Any of those who stuck around and watched, particularly in 2012 and 2013 with the CSN debacle, deserve some props, but...you just have to really love watching baseball (or love wallowing in misery) to have stuck around. The players they shuffled in and out...it's be like the Rockets using lineups like this for 3 or 4 years: PG: Luther Head, Jonny Flynn SG: Jermaine Taylor SF: Chase Budinger, Terrence Williams PF: Joey Dorsey, Royce White C: Hasheem Thabeet In other words, mostly guys who don't belong in the league!
Very very poor comparison. What the Astros are doing now didn't happen overnight or by chance. The core players (Springer, Altuve, Correa) were either just starting out in the big leagues... or tearing it up in the minors which created some expectations for what they would do when they were finally promoted. And then you have guys like Keuchel and McHugh who came out of nowhere... none of those basketball players above had even a remote chance of ever breaking out, which more represents why basketball is pretty selective on who become potential stars and who are career role players.
I stand by my posts. I can be a fan of the Astros and not Jim Crane. It's like saying I'm a fan of Texas but not its governor for the past fifteen years. I was alive before Jim Crane was owner, and I'll be alive to see them without him as owner. Even today we have the lowest payroll in the majors.
Except you weren't just b****ing about Crane - you were b****ing about the rebuilding strategy that is now generating phenomenal results. Simply put: you were completely and totally wrong. "Standing by" those posts just makes you even more stupid.
Sure, but I'm talking about actually watching the product we put on the ML field only, not minor league prospects. Other than Altuve and Castro for a short while, there wasn't much more than a glimmer of hope that most of those guys would become anything more than average ML players.
This is true but now we have a plethora of talent here and a ton more in the minors. Our GM is going to have to make some tough decisions soon.
I'm not really up on how the rules work, and how much time a guy has to spend on the active roster, but is Carlos going to be eligible for ROY in the AL?
Currently a player is considered to be a rookie, and thus eligible for the award, if the player has accumulated in prior major league seasons: -Fewer than 130 at bats or -Fewer than 50 innings pitched -Fewer than 45 days on the active roster, excluding time on the disabled list, in military service, or time when the rosters are expanded (currently after September 1) Carlos didn't play in the majors last season so he passes those requirements. No sport (at least not the Big 3) has a set minimum games played for ROY eligibility, but barring injury, Carlos will easily play enough games to justify being a candidate.
Pretty amazing if you look at the current roster, and the system...very few holes in what could be a top MLB team for years to come. Forgetting about just "right now" and looking long term,,,,, Catcher: ??, Nottingham or someone not in the system 1B: AJ Reed 2B: Altuve SS: Correa 3b: ??, JD Davis and Moran both have potential, but neither have the immediate "look" of a long term answer. OF: Springer, Phillips...then guys like Cameron, K Tucker, P Tucker, Fisher all options for one more. SP1: Dallas Keuchel SP2: Lance McCullers..obviously the story is still to be told here, but he has the look of someone that if he continues to grow, could be an absolute shut down starter SP3: ???? SP4: Vince Velasquez..obviously has the "potential" to be that #3, and whatever level he eventually reaches, he is obviously someone who will play a big role for us as we move forward (assuming health) SP5: Colin McHugh..yea he hasn't been what he was last year, at least not consistently....but for a #5 he is very solid. And if he can't keep that spot in the rotation simply because others are better, then dang our rotation will be as good as any at that point SP?s: Appel, Feliz both have front of the rotation stuff, but not sure how high the floor is for them. One thing I haven't heard much if any, is the ability to put Appel in the closer role if he doesn't develop into a top of the rotation guy. Also, not sure what Musgrove's upside is, but he certainly has the loook of someone with a fairly high floor that could be that guy that gives you 10 years in the SP5 spot Closer: Good, maybe Great, options abound. F Martes might be the best of the bunch, Riley Farrel is in that mix also and as I mentioned before, Appel could eventually be looked at here. Add in guys who should be around a while but not closers, and arms like Fields and Harris should provide years of quality pen work. So looking at everything long term, Catcher, 3B and a top to mid rotation starter are really the only things missing. And even there, Bregman could be the long term SS with Correa at 3B. So many prospects not even mentioned here still there to either fight their way into one of these spots, or more likely to provide trade value to fill one of those spots Amazing how well this organization is put together right now
Excellent info bud, just what I was looking for! I think if he keeps it up, and starts to get more national hype around him, well.... more than he already has... he stands a shot.
Great write up! We are so deep...don't count out APpel still being an ace...he has the stuff ....just needs consistency