Happy holidays, go stros, and I hope your loved one got you a sweet retro jersey like this one: As a side note, we really do have the freshest jersey history in the game.
LOL...I'm still optimistic. And I like to think I'm funny. And Ken Giles was disappointing last season. Doh!!! That's right!
My new years wish is to crush the Arlington rangers, steal their souls and feast on their tears. Can this or rather WILL this new lineup make that happen? --frustrated in Fort Worth
Stats and history say the '16 Rangers were the luckiest team in league history.. playoff results reinforced their suspect regular season and proved them to be a fraud. To answer your question.... it's likely the Astros would've beaten Rangers next season WITHOUT any upgrades.
Amen--I can't take another season of them getting into the playoffs and winning the divison based solely on their statistical anomaly against the Astros. The bandwagon is strong in DFW, especially now that the cows are running the NFC to boot.
I'm jonesing for news... anybody got anything? From anyone? I don't care how half-baked it is, that hot stove ain't hot enough!!
Total speculation but I think Luhnow is sitting back and waiting for a team to lower their price on a SP. He is content to enter the season with Keuchel/McCullers/McHugh/Morton in the rotation with Musgrove, Fiers, Peacock, Devenski, Paulino, Rodgers, and Martes competing for the 5th spot. He's submitted his best offers for Archer, Quintana, Gray, Ventura, and Pineda, and is willing to wait it out. In the meantime he is likely monitoring the lefty reliever market. He also is likely going to submit an offer on Tyson Ross when the time comes, assuming the medical feedback he gets is positive. We may not see another move made prior to opening day, or we could see the biggest move of the offseason any day now.
Thanks Snake. I think you're right. We have an extremely competitive time right now, with nothing added. Why rush? Man... I'm just ready for the season to start and need an Astros fix.
Since we have 11 possible starters for only 5 positions, it sure seems like a 4-1 or 5-1 type deal is in order which is why overpaying for a #2 wouldn't bother me. The only way (to me) that this doesn't make sense is if the brass feel we can get a better guy than Quintana for the same investment. Or, we want a lesser guy for less investment.
I agree that some consolidation is very feasible. But maybe not for a top-flight guy just looking at the rotation. "11 possible starters" includes 5 guys who will never be better than bottom of the rotation, 3 injury questions, 1 still complete prospect, etc. It's not just use-any-5-of-11-to-fill-rotation. And when you consider that you can't just send the worst of the bunch in a consolidation deal, the numbers don't automatically add up to easily overpay for a Quintana
There are a several legitimate ways to process Giles' 2016 season, but this right here cuts through it all and gets to the point. Given expectations, of both him and the team, I suspect he'll be on a short leash in '17.
Hinch mentioned that he might run his closer out in the eighth inning and his setup guy in the ninth, if the meat of the order is up in the eighth. If Hinch does this, the traditional bullpen role will be blurred.
