I disagree that the Astros are adding another $55,000,000 to the payroll this season. The Astros have tried to move Reddick to increase there potential spending. Marisnick also runs out of options in June.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/climbi...ner-jim-crane-says-payroll-room-increase/amp/ Trying to move Reddick may have been about making room for a player like Harper, as much as it might have been about cutting payroll.
Daniel Murphy to the Rockies for $24M/2yr. Would have liked him in Houston, even though that’s slightly more than I thought he’d get. He could be great for the Rockies. Also, Andrew Miller to the Cardinals.
My guess is Houston can add at least $20M more before they start having to worry about payroll constraints. And I don’t see anyway they can add more than another $40M, especially during the offseason, since they will need to leave at least some money for any deadline moves. So the grey area is somewhere between $20M and $40M. I do think if we see them add Cruz then we will know the number is closer to $40M than $20M, since there’s no way they’d not leave room to add a starting pitcher considering that’s their biggest need.
I could see us adding Cruz at a similar deal that Brantley got (13mil/year for 2 years), trade for a 6.2 mil Realmuto, and still make a move for starting pitching (much more likely for an SP2/3 type via trade).
FWIW: I just asked Jon Heyman on Inside Baseball Live what he thinks the Astros' next move is--he said he thinks they will try and sign Nelson Cruz.
Sounds reasonable. The 2nd and 3rd tier options who are likely available (Stroman, Gray, Sanchez, Cobb, Bundy, Ray, Leake, Duffy, Fulmer) are all $15M or less. Greinke is the only option who comes with a big salary. CF Springer LF Brantley 3B Bregman 2B Altuve DH Cruz SS Correa C Realmuto 1B Gurriel RF Reddick Bench: Diaz, Chirinos, Marisnick Rotation: Verlander, Cole, TBD, McHugh, James Bullpen: Peacock, Perez, Valdez, Devenski, Harris, Rondon, Pressly, Osuna That’s a stacked roster. But if given the choice, I’d rather have Grandal/White/Tucker than Realmuto/Cruz.
I think over time Tucker will prove his worth. I just don’t see it this year. I’d rather have Cruz and Realmuto for the next 2 years.
Nope, the Astros were never adding Harper and they are not going to be adding another $55,000,000 to the payroll for 2019.
If Diaz has options, I’d be down to stash him in AAA, have Gurriel as the utility guy, White as the 1B, and have Kemp/Marisnick platoon/compete for the 3rd OF spot batting 9th, salary dumping Reddick.
Our payroll stood at 185 mil last year, and we tried to add Harper last year. If the #s I see are right and we are only at 150 now, we are going to come somewhere between 40 and 55 mil by season’s end. I don’t think we will get Harper either, although it felt good to think that way when the rumors circulated.
A platoon of Kemp/Marisnick is probably not much of a drop off from Reddick, considering Marisnick’s defensive value. If they can save $10M by dumping Reddick, it makes some sense.
Well I'll be damned The daily Realmuto : Sources : Astros are not offering Tucker. Braves still in. Rays, Reds, Padres would all need to up the ante to get serious. Could go into 2019 with J.T. on MIA. Would not surprise me if some other team got involved. % updated. Same report says we have the strongest bid aswell. YORDAN ALVAREZ, J.B. Bukouskas and who? And Mish also says we may try and nab Urena aswell o My
The Astros definitely need to make some moves with our current outfield situation. We can’t carry Brantley, Reddick, Marisnick, Springer, Kemp, Tucker.
I’m guessing we are offering MLB ready players like Kemp, Reddick and White, along with Bukauskas and Martin.
