Astros acquire Francisco Liriano for Norichika Aoki & Teoscar Hernandez

Peacock has the experience, but does Morton have any experience in the pen? I think, unless we're making the transition in September, it's dangerous to just assume he can come out of the pen and be similarly effective - we see how Liriano has talked about the difficulties warming up on short notice, etc. I think as much as possible, you can want to try to keep people on as similar a routine as possible to what they know.

In terms of the DK/Verlander starts, even if they only go 6, you have Devo and Giles that can cover 4 innings between them. That leaves 1 for Musgrove and 1 for Harris, which some flexibility in there if people need to go longer. Obviously if the starters get blown up early or you go to extra innings, you have to scrap the plan and deal with it. But otherwise, this gets you a pretty solid core:

DK (6-7), Harris (0-1), Giles (2)
Verlander (6-7), Musgrove (0-1), Devo (2)
(off day)
McCullers (3-6), Peacock (3-5), Harris/Musgrove/Giles as needed
McHugh (3-6), Morton (3-5), Harris/Musgrove/Devo/Giles as needed
off day)
DK / Verlander / Harris / Musgrove / Devo / Giles should all be available and rested as needed


That shouldn't overload anyone and eliminates the need for any of the scrubs outside of emergency situations while keeping everyone reasonably fresh.

This all assumes McCullers is a functional pitcher. If he's not, then you have to throw him out of the mix entirely, I think. Also assumes Boston/Houston to close the season doesn't have any implications for the #1 seed. If it does, it makes for some interesting rotation decisions during that series. Avoiding 2xSale or 2x Kluber in a 5 game series has real value.

 

McHugh being out so long makes me forget he is back in the mix. I suppose the thought process is Peacock has the success in the pen to be known quantity there and Morton's velocity possibly ticking even higher are why they would be there.

I'd prefer Peacock at this point, but would depend on how series plays out.

 

Division Series won't start until 5th or 6th, so we won't have to worry about setting up or rotation for the postseason as everyone except for game 162 starter should be on full rest.

 

All of this is great in theory... but rarely plays out that way when each/every individual game matters in/of itself.

Matchups, past history, home/road splits, rest, and just a general trend of how a pitcher is doing lately will all factor into who gets the call and who doesn't.

The "hot hand" theory gets amplified come playoff time... where a small 1-2 game stretch of performances can dictate lineup/rotation/bullpen decisions for the game(s) to follow. Still remember Chris Burke getting a CF start in the NLCS (a position he played sparingly during the season) because he had a good 3 game stretch of pinch-hitting. Still remember Dierker bringing in Mike Jackson, over Dotel, simply because Jackson had "post-season experience" (which obviously didn't mean a whole lot).

General point is, I don't see them shying away from using Peacock/Morton in a DK/Verlander game if its called for... I don't see them getting saved for a tandem start. Agree that Morton may not be all that great out of the pen... but when everybody else is going well (which again is a big presumption), he's the odd man out.

Its a great luxury to have.... the depth of the pitching staff both in starters, mid-relief, and late inning relief... all bolstered by the acquisition of Verlander. Also, having Musgrove/Giles be literally lights out for the last 2 months, and take full ownership of their respective roles, is an underrated late developing story of this season.

At one point, Giles was the biggest question mark on the staff... and then at another point, he was the only sure thing on the staff. Things have come full circles and then some.

 

Yep. Season ends on Sunday, ALDS game 1 is on Thursday.

 

Why do so many people dislike McHugh? He finished top 10 in Cy Young just two years ago...

 

I don't dislike McHugh, but Peacock this year has been excellent. Peacock has a FIP of 2.75 and hasn't done it with smoke and mirrors.

 

I am very confident that Morton could be a lights out one to two inning reliever. It mostly stems from his early game dominance as a starter when his command is sharp before he starts to fall off around the 4th or 5th.

 

#1 - This isn't 2 years ago. Rick Porcello won the Cy young just last year, and he wouldn't be in my top 4.

#2 - Peacock has been really good.

 

don't dislike him just have not seen enough of him this season

 

I am too... but there is validity in the point that he's never been asked to do it before. There is a method to how starters prepare, warm up, stretch... some are a creature of habit and only adapt to the bullpen once theres no other recourse.

I'm sure he'd end up just fine... but its not automatic to presume that his first batters he face out of the bullpen will be just like the first batters he faces as a starter (although recent anecdotal Astros-centric history suggests that he'll be just fine).

 

An interesting point about the recent Astros history -- in some ways, this is the benefit of the tandem system. Guys like Musgrove, Devenski, and Martes (and I think Peacock, but he was more of a AAA guy when we acquired him) were brought through the tandem system, meaning they had to adjust to uncertain game entry times, and therefore better suited to transition to relief.

A vet like Morton hasn't had that luxury - he has a grand total of 1 relief appearance in the majors, 9 years ago. (As an aside, Charlie Morton has one of the strangest career progressions ever - dude was a 6 K/9 innings guy, until he suddenly discovered he can throw 98 at age 33. Who does that??)

 

I see Teoscar Hernandez as the next JD Martinez. He is better than people think.

 

Teoscar might as well quit now after receiving the what seal of approval.

I spent a few hours researching this. The name I came up with: Austin Hedges. It's going to take a haul to get this guy. I'm thinking Kyle Tucker for starters. And I wouldn't hesitate to do that, either. Maybe more than Kyle Tucker at this point. We might have to give them Martes as well. It's going to take a lot.

http://m.mlb.com/player/595978/austin-hedges

 

He could be an average everyday player. Don't see him as anything more though, not enough power to be an above-average LF and not good enough defensively to be an above-average CF.

 

Forgot about these gems:

Teoscar Hernandez (next kenny lofton)

Teoscar Hernandez, this kid looks like he could be the next marquis grissom.