Latest news with #JeffLuhnow
Yahoo
11-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Former Astros GM reveals how close Houston was to trading for Bryce Harper
With the MLB trade deadline on the horizon, there is a chance for teams to land star players to bolster their rosters. Ahead of this year's deadline, there aren't likely to be any major trades. But around a decade ago, the Houston Astros nearly pulled such a blockbuster off. During an interview with Chandler Rome and Tyler Stafford on the Crush City Territory podcast, former Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow revealed the story behind the team's pursuit of, at the time, Washington Nationals superstar Bryce Harper. "Bryce Harper. That deal was done. Players agreed to." Luhnow said. "The only thing left was ownership approval. And the ownership said no, even though they had kind of pre-cleared the deal. That was huge, and would've changed a lot of stuff, for sure." Advertisement Not only were the Astros talking with the Nationals for Harper, but a deal was, essentially, completed. As Luhnow mentions, the ownership has the final say, and they backed out of the deal despite being interested in it before its final terms came to fruition. It's a major miss, as Harper has been one of the best hitters in baseball throughout his entire career. Of course, the Astros might've only had Harper for half a season, since he was a rental and would hit the open market in the offseason. But, with how great the Astros were in 2018, winning 101 games, they might've been able to get further than they did, losing to the Boston Red Sox in the ALCS. If they had landed Harper, he might've bolstered the 2018 squad to the World Series and to face the Los Angeles Dodgers for the second year in a row. MORE: Astros rookie Cam Smith could earn MLB award amid breakout season Advertisement While such a scenario didn't happen, it's still very interesting that the Astros were so close to having one of baseball's best players on their roster. Harper is putting together a Hall of Fame career, and he could've spent, even if briefly, time in Houston. What makes this sting even more is that the players Houston was planning to send to Washington haven't amounted to much in their professional baseball careers. This potential blockbuster would've been a steal. The five players Houston was going to send were Randy Ceser, Abraham Toro, Josh James, JB Bukauskas, and Kent Emanuel. Only Toro has carved out a solid MLB career, as the other four haven't had the career that would've made the Astros regret such a deal. While missing out on Harper stings, the Astros were fortunate enough to win the World Series the previous year, and ironically, four years later, over Harper's new team, the Philadelphia Phillies. Advertisement Luhnow's story of this trade falling through is unfortunate. Having one of the game's best players on the roster, even if for only half a season, would've made for a fun time in Astros history. MORE MLB NEWS:
New York Times
11-07-2025
- Business
- New York Times
Former Astros exec Jeff Luhnow says teams have reached out about potential MLB roles: ‘I don't think I'm blackballed'
HOUSTON — Former Houston Astros president of baseball operations Jeff Luhnow does not believe he is 'blackballed' from returning to Major League Baseball, but he said he's 'moved on' following his dismissal in 2020 and subsequent yearlong suspension for Houston's illegal sign-stealing scheme in 2017. Advertisement Appearing on the 'Crush City Territory' podcast Friday morning, Luhnow acknowledged that 'two or three' MLB owners have contacted him to gauge his interest in returning. He declined to identify the owners — and also declined their overtures. 'I don't think I'm blackballed from baseball like some people think,' Luhnow said. 'I know I would do a good job. I know that for a fact. But the reality is I've moved on. I'm very happy.' Luhnow also discussed his highly criticized 2018 trade for Roberto Osuna, who was serving a league suspension for violating MLB's domestic violence policy. Luhnow admitted he underestimated the impact the move would have on fans. Luhnow is now chief executive officer of Blue Crow Sports Group, which he founded in July 2021. The company owns soccer clubs in Spain, the Czech Republic, the United Arab Emirates and Cancún. During his podcast appearance Friday, Luhnow revealed that the group just acquired another team from France. 'I've had two or three owners contact me and ask me if I was interested in either a role as GM or another, different role where I'd oversee the sporting operation,' Luhnow said. 'In all cases I said no because, at the time, I was raising money and starting my company.' Astros owner Jim Crane fired Luhnow and manager A.J. Hinch in January 2020 following a league investigation into the team's illegal sign-stealing scheme in 2017. Luhnow later filed a $22 million lawsuit against the Astros for breach of contract, claiming a 'negotiated resolution' between Crane and commissioner Rob Manfred led to his firing. The suit was dismissed in February 2021 after both sides 'resolved their differences.' On Friday, Luhnow said he has not attended an MLB game or visited Daikin Park since his dismissal, though he is amenable to returning under select circumstances. Advertisement 'If the organization ever felt like inviting me, I'd be more than happy to,' Luhnow said. 'I don't want to distract from what's going on there, and I think me being there would attract some attention. 'I am very proud of the fact that the Astros… there is no dynasty in the 21st century that comes close at this point. I know I wasn't there for the whole thing. I was just there in the beginning but put them on a good course and am very happy about what happened.' Luhnow discussed several other topics in the 54-minute episode, including the agreed-upon 2018 deal with the Washington Nationals for Bryce Harper that failed when the Nationals' ownership didn't approve, in addition to Houston's trade for Osuna. The Astros were heavily criticized for the Usuna trade. When the team clinched the American League pennant in 2019, Astros assistant general manager Brandon Taubman was heard yelling 'Thank God we got Osuna! I'm so f—— glad we got Osuna!' during the postgame celebration. His comments were reported by several outlets, including Sports Illustrated's Stephanie Apstein, and the Astros initially accused reporters of fabricating the incident, which was corroborated by several witnesses. The team eventually fired Taubman. In the podcast, Luhnow detailed the vetting process he went through before acquiring Osuna, but he admitted that he should have asked for more opinions about adding a player serving a domestic violence suspension beforehand. 'I didn't take into account as much as I should have the impact it would have on our fans, especially our female fans and how they would feel,' Luhnow said. 'And that was a mistake. And I did talk about it with female friends and family, but I probably should have spent a little bit more time thinking about it. 'Yes, I made the decision to trade for them. I did not do it unilaterally. Advertisement 'The talent checked the box for sure. Everybody that was around me that I collaborated with was — there was nobody saying, 'Don't do it.' Because if someone had said, 'Don't do it,' I mean, obviously, we wouldn't have done it.' From a talent perspective, Luhnow isn't ready to say the deal, which sent Ken Giles to the Toronto Blue Jays, was a mistake. 'That's a tough one. I mean, I will say, he's been a pretty good pitcher,' Luhnow said. 'He got injured, and he hasn't been really able to pitch in the U.S., but he's been a good pitcher. 'Did he help us accomplish our goals on the field? To a certain extent, he did. I still think he could have been better.' Luhnow says if he had to do it again, he wouldn't have made the deal. 'I learned a lot from that experience,' he said, 'and I think I would do things differently today than I did then.'
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Leganes part ways with Borja Jimenez following relegation
Leganes have confirmed that they have parted ways with manager Borja Jimenez, who was out of contract at the end of the season. Los Pepineros saw themselves succumb to relegation on Saturday, despite beating Real Valladolid 3-0, as Espanyol managed to beat Las Palmas. It was disappointing end to the campaign for Leganes, who managed to beat Barcelona and Atletico Madrid, making it to 40 points, but still narrowly missing out on survival. With a small budget, most had considered that Leganes and Jimenez had done well to come this far. Leganes announce Borja Jimenez departure Jimenez was out of contract this summer, and it appears that he was not offered the chance to continue in Segunda. Owner Jeff Luhnow and Director of Football Andres Pardo will give a press conference on Monday afternoon to explain the decision, but they have confirmed that Jimenez will not continue. He himself had noted that he felt his continuity was in doubt during the final weeks of the season. Advertisement Taking charge of Leganes at the start of last season, Jimenez guided Leganes to the Segunda title and an unexpected promotion. The 40-year-old former Deportivo La Coruna manager will now be on the hunt for fresh opportunities. Borja Jimenez press conference Uncertainty at Leganes was not appreciated by dressing room Just a few days before the relegation decider this past Saturday, midfielder Renato Tapia gave an alarming interview in which he admitted that some of the work behind the scenes at Leganes had hindered their survival bid. He told Relevo that not everyone had put in the same level of effort. 'Things have happened throughout the season that really haven't helped us. We're the players who take to the field, and some more, some less; we're the ones who are there, we're the ones who want to be there, the ones who truly know what's happening within the club. I think that in the end, when it's all over, many will surely be able to hold their heads high and say that we fought for this, for the shirt, for the badge… and no doubt others won't be able to say the same.' 'Maybe so [did it damage the team?], I don't know. We'd have to ask each player individually. I think people see that; they're not stupid. Rather than leaving it to the imagination of the people and the fans, we have to remember that, in the end, we're the ones here putting our chests out and trying to get through this situation. Then, I could tell you the rest: one yes and one no, maybe the board, maybe the sporting director who shouldn't have left, or the player who should have been renewed… I think we're professionals and we owe it to the team and the club until the end of our contract, and that doesn't mean it should hinder you from doing what you have to do.'
