Biggest Takeaways from Week 23's MLB Action

Just when you thought the off-field action had subsided, big changes in the dugout and front office for three teams have dominated the headlines as we enter the home stretch of MLB's regular season.

Upheavals in Arizona, Houston and Texas may have taken center stage, but there was plenty of notable on-field action during the 23rd week of the season, including the continued slides of one-time playoff locks and the resurgence of teams that, at one point or another this season, were all but left for dead.

There's a lot to process, so let's take a look at what we've learned over the past week of action.

Houston's Managerial Job Isn't as Attractive as It Should Be

Alex Brandon/Associated Press

While of similar stature, Jeff Luhnow and Bo Porter could never figure out how to see eye-to-eye.

Put aside the Houston Astros' 61-79 record for a moment and consider all the reasons why a manager who is looking for a new job would jump at the chance to manage them:

• Take over a team that has a decent rotation, some young, up-and-coming position players (Jon Singleton, George Springer) and a second baseman in Jose Altuve who, while defensively challenged, leads baseball in hits (196) and batting average (.341).
• The organization has one of the deepest, most talented farm systems in the game, with reinforcements expected to arrive in the major leagues at a steady pace moving forward.
• Live and work in a state without personal income tax.

Shortly before Houston decided to part ways with manager Bo Porter, Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal wrote that a rift had grown between Porter and general manager Jeff Luhnow, who was said to be "second-guessing" Porter's in-game management. Luhnow later refuted Rosenthal's report, as MLB.com's Brian McTaggart detailed:

"

I don't tinker with lineups, and I don't tell people when to hit and run. That's not my job. That's the manager's job. There are times where I'm going to ask questions about it. That's natural, that's communication, and make sure we're all aligned and things are being done for the right reasons.

"

Except Rosenthal wasn't the only person to file such a report. USA Today's Paul White wrote, "We know today who's more powerful in the Astros hierarchy—Luhnow, who others on the Astros staff say often weighed in with Porter on in-game strategy and even lineup composition."

The truth, of course, likely lies in the gray area between the reports and Luhnow's response. But it's pretty clear that he's more of a hands-on, micro-managing general manager than many of his counterparts around the league. 

It's hard to imagine any established skipper taking the reins with the knowledge that the general manager is going to be looking constantly over his shoulder. That leaves the Astros to choose from a number of unproven coaches who are looking for their first shot in the big chair—just like Porter was two years ago.

The Redbirds Have Returned

When St. Louis manager Mike Matheny woke up a week ago, his Cardinals trailed the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Central by 1.5 games and were in a four-way battle for one of the two available wild-card berths with San Francisco, Atlanta and Pittsburgh.

Waking up today, Matheny finds his Cardinals no longer thinking about the wild card, as they are three games ahead of the Brewers and five ahead of the Pirates in the division. As he recently told MLB.com's Mike Bauman, he couldn't be prouder of his club:

"

It's also pretty special to watch how these guys have fought, from behind, when things would get tough, watching them get tougher. Seeing the various characters step in. We've seen great leadership from the veterans, we've seen different guys step in, [On Wednesday] Peter Bourjos got a big hit. And it's been nice to see some of the young guys come through, as well. We've been playing the game with a lot of heart. And that's what any coach or manager would love to see.

"

A return to health by catcher Yadier Molina and starting pitcher Michael Wacha has only emboldened a team that many pegged as the best in the National League heading into the regular season. A three-game sweep of the Pirates and splitting the first two games of a series with the Brewers were evidence of that.

"One of the things you learn early in your career is that it matters where you end," general manager John Mozeliak told Bauman. "Obviously, getting off to a good start helps, but if you finish strong and allow yourself to take that next step, the timing of playing well late has value."

The real value lies in the fact that, for the first time this season, the Cardinals sit in control of their playoff destiny.

The Offseason Won't Just Be About Player Movement

Ed Zurga/Getty Images

While free agency and trades typically dominate the winter months in baseball, a number of intriguing jobs have opened up within the past week.

Besides Houston, which we've already touched on, Texas manager Ron Washington resigned suddenly on Friday to focus on a personal matter. The matter was not drug-related* as some had speculated, general manager Jon Daniels told reporters, including Gerry Fraley of The Dallas Morning News.

As we looked at earlier this week, those two teams may not be the only ones with openings in the dugout this winter. Minnesota, New York (NL) and San Diego could all be looking for new managers, and with the team's recent slide, it's fair to speculate on the future of Ron Roenicke in Milwaukee should the Brewers fail to reach the playoffs.

Arizona made waves off the field this week as well when the Diamondbacks fired general manager Kevin Towers, a move that ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick says isn't good news for manager Kirk Gibson. Gibson, who has seemingly been on the hot seat ever since the D-Backs hired Tony LaRussa to run their baseball operations in May, has led the team to only one winning season in four full years on the job.

One industry source disputes the notion that LaRussa will take over for Gibson next season, per Crasnick, but the Hall of Fame manager already bought two key members of his coaching staffs in Oakland and St. Louis—Dave Duncan and Dave McKay—into the organization.

How things develop with all of these teams in the weeks and months ahead will be fascinating to watch. Will they look to the old school, pegging a manager (and general manager) who already has extensive major league experience? Or will we see some new faces get a chance to shine?

*Washington admitted to cocaine use in 2009, his second year as Rangers manager, in spring training 2010. He offered to resign, but the Rangers refused to accept his offer, according to The Denver Post.

You Know What Happens When You Assume Things, Right?

Associated Press

It's becoming hard for Gerardo Parra and the rest of the Brew Crew to hide their frustration.

Over the first five months of the regular season, it was a foregone conclusion that the Milwaukee Brewers and Oakland Athletics were going to be playing meaningful baseball in October.

One week into the season's sixth and final month, both teams are fighting for their playoff lives.

While Milwaukee stopped the bleeding of a nine-game losing streak on Friday night with a much-needed victory over St. Louis, the Brewers are in trouble.

"Yeah, this was important," manager Ron Roenicke told Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel after the victory. "Tomorrow is just as important. But it's nice to play another good ball game and to get the win. We played a good game yesterday and didn't get the win, so it was nice today."

Every game the Brewers play is important, as they now sit three games behind the Cardinals in the National League Central and find themselves in danger of losing their grip on the second National League wild-card spot. Atlanta (one game back) and Pittsburgh (two games back) are still very much threats.

Oakland hasn't embarked on a nine-game losing streak like Milwaukee, but the A's have dropped three in a row and eight of their last 10.

That includes a four-game sweep at the hands of Los Angeles, which essentially handed the Angels the American League West crown, and two of three to Seattle, which sits only two games behind the A's for the top wild-card berth in the AL.

Detroit also figures prominently into the picture, being only a half game behind the Mariners in the wild-card race, while Cleveland, New York and Toronto remain in the hunt, all within five games of the top three teams.

Unlike the Brewers, who face a brutal 12-game stretch from Sept. 12-25 that finds them facing Cincinnati (twice), Pittsburgh and St. Louis—with the last nine of those games on the road—the A's remaining schedule is rather easy, with only six games left against winning teams (at Seattle, Sept. 12-14 and vs. Los Angeles, Sept. 22-24).

Whether these clubs can get rolling before those key games arrive on their schedules remains to be seen.

The Cubs Are Going to Be a Force in 2015

Fans of the Chicago Cubs have patiently waited to see some evidence that the rebuilding plan put in place by general manager Jed Hoyer and team president Theo Epstein back in 2011 would pan out.

Over the past week, they've gotten just that.

The Cubs are the National League's only undefeated team in September. You would have thought that it was the Cubs, and not the Milwaukee Brewers, who were in the middle of a heated playoff race if you didn't know any better.

The Cubs outscored the Brew Crew 17-5 in a three-game sweep, despite playing without injured stars Anthony Rizzo, out with a back injury since late August, and Starlin Castro, who injured his ankle early in the second game of that series. According to the Chicago Sun-Times' Gordon Wittenmyer, both could miss the rest of the season.

In their place, youngsters like Javier Baez and Jorge Soler and unheralded role-playing veterans such as Chris Valaika have all contributed, whether at the plate or in the field.

“We’re playing good baseball right now,” Valaika told Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune. “I’ve seen it all year with these guys at Triple-A and coming up there and having success. I’m very proud of the way they’re going about it. If we keep this rolling, showing teams we can play going into next year, I think we’ll have something special.’’

He might be on to something.

The experience that players like Baez, Soler and Arismendy Alcantara are getting down the stretch is invaluable and will only benefit them in the long run. Coupled with the arrival of slugging third baseman Kris Bryant (and possibly outfielder Albert Almora and catcher Kyle Schwarber), the Cubs will have one of the most talented young cores in all of baseball.

At the very least, this recent stretch offers hope that a return to relevance is just around the corner.

But when you factor in a return to health for Castro and Rizzo and whatever additions the team makes over the winter—remember, the Cubs have deep pockets—all of a sudden, you could be looking at a legitimate playoff contender a year from now.

All statistics courtesy of Baseball-Reference and are current through Sept. 5.

Want to talk baseball? Hit me up on Twitter: @RickWeinerBR