Ask Springer what it will take to keep him and make it happen. I feel like Springer loves it here and if there isn’t a huge gap in the offers he will stay.
Stanton just expressed that Springer took a more controlled swing in that HR AB. It was obviously a more controlled swing than those wild, back breaking swings he had earlier in the game.
Near Mookie money, I would think. Mookie's on a 1 yr/ 20M deal. Spotrac guesses his market value is in the 28M range. Springer, for whatever reason doesn't have the WAR numbers Mookie does. (Which is weird. Leaving off Betts's MVP last year, his offensive numbers are less than Springer's. Is he That much better defensively? What is he: the outfield equivalent of Matt Chapman?) Anyway, I disagree, but it's what the Astros will argue. How about something like 5/110-115, buyout the last arbitration year? It'll probably be more. I'd rather give it to him than Correa.
I like the combo of Michelle and Stanton for the post-game. Michell's no baseball expert, so she asks a lot of good of questions of Mike, and Mike knows just about everything, so he provides a lot of insightful and informative answers about how the game is played and how the Astros play it. It's a surprisingly nice combo I didn't expect.
I’m just saying its a really bad hot take. Springer takes viscous swings consistently. You can’t hit the ball he just hit that far, that fast, without it being a viscous swing. Viscous swings also look pretty awful when they don’t make any contact.
The Red Sox could explore trading Mookie if his arbitration gets that out of hand... meanwhile, Springer has roots in the New England area. I do think the Red Sox financial mini-crisis helps the Astros out immensely as they would otherwise be a prime suitor for Springer, and Springer would probably have mutual interest. I don’t think its in either sides best interest to let him get to arbitration again... they have to get something worked out this off-season or all bets are off.
Viscous or vicious? My swing is viscous: it takes awhile for all of the fat to agree to go in the same direction. I suspect Springer has a vicious swing. Though it might be liquid smooth.
The way JV and Cole are pitching, they're making a case for the first Cy Young duo. I think JV has the edge, but whichever one of them wins it, it'll be a real shame the other didn't. As Stanton said, there's no one even close in third place. They said on the broadcast tonight that no two teammates have ever ended the season first and second in ERA, WHIP, SO, and opp. avg., and those two are doing exactly that. That's as dominant as you can get. They're close to leading in wins as well; hopefully they both get to 20.
Mookie is one of the best defensive players in baseball. He's also faster, stays healthy and most importantly younger. He'll command more than Harper and Machado did. You aren't wrong on a Springer estimate, but not even remotely close to Mookie.
Blame spotrac for their estimate of Mookie's market value. I'm just the messenger. He's got Gold Gloves that Springer doesn't---though how much of that is reputation coasting from 2016 and -17, when he, per baseball reference, was an amazing defensive outfielder? After checking fangraphs, ignore that last. He's head, nose, tail, and ass ahead of all outfielders in UZR/150. Laughably so, some years. He's played 10 percent more games than Springer the last four years, and he's three years younger. More doubles and triples, though Springer hits more HR. OK, he's worth more. Will he get Trout money plus, and if so, is it likely Boston could bow out of any bidding war and instead get into one with the Astros for Springer? EDIT: Digging a touch deeper on fangraphs, their estimates of dollars per WAR seem....generous? Or does it mathematically make sense that, combining their ZIPS 3-yr projection of Betts's future stats with dollar value per WAR---8 million-ish per WAR, that a team could pay Betts 45 million per year for three years in FA, and, for free agency, it would be an efficient baseball decision because he should have been paid more?
What's yall's projections for Springer and Cole in free agency? Springer has been pretty vocal about loving Houston and wanting to stay. Who knows if he would take a discount. I'd be over the moon if we could ink him to, say, 4y/80mm. Cole seems to be a pipe dream at this point. I'm (stupidly?) holding out hope that he would take a modest discount to stay. I mean, he has to love it here, right? I don't know if we'll offer him anything over 6y/180mm. I'd offer him something along the lines of 7y/200m, but even that may not get it done. He's about to be a very, very rich man. PHI is going to blow teams out of the water IMO. Going to be incredibly tough to sign him...a lot of high dollar teams are going to dish it out for him. He's been such a pleasure to watch this year. Truly one of the top 3 pitchers in the league next to JV.
Cole's best years of his career have been in Houston. We will see what that counts for, next off season.
A groundbreaking contract elsewhere, I suppose. I bet other teams will pay on top to pick apart his brain on why HOU's pitching staff has been so transformative as well.
