It's a tremendous tragedy when you have limited resources and you have to dump a majority of them into a mediocre player like Colby Rasmus. Well, no - they have more needs than that: C, 1B, LF, CF, DH - all were well-below league-average last year (+ starting pitching) - maybe those can be filled internally but I'm not thrilled with the internal candidates (other than Gurriel possibly being the DH.) More than specific positions, though - what they *really* need are guys who can get on base consistently/strike-out less - I don't really care where they find them - but that is their priority. I'm encouraged that Luhnow mentioned lengthening the line-up with the acquisition of Aoki. Last winter made me think the Astros didn't have a solid feel for their own team; hopefully ,this year will be different.
I was looking at the Cubs' line-up - their first four hitters and their OB%s this year: Fowler (.393) Bryant (.385) Rizzo (.385) Zobrist (.386) And, when healthy, Schwaber's OB% last year was .355. That's just relentless and almost impossible to stop.
Yet, the Indians win the World Series if they are not missing their best hitter and 2 of their 3 best starters. A line up like the Cubs have is what gets you into the playoffs, over 162 games and facing #3-5 starters 60% of the time with a deadly line up will lead to a lot of wins. Every year is different, but the Astros have the possibility of having a very deadly line up next year if they can eliminate the easy outs in their line up that plagued them most of last year.... just extending the line up is huge.
I'm hopeful - there's certainly potential. But I'm also concerned - though, admittedly, I recognize we're still pre-free agency and potential trades. I think we (mostly) know what we have with Altuve and Springer; I hope Correa builds and has a better season. The wild cards are Bregman and Gurriel... if what they did last year is at all sustainable - then, yes - the Astros will have a *very* good line-up that almost doesn't need much work. BUT I would assume nothing and hedge my bets accordingly, if I were them.
I am fairly confident in Bregman. The one that I am not so confident in is Gurriel. That leaves holes at first, outfield and catcher..... if they fill two of those holes, the offense will be good to very good.... if they keep trotting out garbage at those spots, then they will be what they were this year, up and down.... you cannot count on 3-4 hitters to drag your whole line up to success.
While I'm confident Bregman will be ok - both short- and long-term - I'm not sure his .917 OPS (after his terrible start) is sustainable, and I suspect he'll take a step back: most young players who are called up in-season have a tendency to regress during their first full-year because they simply aren't prepared for what a long, relenting drag it is. I'm bullish on Gurriel - he's a veteran shaking off rust; give him a full offseason in our program + spring training and I think he's going to be very competent.
Didn't Gurriel hit over or near .300 when he got put in the two hole? I feel like he shook the rust of not playing baseball for 9 months
Mike Fiers is probably next, clear some space on the 25. Clearing up the 40 Prospects running out of options with spots the Astros have set in: Preston Tucker, Tony Kemp, Andrew Aplin, James Hoyt, Kevin Chapman, Brad Peacock, Colin Moran, Tyler White, Jandel Gustave, Brady Rodgers, Nolan Fontana, Jon Singleton. I'd expect a good amount of these guys moved for younger prospects or a solid vet bench/relief guy. AJ Reed, Max Stassi, Teoscar Hernandez, Francis Martes/David Paulino are the big pieces waiting on how free agency turns out.
Brad Peacock was turning it around. Sometimes it take others longer to develop. In Peacock case, hopefully he breaks out in 2017.
Stassi, Singleton, Peacock, and Chapman are the "bubble" players who are out of options. I could see Peacock making the team as a long reliever but will be very surprised if the other 3 are still on the 40 man roster in April.
I would give Martes more minor league seasoning. Bring him up in the Summer of 2017. He has age on his side. Plus, Astros don't want to hurry him up and have him struggle in the Majors.
So...my offseason project is complete. I've been meaning to put it together for years. Everything is from the '05 playoff run. Tickets, pins, and program are from games my dad and I went to (what we could still find). The black and red matting, with the gold border, matches our uniform colors, and the outer frame is black with a minor gold tint. I think it came out well. Figured I'd share here, since the offseason is slow right now.
