So cutting Gomez should be a no brainer..... Nixing Rasmus too. Luhnow was banking on the compensation pick for Gomez, but Gomez performance was horrible. Astros should have a compensation draft pick coming for at least Fister and possibly Valbuena too. If I were the GM of the Astros, the only reason I keep Gomez is do he doesn't go to another team and regain a semblance of his market value. This might be a spite move on behalf of Luhnow. It's a phycogical fact that a change of scenery can impact and improve performance, especially if the negativity at the prior place was too much. And it was for Gomez, he was expected to play near all star level baseball and he isn't playing MLB calibur type. Fans aren't happy with Gomez, and his hot dog style, perceived by many as a disrespect of the game.
I will be surprised if Houston gets compensation for any of their pending free agents. No way Valbuena, Castro, Fister, or Rasmus turn down $17M for next season. Any of those guys will be lucky to score a 3 year deal for $12M/yr. I may be crazy, but I still see Gomez as the only player who may garner a QO. He's still fairly young, and has a history of star level production. I wouldn't be surprised to see a team that thinks he has been hurt bad is due to rebound give him $15M or so on a redemption contract. I hope Houston doesn't bring him back, but he's the only player I could see actually rejecting a QO.
You think Valbuena is going to score a massively bigger contract than Freese, Pearce, and Desmond all got?
I just can't see how Marisnick isn't the everyday starting CF. This team/home field requires a defensive CF. So Jake isn't an all star, he makes plays, takes away hits and frankly, isn't like an oblivious, terrible hitter such as Rasmus, Gomez have been all year. Honestly. Gomez. The wheels have fallen off, cut the guy. Today. At what point do the players start coming to Hinch (or whoever has control, ambiguity reigns supreme in Houston sports general managing) saying don't you dare put that no-hitting, no-glove bum behind out there for me. McHugh's reaction is a classic. That the broadcast would see that and choose to show that....is some kind of crazy. What's taking so long? Cut Gomez. Release. Here your money is, BYE.
If he isn't given the qualifying offer? Yes. If he is? Maybe. Pearce was older, a 1B/LF type with only one good year (more like half a year with fewer than 400 PAs). And he was a year removed from that year. Freese was older, and 3 years removed from his big seasons. Ian Desmond was coming off a terrible year and facing a position change that would de-value his offense while having the loss of a 1st round pick attached to him. Teams have been very cautious with handing out contracts to guys with qualifying offers, which sucks. Valbuena shouldn't expect much different than what was offered to Fowler by Baltimore if he gets the QO. If he doesn't, he should look for a 3 year deal, worth close to $40M, probably with a 4th year club option.
Gomez can look at Desmond and see he should take a QO. If Fister finishes with a sub-3.50 ERA, he would make for an interesting candidate.
I think if Valbuena plays it smart, he could play himself into a 4/$40-$50 plus comp situation. Desmond's problem was he came off a bad season and initially had 8-figure aspirations. I think people would have signed him to a contract like what Valbuena is looking at.
Should have added at the time as this midseason run of wins was better. The start last year was more fun than any run I've seen them on since the 2004/2005 campaigns.
In lighter news, Tim Tebow wants to be a MLB OF. Make it happen Luhnow, he can extend his healing hand to our bats.
I'd be surprised if Doug Fister did not get a QO (in fact, I'd be disappointed) --- He's been solid as nails for most of the season (and you've gotten what was expected, a reliable #3 starter who can step in as a number 2 admirably. Heck he's having quite a year, and has had a very good career. He had a subpar year last year, which is why he was available for the Astros. Shoot aren't the Astros paying him 10+ million for a tryout year (based on his past years production, with hope he'd get his career back on track). I would roll the dice and give Fister a QO, even if he took it or we'd run the risk of scaring other teams away. Anyone that thinks that you can rely on the young guys isn't paying attention to development and the growing pains that come with it. Sure McCullers, McHughes, Musgrove, Keutchel, Martes, Fiers, Feliz, etc. make it seem like the Astros have a plethora of depth. But, Fister has earned his contract with a consistent year. Rasmus is hot and cold, and is not reliable - Rasmus was a risk that did not pay off. I'd be mad as heck if the Astros offered Gomez a QO (another risk that did not pay off, though he did help a little last season)..... And shoot, Valbuena might be worth a shot as well on a QO. Even if he took it, I think he's earned his pay, he's rock solid defensively, can play multiple positions, and can carry his weight offensively.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="und" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/SportsMT">@SportsMT</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/SportsRV">@SportsRV</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/LanceZierlein">@LanceZierlein</a> <a href="https://t.co/iWtzooOp5e">pic.twitter.com/iWtzooOp5e</a></p>— Elscrapo2 (@ElScrapo2) <a href="https://twitter.com/ElScrapo2/status/763362736847728641">August 10, 2016</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
This. And there's no way Castro, Rasmus or Gomez get QOs. I'm not sure Max Stassi would be a huge step down from Castro.
Remember Castro's allstar season? Geez, I get that he was just the rep because they had to have one but if he were ANYTHING like that player the local 9 would be in so much better shape.
