The positive: Round Rock or San Antonio could help us (re-)build fan bases in Central Texas. F the Mall Cops.
We play 3 times as many games in Texas as we do in California, and another 40 on the east of the country. Unless you play in California, it is a terrible place to have your Triple A club. Fresno was always a place holder until Round Rock became available again.
Does Tucker represent the last of the AAA September call ups? Would not mind Reed for an extra LH pinch hitter (and please, to just give him another real chance), and maaaybe Guduan for another lefty relief arm (though he was not that great last time we saw him).
I wonder how hard Astros management will investigate buying and starting a AAA team in San Antonio? San Antonio may very well be able to better support a AAA team than the Austin/ RR area.
Reed wound not be getting a "real" chance by sitting on the bench the next 13 games and only being used if every other option is unavailable. And Guduan? If he wasn't good the last time he was up, in what conceivable situation would they pitch him while they are still working to win the division? He would only be used for mop up duty and they have guys to fill that role.
I disagree. SA just isn't a baseball town. The Missions are a complete afterthought...lucky if they can fit in even the score of the game on local news. Maybe if they were to move the stadium somewhere else like on the NW side of 1604 near Live Oak/Cibolo/Schertz. As far as their fan base goes, SA is an Astros town...but it just doesn't have a big baseball fan base. I'd still say it's at least 80/20 they go back home to Round Rock...which might include purchasing it from Ryan/Sanders Baseball. There's an established and dedicated fan base. There's the tens of fans that switched over to the Rangers once the Express did that would easily come back.
https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2018...onals-brewers-triple-a-affiliate-changes.html I’ll be shocked if Houston ends up anywhere other than RR. I think it’s all a done deal: Houston to Round Rock Rangers to San Antonio A’s to Fresno Mets to Syracuse Nats to Nashville Brewers to Vegas Everybody wins in that scenario except the Nats, and even they will have their AAA team in a big market with good facilities. Only other thing I could see is if the A’s take Vegas, Milwaukee could reject Fresno and try to figure out a way to get something closer.
Reed: give him one start in Baltimore since we clinch the division before the last day. Really want to see him get A CHANCE. Just a real chance. I have more fingers than he's had at bats this season and last season combined. When that's the case, it sounds like something isn't fair. Guduan: Fair enough.
AAA is a real chance. Reed has had all year plus a few before this season to force more of a chance at the MLB level. Davis and White have dominated AAA while Reed has been okay this year. Not sure how better players getting more chances is unfair. Only thing unfair to Reed is that he's in the Astros system and it is tough for okay AAA players without unique skills to get chances in the majors.
One start in Baltimore is not a "real" chance. If he goes 0-4 with 4 strikeouts or 4-4 with 4 HRs, it means nothing other than he had a bad or great day. And, without him getting at bats, the Astros are on pace for two of their greatest seasons ever.
If I'm not mistaken this was Reed's 3rd option year, meaning if we try to send him down after camp next year he gets put on waivers, which I highly doubt he would make it through. Tyler White's ascension has pretty much slammed the door on Reed as an Astro. I could honestly see us using some assets to go after a proven 1B/OF this offseason to shore up the offense to offset the pitching dangers (regression/aging/prospects). Not that I expect either to struggle, just that amping up the offense seems like a more practical way to give some young starters a chance to pitch while still winning.
It depends on what year he was added to the 40-man. eta: You are correct, '18 was his last option year. Offseason tradebait.
This made me go check. Here are the players with options remaining next season: Deetz Devenski Guduan Gustave James Martes McCullers Osuna C Perez Rodgers F Valdez Bregman Correa Davis Gurriel Fisher Springer Straw Tucker I’m not sure on service time rules but Will Harris has only been optioned twice (‘13, ‘14) according to his mlb.com transactions page, so he may have an option remaining. Out of options bubble players this offseason: Reed, Kemp, Marisnick. (Assumes White is no long considered a bubble player.). I could see them giving Reed a chance to open the season as the DH (with White at 1B and Gurriel in a utility role), but I agree odds are overwhelmingly in favor of Reed being traded for a lotto (or even just DFA). My guess is that Straw, Fisher, Davis, Valdez, Perez, Martes, James, Gustave, Guduan, and Deetz start next season in AAA. That leaves 5 spots to add optionable guys to the 40 man, my guesses for those are Garrett Stubbs, Jonathan Arauz, Trent Thornton, Rogelio Armenteros, and Bryan Abreu. Drew Ferguson, Brock Dykxhoorn, Riley Ferrell, and Akeem Bostick are Rule 5 risks.
i just don't want to throw away a guy for nothing, especially a former #11 prospect and College POTY winner who got next to no big league chance. If we say goodbye to him, at least use him as a throw-in for a trade, or nab a prospect (even if just a "lottery" guy). Fisher still has an option left, but I'd like to see us do a service to him and also include him in a trade. There's just no room for him here anymore.
Not gonna pretend to have any clue what goes into decisions like this, but Linares has been moving up the organizational chain for a decade. Gets one year at AAA and we cut ties. What did they suddenly see that they didn't like? I also thought Ensberg was pretty well regarded.
Ensberg also won the Carolina League Title. It seemed like he was on his way up the ladder in our organization, and he said he's always had a passion for coaching. Taking a year off to spend time with family? Moving on to another organization? We'll just have to wait and see. Wish him the best, I've always really liked Ensberg.
Joe Perez has signed to play baseball in New Zealand. Don't worry, we didn't release him, it's in coordination with the Astros so he can get some at bats in during the offseason since he got injured midway through Rookie ball.
Yeah, I don't pretend to understand their minor league coaching strategy. I was similarly confused when they didn't retain Tony DeFrancesco last year at AAA after 3 winning seasons and a title. The Astros in many ways haven't moved to the middle in "conventional thinking" after their return to contention. Longenhagen and Kiley McDaniels were musing that their unconventional thinking will start biting them in the butt.
