White Sox asking about a young catcher from Dodgers names Ruiz and from Astros they like our young pitchers with high ceilings.
Do they, though?... They have Verlander and Cole at the top of the rotation; few teams can match that 1-2 combo. And I imagine they have Whitley penciled in for the second half of 2019, and if he lives up to his potential, that's another TOR starter. The 3, 4, 5 spots can easily be filled by guys like McHugh, Peacock, Valdez, James - or they'll find a Charlie Morton-type (or, you know: Charlie Morton)... I would wager the Astros see pitching as a priority, obviously - but not a break-the-bank/empty-the-farm priority.
I like James and McHugh, but Peacock worries me. And again, I just don't see $17m from a great third starter as breaking the bank.
There is a lot of volatility in pitching and 4/68 is a large investment for the Astros. Unfortunately the Astros can not absorb that type of risk like the Yankees or Red Sox can.
Guys I wanted this offseason 1. Goldy 2. Eovaldi 3. Grandal (thinking Miami is still unreasonable on price for Realmuto) 4. Morton With signing Chirinos, #3 is basically gone as well. Not many free agents left excite me too much as Astros have a very good team.
I think was in the back of my mind regarding the Eovaldi deal. I'm sure Lunhow knew Keuchel would turn down the $17.9m qualifying offer, but still. I'd much rather take a swing on Eovaldi with that kind of money.
If we are only thinking of 2019, I can agree with most of this. But JV, Cole and McHugh become free agents in 2020. Its difficult to land a true #1 TOR in any year. If we dont address getting some pitching now, next winter, we will have to replace our #1, #2 and possibly our #3 (if that guy is McHugh in 2019) all in the same offseason. Anyone else see that as problematic? https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/HOU/houston-astros-salaries-and-contracts.shtml
So why say you're going to be aggressive if clearly, you aren't going to be? We have a small window to win another title, go for it. Don't be a Drayton, resting on your laurels. If you love Tucker, go get Ramos. Resign Morton. I don't want to move McHugh to the rotation- you weaken the bench and the starters by doing that.
Free agency, injuries, drop offs, etc. Windows close faster than you think. Why not maximize this one?
Whether it be shrewdness or over-valuing our prospects, Jeff doesn't let go of young talent unless the return warrants it. If he doesn't like what he sees, he passes. On the same token, when he does see what he wants, I dont think he hesitates. In this context, I dont think being aggressive equates to making bad deals. On the other hand, overvaluing your prospects can lead to losing them for nothing in rule 5 eventually or filling the minors with career AAAA guys.
http://www.astroscounty.com/2018/12/thursday-morning-hot-links.html ...Chirinos is a bad defensive catcher. So, no, I don't get it. I do, sort of, if I squint and shake my head.
He’s certainly worth 5 mil. A lot remains to be seen what we do this offseason. Take your hand off the panic button.
It's December 6th. Do people not realize that, or realize the timeline of past Luhnow moves? Could come at any moment. My lord.
