That's not how this game is played. Why did Luhnow trade for Maldonado twice in 2 years? He's smart, ain't he? Now tell me the 2 MLB players he traded for him...?
I'm not complaining, I'm just saying it's doubtful they can win a championship with their current catching situation. I'm all for having Maldy catch 2-3 times a week when Framber/Garcia/Urquidy are pitching.
All I would say to that is Click has shown a willingness to move on from players that aren't working out. They dumped Baez and sent Goodrum to AAA after trading for his replacement. If an upgrade needs to happen they will do it.
So, uh... Asheville's pitchers, if they're not getting torched, they're getting put on the IL. The Tourists have put 4 pitchers on the IL in the last three days as Ray Gaither, Tommy DeJuneas (who I forgot was still in the organization), Diosmerky Taveras, and Alfredi Jimenez are now on the shelf.
LOL Sandy Leon, 89 G, 288 PA, 37 OPS+ Christian Vasquez: 80 G, 269 PA, 46 OPS + They both got WS Rings that year.
It’s insane that Mushinski can’t find his way to Houston but who would you exchange him with? Taylor?
Sycamore alum Geremy Guerrero signed by Houston Astros The 2021 Missouri Valley Pitcher of the Year and first five-time All-American in program history will look to recapture the form that saw him post a 10-1 record and 2.08 ERA in a standout senior campaign on the mound. Guerrero posted a 98:14 strikeout-to-walk ratio over a career-high 99.1 innings as the Metamora, Ill. native became a bona-fide ace and one of the top pitchers in the NCAA over his final season.
Officially Sandoval and Kemp. Unofficially, add Stassi as they had to trade him in order to make room.
Granted their age and prospect pedigree are much different, but would you say the Astros are more impressed/hopeful about Jake Meyers or Pedro Leon as a long-term starter?
Never underestimate a quality catcher. For it is better that a catcher works with a pitcher and gives the pitcher the comfort level they needs to focus on just making a quality pitch, rather than the catcher adding to any distractions for the pitcher. I’d rather take a catcher hitting under .200 and being in sync with his pitchers, than a catcher hitting .300 that can’t work well with pitchers when he’s out there. Look at the Yankees and all the distractions that Gary Sanchez brought them. He was a great hitter, but a sucky catcher; Yankees had to trade him away because catchers need to practice the art of catching ahead of any slugger personal quests. So for those who’ve seen Korey Lee, how does he work with pitchers? I know there is a lot of excitement that he can be a plus-bat, at the catcher position. Besides following his stats on the top 30 prospects, I don’t know much about he controls a game behind the plate.
That is really hard to say. What I can say is it is my observation that the Astros are honest about when they really like a player in their organization. Even before Meyers was putting up big numbers in the minors, people in the Astros player development system were saying he was "close" and that "he figured it out" and the discussions about him were those reserved for a top tier prospect when he was nothing but an after thought outside of the Astros organization. As for Leon, I can tell you that they liked his talent so much that they signed him immediately to the number his agent wanted to prevent a bidding war. They had him use advanced technology, measured bat speed, torque, explosion in their private workout and they signed him quick enough to get his public workouts canceled. So they viewed his POTENTIAL as special. When they finally got him in the complex they loved his athleticism and felt he could play shortstop at the big league level. Right now he is starting to hit with awesome power, and his fielding continues to improve as he becomes more comfortable. They would like to get his contact rate up a little though. Based on how the Astros talked about Correa, Valdez, Garcia, Gurriel, Bregman, Urquidy before they came up; I believe we will hear people in the organization say the same about Leon when he is ready. If you remember there were comments made public about Alvarez as well when they felt he was ready to go.
Yeah, Click has shown a level of patience that fans don't like and many GM's would not show.... but overall it has worked out for him. Having said that, he has eventually moved on from his mistakes like Baez. The front office will have the okay from ownership to make a move at the deadline to fill a hole the team has. At this point it looks like it may be a bat, but things could change a lot in the next 6 weeks or so.
Yeah, has a really good feel for the game. He did not get drafted because he only throws 88 mph and doesn't have enough velocity differences between his pitches. The Astros are likely going to try to work with him to see if they can unleash untapped velocity. They know he will work his butt off too.
Meyers has a higher floor. Leon has a higher ceiling. I've been down on the Houston Farm mostly due to not adding (or not being able to add) talent after Luhnow left. With Pena looking like a star, if Leon hits, the Farm this year will have produced more than most. I'd still be down on the depth, but really liked Pena, Leon, and Brown. Lee, I'm not as high as most are on him, but that is mostly due to how hard it is to develop catchers and how inexact it is to predict how they will do in the majors.
Kemp and Sandoval You don't think Malady has declined in 3 years? He should be a guy that catches twice a week.
