Dusty Baker Re-Signed With the Astros in 2021 — What Were the Terms of His Contract?

Dusty Baker has had one of the more prolific careers in Major League Baseball, spanning over 50 years. Before beginning his managerial career with the San Francisco Giants in 1993, Baker was an outfielder for the Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Dodgers, San Francisco Giants and Oakland Athletics.

As a player, Baker experienced the most success as a member of the Dodgers, becoming a two-time All Star, two-time Silver Slugger Award winner, a Gold Glove award, and became the first NLCS MVP. Baker also won the World Series with the Dodgers in 1981.

After his career as a player, Baker went on to become a very successful manager with several teams. His tenure with the Giants, the first ball club he managed, came just seven years after his last at-bat in 1986. Fast forward nearly 30 years later, Baker now finds himself as the manager of the Houston Astros, in the midst of a 7-game series against the Philadelphia Phillies in the World Series.

Last year, after the unfortunate loss to the Braves in the World Series, Baker was at the end of his deal with the Astros. However, in November of 2021, it was announced that Baker would be returning for one more year as the Astros manager (which has paid off once again). What exactly were the terms of his contract?

Factoring in Baker’s two-year contract from 2015 when he joined the Washington Nationals, which was around $4 million, it’s estimated that Baker’s current one-year deal with the Astros is around $1.5 million. It’s pretty rare that a manager on a one-year deal takes a team to the World Series, but Baker has managed to do it at 73 years old.

According to the New York Post, sources say that it is Baker’s intention to return as the manager of the Houston Astros in 2023. While Baker himself hasn’t spoken about his future with the team, it’s been pretty clear that the team wants him back as well.

While the Phillies and Astros battle it out, 28 other teams are looking for ways to improve their clubs. There have already been announcements regarding names like Aaron Boone, who is returning as the manager of the New York Yankees in 2023, and Skip Schumaker, who has recently been hired as the new manager of the Miami Marlins.

Whether or not Baker returns to the Astros next year, it seems like he has no intentions to leave the game and there are a few teams that are in need of a manager.

However, if the Astros manage to defeat the Phillies and become the 2022 World Series Champions, that would almost ensure a return to the Houston Astros for Dusty Baker after becoming the oldest manager to win a World Series at 73 years old.

Watch the Phillies and Astros battle it out in the 2022 World Series on FOX and ESPN2 at 8:03 p.m. EST.