AL Team Owner Said No To Wilson Contreras Trade At Deadline

It's interesting to wonder how this failed trade would have affected the eventual outcome of the 2022 season: According to MLB Insider Jeff Passan, the Chicago Cubs were in agreement with the Houston Astros at the Aug. 2nd trade deadline to trade catcher Willson Contreras for starting pitcher Jose Urquidy. The deal was actually agreed upon. But Astros owner Jim Crane refused to approve the deal. 

According to @JeffPassan, the Chicago Cubs actually agreed on a deal with the Houston Astros before the trade deadline this past season that would've sent Willson Contreras to the Astros for Jose Urquidy.

The owner of the Astros never approved the deal.

— Daniel Greenberg (@ChiSportUpdates) November 6, 2022

The Astros went on to trade for a very different catcher—the defense-first Christian Vazquez, and won the World Series. The issue with acquiring the more offensive-minded Contreras, said manager Dusty Baker, who voiced his opinion at the time, is that he was in his free agent year and would not have been happy with limited playing time. 

“Much as I like Willson Contreras, Urquidy was one of our best pitchers then,” Baker told Passan. “I needed a guy that wasn’t going to complain about not playing every day. And this is his [free agent] year. See, that’s tough. When you trade for a player in his [free agent] year. Everybody’s about numbers and stuff, and I can’t blame them, no doubt. But that’s not what we needed.”

The other major issue with Crane putting the kibosh on the trade is what it says about his relationship with GM James Click. There are plenty of rumors that Click will not have his contract renewed. That decision could come as soon as today. 

Photo: Katie Stratman-USA TODAY Sports