Astros interested in Yu Darvish?

Verlander
Kid K
Yu
Lanc
Chawie

Sounds like a plan next year with peacock getting the starts as the 6 starter and injury relief.

 

It's an arms race and New York just sped up their timeline with Stanton. The Astros don't have the money to field a contender year after year so we need to get as many as we can while we have Altuve, Correa, Bregman, Springer, Verlander and Keuchel. As long as Yu's issues are fixable and he isn't too expensive, another world series is worth the additional 15+ million bucks a year. I'm sure the Astros made an extra 15+ million last year to cover his salary.

 

anyone outright dismissing this is crazy. his world series collapse notwithstanding, Yu has excellent stuff and would make an amazing #2 or 3 starter, particularly since we're almost guaranteed to see both dallas and lance on the DL for an extended amount of time.

assuming the price isn't astronomical lunhow is definitely going to take a hard look at him.

 

Richard: ... I've been told the Astros think they're done. But in terms of Darvish, Arrieta & maybe Wade Davis, Jeff Luhnow is leaving no stone unturned. I would bet he's talked to the Rays about Chris Archer. Unfortunately for the Astros, the price would be Kyle Tucker and they're not going to do that. I don't think they're going to do that.

RJ: ...Don't forget Forrest Whitley, their #2 prospect that they think will be in the big leagues in the 2nd half of the season. Can we fit this guy into our budget? What does he do to us if we get him on a 5-year or 6-year contract because we have one more year of Keuchel, 2 more years of Verlander and who knows what else. If you can afford Arrieta or Darvish, you go do it. We've seen Darvish at his best, flirted with a couple of no-hitters at MMP & at his worst in the World Series. What was interesting to me was all the data driven teams that look inside the numbers were all fired up about him. The 11K/9, WHIP, and when he's on/healthy, he is a big boy & that split finger coming at a downhill angle at you, there are nights you don't have a chance. Do I think they'll sign him? I would think they're not gonna sign him but like you & I have talked before, this is a different free agent market. The Brewers plan to spend big on a pitcher too and I think the Phillies were going to spend. I would imagine in both cases it's a feeling out process. Get excited Astros fans. You can open the season with Verlander, Keuchel, Darvish & McCullers.

RJ: One other thing, this is a Tony LaRussa thing, when you win a championship, you have to change the group dynamics. The group dynamics change every year. This is what I wondered about the Astros in that you look at the team, don't do one thing! Let's get one or two relievers and go play with the same group! The group is never the same. It won't be the same for Marwin Gonzalez and Dallas Keuchel, entering the last year of their contracts. Jose Altuve & Justin Verlander are two years away. If you got a chance to add a big time impact player, it changes the feel of the team. That's a good thing.

Alyson: Let me go on the record, I'm 100% against 5-year/6-year deals to a pitcher. If that's what it takes, no thank you. That's the kind of deals the Astros don't make and if I'm an Astros fan, I want them to continue that mindset. I was surprised to hear them even kicking the tires on Arrieta. You're not gonna get 5 healthy years from him, certainly not 6. Teams do this to get the good couple of years when they first sign, try to win a World Series and understand they'll absorb some pretty nonproductive years. They just won the World Series. I'm not saying they don't want to win another one but I just don't like that mentality of if it's gonna hamper us 4 years down the road, prevent us from doing some other things, be on the hook for $15M a year for a guy who will spend 3 months on the DL, I'm being a little dramatic but I don't like that kind of stuff & I like the fact the Astros don't buy into that stuff and don't want them to start now.

RJ: Smart teams don't do it. ... I just don't think they're gonna do it. If you look at all these teams, the teams we would agree that are smart, don't go long term for pitching. Sometimes you have to. ...

AF: Now that they have money to spend, fans back in the ballpark, revenue streams coming in, I don't want to see them needlessly spending on things that will hurt them down the road. I also have confidence in the Front Office that they won't be tempted by things they shouldn't do.

RJ: Different era in Astros baseball. Times in the last 20 years and we look at each other & go, maybe they don't know what they're doing. Jeff Luhnow knows what he's doing.

 

Thanks JR. I just got done listening to their podcast. I could be wrong but I just don't see Luhnow trading the farm for Archer. IMO, Davish will cost you nothing in prospects. He'll cost money for sure but how much will be the key.

 

Here is the deal

IF you have been planning on signing Keuchel long term BUT now (deadline complaints, injury issues, Boras, whatever) you aren't so sure

or

IF you have been planning on signing Keuchel long term BUT your "baseball people" think Yu is a better bet long term

Then by signing him to a 5 year deal now and letting Keuchel walk next year, you are basically signing a front line starter to a one year deal for next year

If we sign Yu or Arrieta, this is the line of thinking they are using....and it is brilliant

 

You can't get lit up by the Astros offense...



If you only pitch for the Astros staff.

 

At least Springer would know who to use as his pitcher in the home run derby.

 

Now the Yankees are looking at Yu, same old Yankees.

https://theathletic.com/190487/2017...-darvish-right-moment-for-d-backs-more-notes/

 

Can't read the article, but don't see how the Yankees, or Dodgers for that matter, can take on his 25 + million/yr salary and still stay under the luxury tax cap this year--which appears to be really important for both teams.

 

I think the new stiffer luxury tax is finally working a little.

Paying a 50% premium on every player you sign adds up quick. There's great incentive to drop under the apron to at least "reset" every few years. Just dropping under once can easily save a big spender like the Yankees or Dodgers $50 million over a 3 year stretch.

 

The Yankees had 526 million in revenue for the 2016 season (and I'm sure it was more in '17).

 

Yanks and Dodgers and others got the word from management: get below the luxury tax.

 

The Dodgers are doing it (getting below the luxury tax) as they will make a strong push for Harper next year.

As for the Yankees....it will be interesting if they can control themselves.

 

are we making a covenant with the devil ???????? like it at the right price depth rotation

 

Looking at the 2019 loss of Keuchel and Morton, taking on a reasonably contracted Darvish makes all the sense in the world.

 

Houston taking advantage of the combination of luxury tax and 2018 loaded class preventing the fat cats from spending resulting in high end FA actually being a bargain would be the most Luhnow move ever. Lucroy, JDM, Darvish, Davis. $&@@ it!

 

It would be almost un-Luhnow for him to not grab some talent with a dropping market.

 

Darvish practicing while wearing what looks like a Houston Strong shirt. But then again, he's in Dodger stadium.