"At least one player among the Mookie Betts/Francisco Lindor/Kris Bryant group will be traded this offseason, in the opinion of multiple MLB [executives] I’ve checked with over the last 24 hours," Morosi wrote. https://www.wkyc.com/article/sports...eason/95-7f044ac2-9c2f-4b13-b441-a56259ca94fd
Zack Wheeler Will Reject Mets Qualifying Offer https://metsmerizedonline.com/2019/11/zack-wheeler-will-reject-mets-qualifying-offer.html/
I really hope we can sign an extension with Springer this offseason. A friend told me they bought a new house in Sienna recently. Hopefully, that’s a sign that they’re planning to stay with the Astros long term.
I'd need one of those Archer type swaps for Correa. Glasnow, Meadows, and Shane Baz. The kind of trade that extends our window big time. Looking around the league I don't see that kind of match. Maybe the Phillies if you like Bohm a lot.
There is bound to be at least one surprise seller this offseason. The timing of that realization by other clubs who have maybe already made deals could impact certain clubs over others.
Correa hypotheticals: Reds for Hunter Greene, Jonathan India, and Nick Lodolo Brewers for Brice Turang, Travis Shaw, Tristen Lutz, Corey Ray, and Aaron Ashby Phillies for Alec Bohm, Spencer Howard, and Mickey Moniak Mets for Brett Baty, Andres Gimenez, Mark Vientos, and Franklyn Kilome Braves for Christian Pache and Ian Anderson Several of those teams would likely move Correa to 3B. But those are the NL teams that have a need and a farm.
Crazy prediction time: - HOU ink Wheeler to 4y/95m deal. - SDP miss out on top FA targets and trades for Mookie Betts - Cole goes to the highest bidder, and PHI out-offers NYY with an early opt out clause, shattering the record, 290m over 8 years - Strasburg and Rendon both re-up with WAS - NYY signs Hamels and Kuechel after striking out on the big arms - MIN signs MadBum and Will Smith - TEX signs Donaldson and overpays for Harris, Ryu, and Pineda
The prototype pitcher that the Astros can really turn up a notch in my opinion. Was hoping we got him at deadline last year before meta started becoming buyers instead of seller.
Why George Springer should be a free agent this winter George Springer should be a free agent right now. He should be taking calls from interested teams right now, weighing offers, dreaming about possibilities. If Springer had been a free agent this fall, then presumably, the Houston Astros would work aggressively to keep one of their best players and would have to bid against others to keep Springer for the 2020 season. If Springer were a free agent -- as he should be -- he would be near the top of the board in Keith Law's free-agent rankings, behind Gerrit Cole and Anthony Rendon, in all likelihood, and ahead of many, many dozens of others. But he isn't because in keeping with what has been standard operating procedure for most teams, the Astros manipulated Springer's service time by tethering him to the minor leagues for a few extra days. If Springer had started the 2014 season with Houston on Opening Day, as he deserved, he would have been eligible for free agency this fall. There's no getting around this truth: His major league career started with that act of bad faith by his employers, for the sake of their financial interest. He isn't alone, of course. This is what the Chicago Cubs did with Kris Bryant, and it's how the Toronto Blue Jays handled Vladimir Guerrero Jr. last spring, etc., etc. A comparable decision for a player might be to feign an injury or illness rather than face a tough team in order to protect statistics or for him to sit out the next-to-last year before free agency under the guise of a minor ailment, with the player making a business decision at the direct financial expense of his employer. The Astros, a company probably worth somewhere in the range of $1.5 billion to $2 billion, have saved themselves a little money to date by delaying Springer's debut. But the greatest advantage gleaned by the Astros is playing out right now. Because of that decision back in 2014, the Astros have prevented Springer from getting into the free-agent market. If he had been handled then according to what he had apparently earned with his skills and his work, he'd be in line to get a deal worth well beyond $100 million right now -- and to not have that opportunity now, but instead have it later, comes with risk. For his part, Springer -- a first-round pick by the Astros in 2011, when he was the 11th player chosen -- has been a model employee. In 2013, he thrived all the way through Triple-A. In 62 games for Oklahoma City, Springer batted .311 with an OPS of 1.050, clubbed 18 homers and swiped 22 bases. He followed that with a solid spring training performance in 2014, when he generated a .413 on-base percentage. He did everything expected of him to earn promotion to the big leagues. But he didn't start the season with the Astros. Rather, Houston played the 2014 season opener with journeyman L.J. Hoes in right field. Springer returned to Triple-A, posting a 1.106 OPS in 14 games for the Red Hawks -- until just enough days had passed that he would no longer be eligible for free agency in 2020. On April 16, 2014, Springer made his MLB debut. Springer has been a professional throughout his relationship with the Astros. Splitting time between right and center field, he has been a three-time All-Star, and he helped the Astros reach the postseason in four of the past five seasons. He has scored 426 runs the past four seasons, moving manager AJ Hinch to observe that the Astros' lineup tends to perform as Springer does, which is why Hinch writes Springer into the leadoff spot for what has been baseball's best and most consistent offense. Since Springer's rookie season in 2014, only four outfielders have generated more wins above replacement (WAR): Mike Trout, who pulled a $430 million contract last spring; Mookie Betts, who will soon win the highest arbitration decision ever before he reaches free agency next fall; Christian Yelich, the 2018 NL MVP; and Bryce Harper, who landed a $330 million deal in free agency last winter. The outfielder just behind Springer in fWAR got the biggest baseball contract ever before Harper's and Trout's surpassed his. Outfield FanGraphs WAR leaders since 2014: Trout 52.5 Betts 37.2 Yelich 31.8 Harper 26.6 Springer 24.6 Giancarlo Stanton 24.5 Springer has played in the World Series twice, and in those 14 games, he has gone 19-for-56 at the plate with seven doubles, seven home runs, 14 runs, 12 walks and 13 strikeouts. His slash line in World Series play is .339/.456/1.214. It's a small sample of games, yes, but it's in the most pressurized competition, against the elite pitching staffs of the 2017 Dodgers and 2019 Nationals. Springer's statistical peers in World Series play are three guys you might have heard of: Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig and Reggie Jackson. As Sarah Langs of MLB.com notes, Springer's chase rate in the postseason -- swinging outside the strike zone -- is almost identical to what it has been in the regular season: 22% in the playoffs and World Series and 22.6% in the regular season. "That is pretty telling," she wrote. "When the pressure is on, he isn't chasing more. He's taking the same approach which we have seen work so well for him in the regular season." Springer has been a first-class representative of the Astros organization, including the work he does inspiring kids to work through the kind of speech impediment he grew up with. He has earned the payday of a long-term deal, but he'll have to wait, apparently. As it stands, Springer will go through arbitration one more time before finally reaching the free-agent market at age 31, rather than 30, at a time when players 31 and older don't fare as well in free agency as they did in the past. And of course, all of the risk created by the Astros' disingenuous handling of his promotion is borne by Springer: If Houston doesn't sign him to a long-term deal and he gets hurt before reaching the market, it'll cost him millions. George Springer deserves better. All players in this situation deserve better. Just because teams can exploit their labor through a loophole doesn't mean it's right.
I wonder if we have any significant interest. Didn’t we go after him when he was unsigned? Maybe Martes + Perez + X? No clear spot but could be a solid core piece for years to come, he’s just 26.
Only great players held down on tanking teams at time of call up get this article (i.e., when service manipulation is clearest). So the two notable former tanking teams with guys near free agency are the Cubs and Astros. Cubs have gotten more grief than the Astros.
I mean I get that it wasn't a $100 million payday, and I don't disagree that the system needs to be changed, but it seems strange to write a thousand words about the Astros relationship with Springer and not even mention the arbitration-avoiding 2 year/$24MM extension from 2018.
I’d be interested, especially if he came over with one of their catchers (Jansen or McGuire). Maybe Urquidy, Bielak, and Reddick for Jansen and Gurriel? Gives Toronto a really good young pitcher plus a prospect for 2 seemingly excess parts. They’d dump Reddick of course. Gives Houston 2 potential long term core pieces for their 5th SP while shedding Reddick’s contract. Gurriel could serve as a replacement for Brantley or possibly even Correa when the time comes.
Astros have spoken to the Blue Jays about Gurriel and the Mets about Seth Lugo. Not sure what they would do with Gurriel....... possibly move Tucker for something else? I don't think Gurriel can play full time at SS or 3rd so I am assuming that it wouldn't involve Correa. Perhaps they can move Tucker for a starting pitcher and then plug Gurriel into a corner outfield spot. Either way just passing on what I heard yesterday. Pedro Stroop is another player they have communicated with.
