Jim Crane – he's been a cheapskate owner so far

and so it begins...

#mcscrooge #cheepcheepcheep
  
 
 

 

I'm afraid he will be. Time will tell. Springer/Singleton/Cosart will all be with the team by 2014. If we aren't buying into FA in 2015, I'll be bothered.

 

He hasn't really had a good opportunity to spend money. I hope that the reason he moved the team to the AL was because he had no choice if he wanted to buy the team. It would be awful if he did it for the discount.

Time will tell. I wouldn't mind another bad season to score another top draft pick. Two #1 picks better pay dividends in a couple years. At some point though we have to stop selling off talented major leaguers.

The tough part is figuring out when that it.

 

1. He wouldn't have a team if he didn't agree to it.
2. Haven't the Astros reopened their Latin Academies, invested more in international scouting and have actually signed their draft picks? Granted it was under Drayton, but they do have new video and ribbon boards. Not sure what other upgrades are needed. And let's not forget the team does now allow outside food and drink into the stadium, and flirted with tailgating. They also are continuing all the promotional nights from the past, like Friday Night Fireworks (which is well worth it) and haven't they done some post-game concerts too?
3. The Comcast deal is a clusterf*** through and through. But, weren't those plans already put into motion before Crane took over the team? Course, he's making the calls now.
4. Couldn't agree more.
5. I haven't heard him whining, outside the obvious attendance issues at the moment, which the team has acknowledged as a tough byproduct of rebuilding.


Honestly I think he's done a pretty good job as owner. At the very least, he's hired competent people, and has stepped aside to let them do their work. The big question for me is, once the team actually becomes competitive, will he pony up the money to put them over the top, like the Rangers the past few years. (sucks that were are looking to the Rangers as a model)

 

I really don't mind the payroll because it's the best baseball decision. The other stuff is BS though. The AL move is crap. That ad in the outfield is horrible. The TV situation is a joke. It's really frustrating.

 

TV deal will be better when the team is worth a damn. I'm just sayin'. (that goes for the Rockets, too. colour me unimpressed with the whole flirting-for-seventh-seed thing we've watched over the last couple years.)

 

I'm on board with the plan, but I think having a $50 million payroll so the team is more watchable and gets more fans in the seats makes sense.

 

Really? Even if it got them Harden?

 

Astros are the laughing stock of the MLB as it currently stands

Rockets are on the comeup, and have finally have the intrest of star players wanting to sign with us this summer

Rockets are actually building for the future( and are showing signs), Astros are stuck in the gutter, and i used to be a huge Astros Fan, but recently ownership doesnt care about the product on the field, or bringing in free-agents to excite the fanbase, so why should I. I also hated the move to the AL, and i hear that turned off a lot of hardcore Astros Fans

 

First off show me proof the Astros are more popular than the Rockets, oh yeah there is none because it's a football town and it jumps to winners but if all things are equal the Rockets are the more popular team.

Second Crain does not need to spend money to win what 70 games he needs to do what he is doing which is sign players that are drafted and break up the Astro way which he has done by getting rid of the Tal Smith era of failure.

 

The recent SI article that came out (no link available as it just came out in the print version) stated that our WAR (wins above replacement) for the draft picks from 2005-2010 were NEGATIVE 0.5.

That's basically equivalent to not drafting ANYBODY from 2005-2010. No system can survive that and continue to be respectable.

Additionally, they pointed out that there's not a whole lot of difference between 55 and 60 wins... unless you want to potentially give up the #1 pick in the draft for a #3 pick.

Say Crane signs a couple of marquee free agent to $12 million a year contracts... bringing the payroll to $50-60 million range. Each "marquee" player likely nets you an extra 5-7 wins each. Now you have a 65+ win team instead of a 55+ win team. Who freaking cares.

The key will be when this team is a few pieces away (does Crane go out and sign a free agent then), or when they have to resign their own homegrown players. If at that time, there is still a bargain basement payroll, then go ahead and bash him all you want.

For now, his only responsibility that I care about is paying enough to sign their draft picks and the occasional international free agent. So far, he's held his end regarding that.

 

Why? I'd rather they be the worst team in the league than the 4th or 5th worse

#1 pick in every round... more money to spend on draft picks... continue to build the farm system until they start bearing fruit.

Spending simply to spend is the WORST thing this team could do... especially if it meant spending less in the draft or spending less on international free agents.

 

MLB is more popular than the NBA... and the Astros are the oldest team in Houston. MLB is more profitable than the NBA.

Baseball teams have higher franchise values than basketball teams.

Overall, there is no city where the basketball team is more popular than the baseball team.... except for Miami which is a horrible sports town. Hell, if you look at the NBA, you have a handful of team in tiny markets that could never even support a baseball (let alone a football) team... (Sacramento, Portland, Utah, Orlando).... whereas nearly every city that has a baseball team, also has a football team.

 

At least we got the uniforms back.

Rebuilding sucks in baseball b/c there are no quick fixes. Fact is this team isn't 1 or 2 players away it's probably a dozen players away at the very least to get competitive again.

The farm system is improving once they are major league ready and we aren't adding FA's or worse letting some of the young talent walk away then I'll criticize Crane.

The move to the AL sucked but I'm over it. I can't wait till opening day.

 

I agree that sign in LF is hideous. Any word on if they have changed the look inside MMP? I'm talking cosmetic changes, etc.

 

Forgot about that. What a slap in the face to the tax payers who approved that stadium. Granted, it was a hotel tax but it was still something.

That sign ruins the great skyline that made that stadium so great. I don't give a **** what playgrounds got money or whatever the crap low level philanthropy they were doing.

 

In fairness he spent all of the draft money allotted and actually went over the limit and was fined. They have also spent money in the international free agent market.

They could have out bid the Cubs for Jorge Soler and did not, which I thought was sad. However under the new rules it is harder to just throw money at prospects.

Concerning stadium upgrades, my sister works for the Astros and said there are some and will be some food improvements.

The new owner will get another 2-3 years to do something, but if they are not substantially better he will get his.

Having said that, the Astros improving is a crapshoot. Our system is better but not sure how many high potential prospects we really have.

 

Who says they won't eventually use that extra money in the international FA pool... or use it on scouting, development, etc.

In the end, the MLB payroll is going to be low not only this year, but the next few years... simply because they should end up having mostly all homegrown players, and no high priced free agents.

I don't think people should use the MLB payroll for a rebuilding team as an example of an owner being a cheapskate. There is ZERO reason to have an average to above average payroll when your minor league system is still in rebuilding mode.

Starting next year, when we've likely already seen the starts of the careers of Springer, Cosart, and Singleton... we should have a "star" prospect being promoted each and every year till who knows when.