He's also the guy who managed to get a legit 8th/9th inning arm for what was left of Lance Berkman; traded for Brett Wallace when many were saying he wouldn't have any ML impact; signed Brett Myers (contra: extended Brett Myers); etc.
"Disaster" should be reserved for things like the Astros' drafting of the 00s.
This. When you're trading away the core of your team and patching holes with inexpensive veterans where you can, there are going to be some big misses. But since he also brought in Bourn, Bourgeois, Happ, Keppinger, Wallace, Myers, Melancon, Lindstrom, Sanchez, Lyon, Castro, Lyles, Barmes, Fulchino, Pudge, Tejada etc, it's a hard argument to say that he's a disaster. Some of the players have been very good, some just so-so, but I think there are more hits than misses along the way.