McCann is an upgrade over Castro. Reddick is an upgrade over Rasmus. Morton is better than a #5 starter if healthy. None of the moves get the Astros the stud bat their line up line up is hungry for.... but Reddick and McCann extend the line up. The moves don't really harm the Astros financial situation long term. For about $30,000,000 next year; the Astros addressed several serious needs AND have not lost any top prospects, lost a 1st rounder OR impacted the finances enough to prevent them from getting an elite free agent bat or depleted their farm system enough to cost them a trade.
The Astros are insane if they trade Springer. You don't go through the horrible seasons they did, build a World Series contender, and then trade one of the main guys that turned your franchise around. On topic, I really like this deal. They needed one more outfielder and they didn't wait around to get him.
This. And now, it's time to harm the long term financial situation and pay EE whatever he wants, then deplete the hell out of the farm and trade for Sale. I think chances are SO low that they go into the season with Gurriel at 1st. Eff around-time at 1st base is over. I'm confident that's where the FO stands on their 1st base views as well. Let's go Edwin. Come get you a ring.
Lineup C McCann 1B FA/Gurriel 2B Altuve 3B Bregman SS Correa RF Springer CF Marisnick LF Reddick Bench C Gattis IF Gonzalez IF Gurriel OF Hernandez OF Aoki
When is the last season Reddick stayed healthy? Seems he's always out for a while with some sort of injury. Meh.
Why can't Reddick play LF, keep George and Jake in place, and field the best DEF outfield in baseball? Didn't he play in left some for LA after the trade? He regrested from GG level last year, and would clearly be our 3rd best after Jake & George Upgrading our 2 biggest holes w McCann + Reddick gives us luxury of keeping our best DEF player in almost everyday Jake as full time 9th hitter won't ever bat +.250, but over 500 ABs he'll get 15 HRs + 15 SBs, and has 20-20 upside I can def see him being our Keirmaier/Pillar and competing for GG honors if he plays 150 games next year I also see Altuve moving back to leadoff to make better use of his legs and get him most ABs possible He & Jake could wreck on bases ahead of the big bats coming up behind them Springer has always been more of a #5 hitter than top 4 anyway If Reed gets serious this offseason and comes to spring in top shape he should get every chance to earn 1B full time Yuli would then be full time DH, which is prob for best since Bregman entrenched at natural 3B position and he's oldest non-catcher playing everyday Opening Day 2017 Lineup: 2B Altuve 3B Bregman SS Correa LF Reddick L RF Springer DH Yuli C1 McCann L 1B Reed L CF Marisnick Bench: UT Marwin C2 Gattis IF Kemp OF Teo or Preston That's a balanced, deep lineup It has youth (Correa Bregman Reed) experience (Yuli McCann Reddick) power (Springer Reed Correa) and speed (Altuve Springer Marisnick) Still a few free swingers (Springer, Reed, McCann, Jake) but we should finally have a lineup with more guys hitting over .270 than under .250 Some reasonable 2017 BA projections: Altuve .320 Bregman .290 Yuli .285 Correa .280 Reddick .275 A really good pair of moves today by Luhnow to solidify the lineup Now he needs to put all his time and resources into finding the Ace this team MUST get to really compete in 2017 With such a trade, this offseason becomes an A for our GM Without it, we'll likely be watching the playoffs again Sale still makes most sense for us Rumors of WASH refusing to discuss Turner good news for us keeping Bregman Hope ATL also refusing Swanson Sale trade package: RHP Musgrove RHP Martes RHP Paulino OF Fisher or Daz 3B Moran or Davis Of guys left in minors only 2 I'd really miss are Tucker and Whitley
Good signing. They still have plenty of room to sign more folks. They've just gone over what Gomez and Rasmus cost last year. Give me Edwin or Cespedes...or both
They're probably done with bats but I hope you're right. Add Ed to this lineup and that's just filthy
I don't know who it would be, but I am not so sure they are done with bats. The free agent market has no arms that the Astros are likely to target. In the trade market, there is no guarantee that the White Sox will move Sale and if he is moved, there is a real question that the Astros are willing to meet the price required. Gray and Archer were not very good last year and are still going to come at a great cost with a lot of performance uncertainty for next year. That leaves Verlander; but there are questions about his stuff declining (despite a very good year) and the market for Verlander will be very stiff. Verlander also will be 34 by spring training and has nearly 2500 innings on his arm; and options that can vest than can have him under contract until 2020. Addressing the offense is a far more likely scenario and may we'll pay dividends. Adding someone like a Beltran/Encarnacion or other high level hitter could make the Astros line up go from good to best in the AL. The Astros would then rely on an elite offense, very good defense and a deep and effective bullpen to shorten games. If the Astros need a starter, they can then get a rental at the deadline.
Astros have definitely upgraded. And the cost has been reasonable. There is still a lot of talent in the minors to swing for a trade. A good offseason so far.
If I'm Luhnow, I probably feel as though adding Bregman and Yuli so late last season did not show the full impact both bats will have on this lineup over a full season in 2017 Now 2 more spots have been upgraded with McCann & Reddick If Reed can start to fulfill his promise in his 2nd year ... That could be 5 major lineup upgrades already around the core 3 (Altuve Correa Springer) since Opening Day 2016: 3B - Bregman > Valbuena DH - Yuli > Gattis C - McCann > Castro LF - Reddick > Colby 1B - Reed > White Meanwhile, the starting staff has done nothing but hold stagnant or depreciate across the board since last spring: 1 - Keuchel went from CY Young winner to avg #3-4 starter 2 - McHugh went from winning 19 games to barely keeping his ERA under 5.00 3 - Lance went from exciting rookie surprise to injury-prone sophomore dissappointment 4 - Fiers is still Fiers ... but without the No-No 5 - Fister replaced with Morton ... a lateral band-aid move at best IF Morton can improbably replace all those innings I suppose Beltran could make Jake our 4th OF again as starting LF Or Encarnacion could block Reed at 1B for $100M+ But ... Both are in the twilights of their careers DH at bats figure to go to Yuli and/or Gattis most nights Why not use that $15-25M annual salary slot to help out the pitching staff? To date, we have done nothing to improve our team during the half a season when the opponent is batting
Yuli is still very much a question mark. Right now the line up is a good one. I still think they need another thumper. Reddick is a league average right fielder and McCann is slightly above average. What pitcher available do you want? I think the Astros #1 goal has been to improve the rotation at the top but there isn't anything available on the free agent market and the trade market is limited and extremely expensive. That is why the Astros have to be kicking themselves for not addressing it the last few free agent seasons. Cueto especially stings. I could see someone like a Tyson Ross or maybe even a Sonny Gray; but they are major question marks. As far as free agency goes, there is only Rich Hill unless the Astros decide to get a closer like Chapman; and that is over kill.
Gattis was good last year. I wouldn't assume Yuli to be an improvement over him by any means. I hope Yuli was still shaking off rust last year because his swing looked long and slow at times. Plus the only thing the Astros lack right now is that true #1 proven ace. Keuchel or McCullers could realistically pitch at that level next year. Then to fill out the rest of the rotation: McHugh, Musgrove, Fiers, Morton, Devenski, Feliz, Paulino, Martes. That's a lot of quality arms that you're shrugging off. Astros projected by Fangraphs to be best team in AL in 2017: http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/the-astros-are-entering-baseballs-upper-tier/
