Not good for the Astros. Although the new owner could request a blank slate which would mean them selling on Trout, Ohtani, Stassi, Fletcher and maybe Rendon and bring terrible for 2-3 years. But more likely is the new owner realizes the best bet is to dig in with the current players and spend the money on the pitching staff and hope for the best. Which would be a net negative for the Astros.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.cr...remy-penas-production-has-plummeted-in-august Talks about Pena's current struggles at the plate
Their current issues run deeper and is unlikely to be fixed with a bandaid of a few choice signings at the MLB level. They’re once highly touted prospects are just another guy-types. Their owner isn’t the problem unless he’s hand-picking the guys running their developmental programs. I’d be much more fearful if they announced they were hiring Luhnow as a GM.
Moreno singlehandedly makes all the big free agent deals, usually going over the head of his GM to do so. Much like how Tillman was the deciding factor for the Westbrook deal, Moreno was the man behind the Pujols and Rendon deals, alongside all the other big contracts (Upton, Hamilton) that blew up in their faces. He's easily the most hands-on owner in baseball. If the Angels get good ownership, don't expect a Mets like turnaround in two years, but they easily could be a force in 5.
The Trout and Rendon contracts are just too onerous to entertain a full rebuild and it never makes sense to do a half assed tear down. Combine that with having another generational talent in Ohtani and what should be the capacity for a top 8 payroll, and it just doesn’t make sense to do anything except try to win in the now. They are a SS, 2 ToR SP, and a closer away; money can fill those holes. Of course, the bigger project for the new owner is to find and empower the right GM who can avoid any future albatross contracts and get the farm to start consistently producing.
Considering the last two fired Angels GM's currently run competing teams in Seattle and Queens, it was never them that was the problem.
Any or all of those guys will get hurt. They have no depth. They have no middle tier guys that are club controlled but produce (neither pitching nor lineup). We know that you can’t simply win/rely on all stars all the time…. And yes, they can have a top 5 payroll and sign any of the top 3 free agents for the next 2-3 years and it still won’t fix the above issues. And in the end, they’d have wasted the two healthiest most productive years of Ohtani’s career (likely)… he’s not going to withstand this workload every season without coming up with things here/there. This is his prime. Reminds me a ton of JJ Watt-like Texans years with surprisingly even less success.
I prefer to think he was making a statement on the national media by wearing a Yankees cap and sucking on their meat.
Moreno has been a win-now owner. As long as Moreno was owner, I doubt he would ever hire a GM that would focus on rebuilding.
