Don't think first base will be open but you may be onto something at utility man. Marwin didn't impress much but I am not sure it's something you have to go outside the organization for. Assuming SS is covered by Correa or Pena and the outfield remains unchanged Leon will not have an obvious place to play. Getting his feet wet as a utility man might make sense.
A few musings since I’m just catching up… The Odo talk is funny. He just shoved in G1 of the WS… 2.1 IP, 1h,0r, 5:1k:bb…he could still play a very big role this series. Especially with Lance out. Siri…my god. Who would’ve thought. Unfortunate to have Jake out but nice story and happy to see Siri seize the opportunity. Last, shameless plug: Check out Moody Tongue if you still live in Chicago! It’s a brewery/restaurant in the West Loop & they just won 2 Michelin stars this year. They do some really incredible stuff. It’s my brother’s brewery and my cousin is the brewmaster. They distribute in Houston and across the country. Check em out on Instagram or their website, they have 2 dining concepts (bar and dining room)…it is life changing
That looks great! I'd need a couple of helpers and it would take about 4 hours but I'd be perfectly content ordering the entire starter menu and beer pairings, in whatever order the kitchen wanted to send them out.
I saw Jeremy Pena in the dugout last night, I think it’s great they added him to the taxi squad to get him integrated into the clubhouse and exposed to the internals of playoff baseball if they expect him to be the SS next season.
Yeah... they need to work to pass the torch to the young players. They need to experience the attitude and confidence. The euphoria and the heartbreak (hopefully not this year) Was it Graveman who remarked how after the game 1 loss the clubhouse acted like it was a meaningless loss in May and how impressive that was? The guys need to learn it's all about the game you're playing and let the previous game go.
Good for Leon, tough his AVG isn't that high and his K rate is high. Very excited about Korey Lee - was batting above 330 last I checked. A little concerning that he had only one 2B and the rest were all singles, but the power is definitely there.
Good info on Lee and others in the AFL. https://www.mlb.com/astros/news/ast...-overview-2021?t=arizona-fall-league-coverage Seems to be some evidence that Lee’s receiving (he’s had some trouble with passed balls) and gamecalling (probably just lack of experience) might be problematic, and that may be part of the reason they’re giving him time at 3B. Luckily it looks like the bat will play either way. Interesting velocity tops mentions for Houston’s AFL pitchers: Macuare 95, Donato 96, Freure 97, Record 97.
Snooping around and saw that Cuban 2B Cesar Prieto’s Wikipedia page lists him as an Astro. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/César_Prieto Prieto is one of the top 30 or so international prospects this signing year. He would probably be Houston’s top 2B prospect. He is one of 5 big bonus prospects Houston is hoping to sign in January, along with SS Alberto Hernandez, 1B/OF Luis Baez, OF Kenny Gomez, and C Maikel Minoso. Signing all 5 of those players would probably net Houston’s deepest international signing class ever.
Have there been any reports of him reaching an agreement? Haven't seen anything anywhere, other than the wikipedia page, but I sure would love to add him to our international class.
I have not seen any reports of an agreement. The Wikipedia could be wishful thinking on somebody’s part but seems like an odd thing to do if it’s not real. He defected in May but the Wikipedia page was updated just 2 months ago.
Looks like Prieto was just granted free agency by MLB. I’m assuming he is still subject to the international signing period bonus restrictions. Interesting that he’s been in west palm beach which is where the Astros complex is.
That's disappointing to hear, was looking forward to the possibility of having a good offensive catcher (provided they're also good at the defensive and game calling aspect).
The passed balls problem is concerning. As far as pitch calling, I think for now it’s a lack of experience as by all accounts he never did that in college. Luckily he will get to learn with Maldy. Hopefully he’ll develop with time. Really love his strong arm, and quick pop time.
Dude's caught for two full non-consecutive seasons. This would have been his first full season calling games, and he did so across 3 levels, missing some time with injury. The lack of experience isn't a reason to think that he's going to be a good defender, but I think it's plausible that he can get better. He said he feels very comfortable behind the plate, and he's hitting, which might be more meaningful than the number of passed balls.
Much of catching is a learned skill. There is hope. Korey Lee like a lot of prospects represent ~5 years of controlled salary, which should allow the Astros to make a few big bets in FA. Also like all other prospects, Lee will not be a finished project his first years in The MLB. To get that finished project, the Astros would need to sign a FA or make a trade; there will be costs. As fans, we should be OK with the Astros fielding prospects and the rookie "mistakes" that go with that. Now if we could get one of our non-rookies to cut down on his TOOTLBANs ...
