I feel the Astros FO has a price in mind and will stick to it. Kinda like going to a car dealership. They are prepared to keep what they have but willing to see what's out there just in case a deal can be had.
I like Verdugo and think Paxton is worth a gamble. He clearly has the stuff to start a playoff game, just needs to stay healthy. Red Sox want RH outfielders and middle infielders. Corey Julks, Grae Kessinger, Pedro Leon, and any MiLB pitcher they want for Verdugo and Paxton.
I disagree, I think the one way to derail it is assuming it will continue. Which team in the history of baseball ( in the current salary era) has been able to sustain a run as long as the stros without deep pockets? It is wishful thinking to just think astros will just keep losing players and replace them with minor league players. That Gilbert will be as good as tucker and so on and so forth. I think it you can milk a couple more championship runs out of this squad then you do it. Who knows it may be another 20 years before we sniff the ws again after this is over. Just look at our division, rangers are turning things around despite losing their ace. Seatle has more young talent. As we are finding out this year, getting to the playoffs won't be guaranteed and it is only going to get harder
So what's the alternative? Watch teams around you get better and hope uncle Mike and urquidy come save the day?
I want us to get better. I want us to acquire players. I just don't want to mortgage our future to do it. McLane, IMO, went too deep, too far.
Well said and this is definitely how I feel about the Astros right now. We need to keep this window open. Getting JV back would be possibly the greatest move in Houston sports history if we can win back to back titles. I always think of that Clemens for Hidalgo and that pitcher who flamed out early. I miss our original gm. He would of been all over this trade market by now. Current gm really doesn't have a ton of upside with fans. However, if he brings back JV.... THAT WOULD BE AMAZING!!!
They aren’t idiots if they win the division, because Ohtani will stay and they will be contenders for the next 2-3 years. They also a team that can spend however much they want to. You can also take the Mets route and sign valuable free agents and if you are not going to win sell them for prospects and pay half their salary. It was a gamble to keep Ohtani and I think the Astros would do the same if they could afford it.
On the one hand, there is a strong argument to be made that it is never wise to trade away one of the 10 best players of all time no matter what the situation. So I don’t really blame the Angels for hanging on to him. But the Angels did Trout, Ohtani, and their fans a tremendous disservice with their gross roster/payroll mismanagement over the last 5+ years, and there is next to zero chance Ohtani re-signs with the Angels.
Where do you get your information that Ohtani won’t re-sign with them? If they win the division or even get a wild card, they have as good a chance as anyone maybe better.
Fangraphs puts them at 4% to win the division. So, 4% chance they weren’t idiots. Fair enough. (expand it to make the playoffs, and they’ve got a 16% chance.).
No they don’t. They’ve had 5 years to extend him, you think the chances of him re-signing go up now that he’s this close to free agency? The Angels have 2 albatross contracts on their books and cannot afford the $500M ($600M?!) that will be required to sign Ohtani, especially considering Ohtani wants to win and won’t sign with a team that won’t be able to afford to build a true contender around him.
