They have no desire to pitch him in the playoffs. We were being held together with duct tape and bailing wire last year and they didn’t, there is no way they are going to do that this year with JV and LMJ back, Framber pitching like a top 20 guy in the league and Garcia and Javier being ahead of him. He also doesn’t have great stuff or track record in the bullpen when it comes to that. if we need a starter to eat some innings as a long reliever Urquidy is plenty over qualified for that job. Odo is a regular season competent innings eater.
So if Cole told Hinch to only put him in a game if it's the start of a inning and if they are preserving a lead then that's on Hinch? Did you want Cole to relieve Greinke in the 7th because that 100% was not happening. Astros never scored again so who cares that he didn't pitch in the 8th or 9th when they were losing.
Meyers and Taylor Jones both officially started rehab assignments today according to the official website. Position players are limited to a max of 20 days. Jones can slide back to AAA easily but Meyers is going to create a log jam in the outfield. Siri will likely be the odd man out sent back to AAA but that team will then have a log jam of players the team wants to get regular playing time and development. Jones 1B/3B/LF Matijevic 1B/LF Leon CF/RF/SS McKenna CF/LF/RF Julks RF/LF/3B And Brinson ( CF/LF/RF) who doesn't need development but is having a good year and deserves to play. May be a solid injury replacement or trade asset. I could see them making a minor OF for younger prospects kind of deal to reduce the congestion and get some younger talent into the system.
Matijevic is currently hurt. Leon is also playing 2B now. They won’t necessarily have to make a move. Injuries and the trade deadline will shake it out. AAA should be stacked in the meantime though: C Lee 1B Jones 2B Goodrum SS Leon 3B Hensley RF Brinson CF Siri LF Julks DH Matijevic Bench/Inactive: McKenna, De Goti, Salazar, Manea Barreto
I wanted the best picture to pitch in a game 7 or leave Greinke in. Said so at the time. You don't know what, if anything that Cole told Hinch. One things for sure, Cole wanted to pitch in game 7. You win or lose with your best. Hinch didn't win or lose with his best.
You're right we don't know but we do know from post game interviews that Cole and Hinch had talked pregame and it was decided then how he'd be used. The agreed upon scenario didn't happen since Cole never came in. Hinch had no reason to "save" Cole; it was going to be Cole's last game as an Astro. Meanwhile Cole was one game away from entering a free agency were he stood to become the highest paid pitcher in history. Why would Cole want to be put in a scenario where he had a rushed warm up to relieve a pitcher mid inning. Or come into a game we're already losing, on short rest, and risk injury a few innings before free agency. My opinion is Cole made the rules and Hinch agreed to it.
https://www.mlb.com/news/2022-trade-deadline-deals-that-make-sense Willson Contreras to the Astros With the Cubs’ playoff odds dwindling close to 2% and Contreras a pending free agent, he could soon be the last member of the 2016 World Series champions to exit Chicago. Assuming that happens, there should be several suitors for a 30-year-old, two-time All-Star catcher enjoying the finest offensive season of his stellar career. The Yankees figure to come up here, as they so often do. But the Astros are another obvious fit if they can come up with a suitable package from a farm system that MLB Pipeline ranked 29th before Opening Day. Houston, trying to hold off the upstart Angels and land a top-two AL playoff seed, has another great shot to get manager Dusty Baker that long-awaited World Series trophy. Primary catcher Martín Maldonado has been arguably the most offensively challenged regular hitter in the Majors this season. Fellow veteran Jason Castro hasn’t fared any better in more limited playing time. Now, there’s more to the story, to be sure. Maldonado in particular is a highly respected veteran who is lauded for his work with pitchers. (The Astros, once again, have one of MLB’s best staffs). Perhaps that’s a worthy trade-off for Houston, given the strength of the rest of its lineup. But an injury here or a slump there could change that calculus in a hurry. With Contreras ranking behind only Aaron Judge and Houston’s Yordan Alvarez in hard-hit rate, the thought of adding him to the mix -- with Maldonado still around to work with pitchers -- has to be an intriguing one. -- Andrew Simon
One bat I'm interested in is CJ Cron. He's having a great season with the Rockies and adds a power at to the lineup. Under contract through next year, I doubt he will be that expensive, and Colorado has a top 1B prospect who should be ready soon. Before people say "But Coors effect," he actually has pretty even home/away splits, and he's also had productive seasons for other teams. Click should also remember him from their days together in Tampa.
If Soto is on the market and McCullers looks healthy... To Nats Luis Garcia Framber Valdez Pedro Leon Chas McCormick Tyler Ivey or Peter Solomon Potential Lineup 2B Altuve SS Pena RF Soto 3B Bregman DH Alvarez 1B Gurriel CF Tucker LF Brantley C Automatic Out Rotation Verlander Mccullers Javier Odorizzi Urquidy Then you still have Brown, Whitley, and McDermott in the pipeline to replace Odorizzi and then Verlander... I think the lack of prospects means we need to give up more proven major league talent that is under control. Dealing from pitching depth is easiest to take a hit on. I don't do this if it was 1 year of Soto, but we're talking 3 postseason runs before he hits his 10 year deal... similar gamble as giving up Musgrove for Cole...
As much as I love Soto, I don't think you can give up Garcia and Framber both. That's a bit out there. Garcia and Siri or McCormick then pile the prospects on. Leon, Lee, Valdez
Fair point but i think there would be better offers than just one proven arm... i wouldn't do both if he was a rental... the 2 and a half seasons of him could out us over the top. If they would take Framber and McDermott, Whitley, Ivey, and Solomon; I would rather do that... but those aren't guys on the level of what they got for a scherzer rental and turner... If Brantley leaves and we get a legit cf we could slide tucker to rf or lf and soto opposite...
Why do you think the Nats would want Framber at all? He only has 1 more year of service time than Soto. The price for Soto will be something like 3 top 100 prospects including atleast 1 guy in the top 10 or 15 plus more. We don't have it. The Twins got 2 top 100 guys for 1.5 seasons of Berrios... If you wanted to make a real offer for Soto it would be something like Brown, Luis Garcia, Leon, Whitley, Emanuel Valdez, and another low level prospect.
They could take Framber bc he’s more easily able to be traded then Soto. They don’t have to keep him and I’d think Framber would be a guy who could fetch two pretty quality prospects at the deadline.
I'm confused, so you think they will take less just because they would be younger? Framber's fewer years of control is offset by not needing 2 or 3 prospects to get 1 major league pitcher. Also, Leon and Brown aren't very highly ranked. They would get offered higher talent like Berrios fetched in prospects. That's why it would likely cost us 2 major league arms. I would not do it for 1 year of soto... probably not 2... but a chance at 3 postseason runs tips me to doing it... Framber is easier to part with for Houston since he's closest to getting paid. The Nats are losing a player getting more and is even closer to getting paid so I think some of that is offset. Btw, the blue jays gave up more I'm sure because they had an extension lined up and agreed to so I'm not sure what the 1.5 is about...
Brown is our most valuable prospect currently and would have to be included.. Also, the Astros are trying to win now. They aren't trading 2 starters from the current rotation. Leon doesn't have a ton of value but he's the 3rd or 4th guy in this trade. Garcia was a top 3 ROY finisher last year. 5.5 years of control of him is a lot of value. More than most top 100 prospects. Berrios was traded at the deadline and extended in November. I seriously doubt an extension was "lined up" if it didn't happen for 4 months. So when the trade happened he had 1.5 years of control and that netted 2 top 100 prospects.
I think a trio of: Brown, one of Garcia or Javier, and Leon gets 75% of the way to a competitive offer. How they could get the rest of the way is hard to say; if the Nats really like one of McCormick, Meyers, or Siri then that could do it. At this point the only way I can realistically see Houston acquiring Soto is if the Nats want to attach Corbin or Strasburg to him to shed payroll. It’s all very unlikely.
