Blase Cupich, the archbishop of Chicago, presented Konerko a jersey with the new pontiff’s signature on the back during a ceremony prior to the game against the Cleveland Guardians. It had the six-time All-Star’s last name and “Pope Leo” above the No. 14.
Robert Prevost became the first pope from the U.S. in the history of the Catholic Church when he was elected on May 8. The Chicago-born missionary, who took the name Leo XIV, is a White Sox fan.
Prevost attended the 2005 World Series opener against Houston in Chicago. He watched from Section 140, Row 19, Seat 2 as the White Sox beat the Astros 5-3 on the way to a four-game sweep and their first title since 1917.
In May, the team unveiled a graphic installation near the seat paying tribute to Pope Leo and that moment. The pillar artwork features a waving Pope Leo XIV, along with a picture from the TV broadcast of the future pope sitting with good friend Ed Schmit and his grandson, Eddie.
Members of the 2005 team are in Chicago this weekend to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the championship run. The White Sox debuted uniform patches honoring late closer Bobby Jenks, who died last week in Portugal, where he was being treated for stomach cancer. On Friday, the team unveiled a statue of former ace Mark Buehrle.
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