Very Good Play-by-Play Guy Robert Ford started it:
Jeff Luhnow's first move as #Astros GM was to recommend selection of Gonzalez in the 2012 Rule 5 Draft. Wasn't on Astros' radar previously. https://t.co/pQSV4ZVPRk— Robert Ford (@raford3) July 7, 2017
So is Marwin a Wade guy? Or is he a Luhnow guy? LET'S LOOK!
*December 7, 2011: Luhnow is named General Manager of the Astros
*December 8, 2011: Rule 5 draft. The Astros selected Rhiner Cruz from the Mets. Boston selected Marwin Gonzalez from the Cubs and immediately traded him to Houston for Marco Duarte, whom the Astros had just selected from the Rockies in the minor-league portion of the Rule 5 draft. So this would indicate that Marwin is a Luhnow Guy, right? I mean, Luhnow had been GM of the Astros for all of 24 hours and was "in charge."
Not so fast my friend. In the original article on the day's Rule 5 wheeling-and-dealing, Steve Campbell wrote:
"[Rhiner Cruz has] a chance to pitch at the back end of a bullpen," said Astros assistant general manager David Gottfried, who ran the Rule 5 draft instead of new GM Jeff Luhnow.
Gottfried had been with the Astros for 13 years at that point and had been the Assistant GM of Player Relations since 2006. When Ed Wade was fired in November 2011, Gottfried became the interim GM. The Astros did not renew his contract following the 2012 season.
Alyson Footer's late night/early morning tweet prior to the Rule 5 draft indicates that Gottfried and Bobby Heck were running it:
Ford would later tweet that the Marwin/Duarte trade was pre-arranged, as is common in Rule 5 drafts. So our options are:
a) Gottfried and Heck ran the Rule 5 draft and swung the deal for Marwin on Luhnow's first full day.
b) Luhnow suggested the trade to Gottfried and Heck, and they figured it wasn't worth pissing off the New Boss not to do it.
c) All three conspired to make a trade for a Rule 5 pick that would pay off five and a half years later at precisely the time the Astros needed it most.
Got some DMs out to settle this once and for all. This will be updated.
Alyson Footer's late night/early morning tweet prior to the Rule 5 draft indicates that Gottfried and Bobby Heck were running it:
David Gottfried and Bobby Heck will run things for Astros at Rule 5 as originally planned.— Alyson Footer (@alysonfooter) December 8, 2011
Ford would later tweet that the Marwin/Duarte trade was pre-arranged, as is common in Rule 5 drafts. So our options are:
a) Gottfried and Heck ran the Rule 5 draft and swung the deal for Marwin on Luhnow's first full day.
b) Luhnow suggested the trade to Gottfried and Heck, and they figured it wasn't worth pissing off the New Boss not to do it.
c) All three conspired to make a trade for a Rule 5 pick that would pay off five and a half years later at precisely the time the Astros needed it most.
Got some DMs out to settle this once and for all. This will be updated.
