Hope he gets called up soon. He was completely blocked here. Awesome to see a late bloomer kicking ass. 15-25 with 5 walks over those 5 games.
Wow, I just saw the box score. Keutchel stuck it to the Astros so they could not get a compensation pick, and he got a slightly better deal this season. It was his right, he bet on himself. He earned this FA move. I say no hard feelings and probably no Astros fan is bothered by Keutchel’s move. He was fixated on his 100+ million salary demands. He even stopped listening to reason from his agent, when a below his asking price was offered. His agent suggested he sign deals that were offered, but Keutchel bought the initial data presentation by the agent and refused to budge on anything less. Keutchel was frustrated by the compensation pick attached, and blamed it for getting substandard offers. Keutchel won a Cy young award as an Astros and pitched his heart out for this team; he used to carve out the Yankees. He made a solid pitch to Verlander. Keutchel was there for the 100 loss seasons, and for a leadership role on a World Series run. But it’s safe to say, he isn’t having the impressive look, that’s going to get him the 100 million contract. And the Astros look like they have dodged a major salary commitment to a player clearly trending down. But let it not be said they didn’t show Keutchel the money, yet Keutchel had an agent that skewed reality only to outfox himself. Maybe this reality shows Keutchel that team data matters too. The agents move was to milk the Astros via fan backlash / team loyalty more than get the market money from some else. It backfired royally. Luhnow followed the data in his database, he offered Keutchel a fair deal it seemed. Now Keutchel has to blue collar his way back to his dominant way if he can ever be that good again, but he is a bulldog so he might surprise some folks again.
Keuchel stood to benefit from the extra rest going into this season... but as has been the pattern the last 3 years, his stuff does tail off as the season gets long (or he starts having random neck soreness, dead arm issues, or just overall ineffectiveness). We all know that if he just loses 1 mph on the fastball... or just an inch of command... he becomes that much more hittable. Overall, it was a good move for him to take the first few months off as well as joining an NL team... much better chance of receving a decent multi-year deal there, as opposed to being a mediocre to average pitcher all year with an AL team. However, Wade Miley was only able to get a 1 years deal with Houston after last season...
https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/...reatening-mexicos-single-season-homer-record/ Chris Carter, the home-run king forgotten by MLB, is threatening Mexico's single-season homer record Carter, 32, is encroaching on Jack Pierce's decades-old record of 54 homers in a season
Maybe he'll get a call from the Indians. They did pick up Jake Taylor from the Mexican League quite a few years back.
I feel like we should call keuchel this offseason and offer him like 3/25 and say, this offer expires the second we hang up the phone, all while giggling uncontrollably in the back ground. I don’t know why but this idea amuses me for some reason. Either that or crank call him and ask him if his refrigerator is running or something like that.
Teoscar acting like an anti-Yankee sleeper agent placed in Toronto the past couple of days with 2 homers yesterday and another today.
JD Davis has put together a nice season. His OPS is currently sitting at .899. He’s hitting .387 in the last 30 days — 2nd only to Altuve in the majors (with Yuli and Yordan 3rd and 4th).
Good to see some of the former bubble guys get a real chance (Laureano, Davis, Fisher, Teo, etc.). Would have never received the opportunity here.