That's a pretty ridiculous take unless you feel the team is better without him. Why would any fan care about how much money an owner spends if it doesn't impact the team's payroll budget? This team is likely not the #1 overall seed in the AL without JV. Ripple effects. This season is much different without him. It sucks that he has had 2 bad starts in the playoffs but that's baseball. Pitchers are human too. I would not be surprised if he pitches 6 innings and only gives up 2 runs with 10 Ks in game #5. I would not be surprised if he pitches 3 innings and gives up 5 runs either. Bottom line over the course of 162 games the team AND ORGANIZATION is better with him than without and if his salary is "earmarked" for him alone where is the problem?
The 2 years lost to TJ, it sucks but it was unintended just s**t luck. Had they not gotten a deal done with Verlander we don't know what they would have done with that money, but I sure hope it wouldn't have just been pocketed while we're still trying to win a title. If Crane has a 160 million dollar budget by design, and won't spend any more on any player besides Verlander I'm not OK with that. You don't have to give 40 million to one free agent, but you sure as hell better spend some of that money on something else to improve the team if you can't come to an agreement with him. If what you say is true, and I don't think it is, it's another alarming sign that Crane isn't really a great owner, he just had one great hire with Luhnow.
So if the Yankees offer him 50 million a year, and we simply get outbid. You think Crane is completely in the right for pocketing that extra money instead of trying to make the team better? I absolutely think there's a very real chance we are a better team the next 2 seasons if the Verlander money is spent elsewhere, not positive, but not at all unfeasible. If he lays another egg, I can't for the life of me see how you guys would be so happy to bring him back.
Recency bias is terrible. I guess cy young winner and a historically great season for JV just gets washed away in a span of a game or 2. It’s to the point where there’s no reason to bring JV back at all. This line of thinking has always been just horrible as if other aces don’t get rocked in the playoffs when you’re playing the best. What happened to max, degrom, fried, Cole and all these other aces that are some of the most elite in the world. Oh theyre at home bc they got rocked
I thought you meant for next season. The World Series roster is already locked, so they cannot add a catcher now.
It is isn't 1 game or single playoff run. It is now his last 3 playoff runs and every World Series game that he has pitched. At this point it looks more like, when other good teams have time to look at the tape and find a strategy to hit him, they are able to find it. Or when he challenges elite HR hitters, they get him. If you want to pay him that much to be elite in the regular season and have the career accomplishments as an Astro for the heart, sure. But you have to recognize, he is not the best playoff option for Game 1. Also the Astros are currently very lucky to have a number of young very good starters to even ask this question. For more teams, you don't have the luxury.
Whether he is the best option for game 1 doesn’t really matter much to me. I love framber and have no issue with him being the primary ace. He’s earned that status. JV is especially important bc it allows LMJ who we all know is injury prone and has yet to make it a full season can be maintenanced. It’s also vice versa for JV now
Crane has always controlled the budget, especially when Luhnow was here. Its his team! He decided to extend JV and rip up Altuve's locked in contract and reward him. He's followed through with a top 5 payroll every year since the WS. Merchandise revenue is through the roof right now and could likely cover a chunk of JV's salary in/of itself. They'll need to spend to improve the team... in places where guys like Leon or perhaps Brantley can't fill the role. But Crane has a fairly set track record of only over-extending things for guys he prefers. Like I said earlier, a lot of that potential money could go towards extensions (if guys are willing to take them).
He had a solid 2017 WS against an elite lineup. He was actually the best starting pitcher of any of the guys (on both sides)... the only one to go 6 or more innings in both starts.
I'm totally on board with offering Verlander a similar deal to the one he got this year (increased to 35ish per year). It does create a healthy problem though. Brown is ready for full-time work and needs a regular spot in 2023. Valdez, McCullers, Javier, Brown are locks. Verlander, if re-signed, would be a lock. That leaves Urquidy and Garcia fighting for the occasional 6th start and/or long relief. It is possible that Crane and co. allow Valdez, McCullers, Javier, Brown, Garcia and Urquidy to take over. Whitley could get a look in 2023 too.
For the life of me I can't see how you would be so happy to see him pitching elsewhere. I think ( strictly my opinion) that this pitching roster is set. JV comes back or not makes no difference there. Any money that is put into the position players is not determined by if he returns or not. I expect them to add 1-2 bats regardless and spend money but not spend MORE money if JV goes somewhere else. And I'm fine with that. As long as the team adds 1-2 bats to lengthen the lineup I will be happy. That's what I mean when I say I am fine with Crane having money for JV and JV alone. JV brings something to this team nobody else can. Therefore if he doesn't return spending money on anyone else doesn't replace him. Therefore I'm fine with Crane just not doing it.
CF likely belongs to a combination of McCormick, Meyers and Leon. I don't see us paying for a new CF in FA. 1B--I think it's very likely we platoon Yanier and Yuli (very team friendly deal for Yuli; I don't see him signing elsewhere). C--I could see us adding a low cost option to backup Maldy; I also see us giving Lee more time in 2023. LF--I think its possible Brantley comes back on a very team friendly deal.
That should be a top 5 rotation. That may be enough, bring championships, and make fans happy. But add JV and subtract Garcia or Urquidy and that should be the best rotation in baseball. So if the pitching roster is set with no chance of adding one from another organization, it's stupid to not want JV back.
It is possible that the biggest decisions made in HOU's offseason involve Baker and Click. Verlander is likely the biggest player decision. Extending Tucker is the other. I don't see ANY significant FA adds from players not on this team already.
13 position players. Maldy, Altuve, Alex, Pena, Yordan, Chas, and Tucker are locks for the roster. Needs - b/u ( platoon) C, 1B, CF, b/u inf. I think: the team will bring in a cheap veteran defense first ( only) catcher to compete with Korey Lee and hope and pray that Lee wins the spring training battle. They keep Hensley to replace A.Diaz and Dubon as utility 26th man. They have open competition for CF ( not including Chas who may win it by default if everyone else falters) with Meyers, Leon, Julks, and anyone else they can bring in at min salary for 1 year. Barefoot? Brewer? Meyers and Leon are the favorites. That leaves 2 spots and 1B open. The team is very RH heavy and does not have a big bat to hit 6th and protect Tucker in the lineup. Yuli's regular season and Mancini's Astro tenure exposed that and the team will bring in at least 1 big bat to fill that spot. I could see Brantley brought back and that bat being an every day 1B like Abreu or Josh Bell. I could see Yuli being brought back and that being a LH 1B or DH type maybe Rizzo or even Bell. I think if both Yuli and Brantley are back the team will take a big step back offensively.
My projections for the offense in 2023: C Maldy, Lee 1B Yuli (New short term deal) & Yanier share time 2B Altuve 3B Bregman SS Pena LF Alvarez CF Chas RF Tucker DH Brantley (New short term deal) Bench Hensley, FA Biggest FA needs are filled by retaining Verlander and Montero.
This year show'd everybody why elite starting pitching is the most bang for your buck commodity in this sport... and having this sort of pitching depth yield wins, not just regular season wins but translating to post-season wins. Trading or just letting go retainable starting pitching should not be an option. Its not merely a luxury... its a necessity given how often these guy can get injured. The Astros had an unprecedented run of not just dominance in the starting rotation/bullpen but very good health. Those years aren't often replicable. What seemed like a surplus this year will likely revert back to the "norm" next year where guys up and down the rotation/bullpen miss some time.
It’s not a matter of being happy to see him pitching elsehwrre1 it’s a matter of how can we spend 40M to the best effect. Bc of Our surplus of very high quality starting Pitching it’s easy to Imagine a team with a rotation of Framber, Javier, LMJ, Garcia and Brown, with Urquidy as a 6th starter being much better than a JV fronted rotation, if the JV less rotation has Nimmo and Abreu in CF and 1B respectively (or Contreras and one of those other two), vs Maldy, Chas and Y Diaz. the difference between JV and Brown is likely to be much less than the difference between quality upgrades at 2 or 3 regular positions vs filling in with guys from our minors like Diaz and JJ.
