Kid K putting it out there. 16 game leads don't mean squat in ALDS/ALCS or WS. As is, this team will have to overcome that pesky playoff truth that good pitching normally beats good hitting. If healthy, I still think we have a shot as good as any team. But it would have been extremely nice to at least see one of Gray/Britton/Hand (and maybe Darvish) on the roster.
IDK...all he really did was reiterate what Luhnow said in his presser yesterday. Disappointed that a deal couldn't get done, but the team can win with the current players. Folks are acting like Keuchel put ownership on blast or something...I don't see it that way.
I like it. Not a great message to send to the cornerstones you're hopeful will resign in the upcoming years. I'm not letting the Baltimore owner vetoed mess let Luhnow off the hook. He had all July to be prepared for this, one monkey can't stop the show..
Ironic that you imply Martes is a dud in the same post you imply Keuchel is good, considering how unimpressive Keuchel was in his first two seasons.
A lot of hyperbole because of yesterday. I get it, I was pretty upset we didn't make a big move yesterday, but in a weird way, reading all of the "sky is falling" posts has grounded me to an extent.
I'd prefer the leader of my team be focusing his energy on sending the message to his team that they don't need anyone else to do their job for them. Dallas needs us to make a big trade because he's not sure if he'll even be on the mound. So much sand, so many vaginas.
To be fair, the players *should* be upset, regardless of if it was the right or wrong move. Most of these players won't be here in 4 years - they don't care if the Astros keep their prospects. Their only concern is the here and now.
These things will be true whether we win a WS or not. In that case, maybe you want the prospects to fill the gap at that point. Why not both? The best way to win a WS is to be a consistent contender and give yourself as many chances as possible.
Keuchel right to call out Astros' front office Dallas Keuchel said what needed to be said. From the Astros' clubhouse. As one of the main voices on the American League's best team. Kudos to the Cy Young winner for his unfiltered honesty and speaking the truth. "I'm not going to lie. Disappointment is a little bit of an understatement," Keuchel said Tuesday at Minute Maid Park, before the Astros hosted Tampa Bay. "I felt like a bunch of teams really bolstered their roster for the long haul and for a huge playoff push, and us just kind of staying pat was really disappointing to myself." For Keuchel to publicly say that, it means other Astros are thinking and feeling it. And it reminds me of what a key Astro said more than a month ago when the team was the best in MLB and the frenzy of the trade deadline was just a tease. "They're crazy if they don't make a trade this time." I wrote a column in Tuesday's Chronicle examining the complexities of this deadline. I also said this team -- which possesses a lineup with World Series written all over it -- deserved better and the players would now have to back up the general manager who didn't help them at the deadline again. Trading too much for a No. 3 starter such as Sonny Gray didn't make sense. Even Zach Britton, who remained in Baltimore, came with risk. But GM Jeff Luhnow acknowledged disappointment after the Astros only ended up with veteran lefthander Francisco Liriano. And this team has now gone through two consecutive deadlines without significantly improving itself, which only deepens the outside – and, obviously, at times inside – belief that the Astros still aren't fully committed to doing everything they can to win the first World Series in franchise history. During the previous two seasons, the franchise had to overcome the acceptance of second place – to the Rangers and in the marketplace. Even with a 69-36 record entering Tuesday and an 11½-game lead over the Yankees and Indians for the top record in the AL, the Astros can still come off as a little ... cheap. "Good teams can always be great and great teams can be legendary," Keuchel told the media. "At the end of the year you want to be the only ones left, and it (the lack of reinforcements) is a little disappointing for sure." The Astros have also added Yuli Gurriel, Carlos Beltran, Josh Reddick and Brian McCann in the last year. They've come a long way since 2013 and the laughable league-low payroll days. But even with Yu Darvish's 4.01 ERA and July nosedive, the best team in the sport still traded prospects for another starting arm. So the Dodgers could immediately improve on their 14-game division lead and already locked-in playoff spot? Of course not. For the grind of the playoffs and the pressure of the World Series. "I know a lot of the guys feel like we can win in here, and that's a pretty accurate statement, and that is why we have built such a great lead," Keuchel said. "When it comes down to it, we're going to win for each other and that's it." That's a leader talking. The best pitcher in the game two years ago. A two-time All-Star who's shined on a national stage, owns three Gold Gloves and knows exactly how hard it is to win in October. Keuchel also isn't afraid to speak his mind and was fully aware that his voice would be heard. (Here's to the hope that internal politics don't kick in and he rolls back his words.) August will become September and the 2017 Astros can obviously still be improved. Trades can still be made. Carlos Correa will return and Lance McCullers could return to form. The post-deadline Astros also beat up the Rays 14-7 on Monday, which tells you everything about what this lineup can do in October – even with George Springer on the disabled list, and Derek Fisher and Tyler White filling out the daily 1-9. But this deadline was always about extra pitching for this team. Tony Sipp and Michael Feliz joined Will Harris on the DL on Tuesday, a day after McCullers was sidelined. A worn-down bullpen's 4.53 ERA, which is tied for 23rd with the Rangers, won't cut it in the playoffs. The Astros' front office was just called out by a Cy Young winner. Keuchel said exactly what needed to be said.
You sit on your ass and watch the games, at best. This is their lives. The team has the 22nd ranked bullpen in baseball and Lance McCullers just went on the DL again. Luhnow, himself, made adding pitching a priority and did not get the job done compared to the other WS contenders. I am sure Dallas is not content with being the May Champs. Sure, he should just be awesome and win a World Series by himself, but he sees what we do out there. The "We Tried Hard" rhetoric is cold comfort and Dallas is not buying it.
LOL at all the people on their high-horses belittling any fan who dared to be angry at Luhnow... guess our ace shares the sentiment.
Of course he isn't happy, none of the key Astros are happy. They weren't happy last year when he did nothing either. Why it was monumentally stupid of the Astros to do basically nothing. The players want to win and see the other elite teams make moves. Luhnow didn't have to get Quintana; but there were moves he could have made that would have helped on the field and cost little to get in terms of prospects. This is stupid. First, Martes isn't any less of a prospect than 2-3 months ago and has a very good chance at being in the rotation next year. Second, Whitley doesn't need to be half the pitcher Kershaw is to make the decision to hold onto him a wise one.
100 percent agree. A big f u to dallas right now. Shut up and perform. Don't worry about the rest of the mlb.
I am not even entirely certain how truthful the "we tried" refrain is. "We tried.... but wouldn't move Fisher, Martes or Tucker... and only flirted with moving Perez" is more like it. That is fine, but let's not act like all these wonderful deals almost happened. There were a number of relief pitchers moved and the Astros walked away over paying for a science experiment in Liriano. The Dodgers walked away from Britton with 20 minutes left until the deadline and still were able to get Darvish without sacrificing any elite prospects. Thus far Luhnow has done poorly with his trade deadline moves and lack of moves. He is still very good at his job.... but their failure again at the deadline is worthy of criticism by the players and the fans.
He shouldn't have said what he said, and that doesn't show leadership.... but I promise you his opinion is held by a number of guys in that clubhouse.
I totally believe that. I still think it's mentally weak. But I get it. Stakes are high. A lot of air in the balloon this year. Give it a few weeks, and hopefully they'll all realize it's on them, only them, and always was. The fact that the belief is held by so many in the clubhouse is precisely why he, as a team leader, needs to feed the other team mentality: we're badasses, and we take care of our own problems. Just my opinion.
