The worst thing about off season is the same. No game, shorter periods of daylight, and we are supposed to get 3 inches of snow on Wednesday. Truly sad times. When do pitchers and catchers report??
If Meyers had gotten/stayed healthy he may have outperformed Marte. We will never know. Bad break for him and Click.
I see your point as well. My view is mostly for those who have been clamoring for Vazquez to replace Maldy because he would be this instant upgrade of the lineup Or worse yet those that want him at 1B or DH. It is true he is a better hitter but it replacing an "F" with a "D+" level bat. There is a reason that there are no rumors of Boston wanting him back.
Astros get: OF Randy Arozarena 1B Yandy Diaz Rays get: SP Hunter Brown C/DH Yainer Diaz OF Jake Meyers RHP Alex Santos II
Vázquez is definitely better than a D+ bat and all around catcher. Some good info in the article. Cards are interested. He'll be playing for Molina in the WBC. Click told the Post-Dispatch this past week. “Vazquez is a veteran performer, knows how to handle pressure environments both behind the plate and at the plate. A high-contact, quality at-bat at the plate. All the things we knew had value. First of all...a veteran postseason Catcher. https://www.stltoday.com/sports/bas...cle_b0272370-c43e-5eba-8841-698c75f660d7.html But who knows, maybe Korey Lee steps in as the primary backup and when/if Maldonado is injured does a great job handling the staff and the pressure of a playoff run. This is also more than likely Maldy's last year.
I haven't seen any posts that remotely allude to that degree of praise, but the Astros do have a Catcher situation that needs to be resolved heading into spring training this year and full time starter in '24. Maybe Korey Lee is the dude. We'll see. Or do you want to sign Contreras? Trade? Or what?
It looks like Early February would be a better description. From CBS MLB Mid-February: Spring training camps open across Florida and Arizona. Each team sets their own reporting dates for pitchers and catchers, and then position players, though they'll all be up and running by the second full week of February. Cactus League and Grapefruit League play begins Feb. 24.
I have not seen him as Bat heavy ever. Just Average Bat skills (around 2) with similar intangible receiving/prep skills as Maldonado defensively. A better Maldy.
I like people with conviction in their beliefs. It's why I respect both Crane and Click. It's also why Click is no there. Simply they have different visions and Crane is the boss.
Longish post here, but I think it is useful to rewind to Nov 2021, after the Astros fell two wins short of a title. The story was (1) would we bring back Correa, and (2) if not, Crane better spend that money because we want a title, not an owner/team that sits back and takes in the money. Would waiting on Correa hamstring us? The biggest FA name that we kicked around on this board was Sterling Marte. Marte signed a 4yr/78MM deal on Nov 27, 2021. Correa signed with the Twins in March 2022. (Also, JV signed his deal on Dec 14, 2021) Marte came off the market fairly early, and I recall a bunch of us wanted him, myself included. On Correa, Astros never budged off the 7 year deal they offered to Correa and given the aversion to super long term deals and what Correa was looking for, we can reasonably conclude that the Astros were not really in on Correa, particularly when they could have tried to match the 3 year deal he signed with Minny with a 1 year opt out. I was furious they didn’t bring back Correa on that Minny deal. Now consider the philosophical differences between Click and Crane that click himself aired. Crane wants to be more decisive, Click more deliberative. Crane wanted Marte, Click wanted to give Meyers a shot and address needs at deadline if that didn’t work out. Im going to side with Crane. I did so a year ago. The team was two wins from a title, core intact, suffered from lack of front line pitching in the post season, and deficient at CF. What did we say time and again? The golden age won’t last forever and HOW THE HELL can you waste a year of Altuve/Bregs/Tucker/Yordan prime? Yeah, we won the title and all is forgiven? Not for an owner that wants greatness. The Astros struggled with CF all year, and it was a position of weakness heading into the playoffs. Same with 1B. Same with DH. That could not have felt good for Crane. It all worked out, but can’t feel good about that and he’s not going to forget. Montero is the decisive move for the best pen arm on the market. We could have waited to add to the pen at the deadline. But Crane went for it. I’m fine with that. More buyers with the expanded playoffs and the trade deadline costs are high. (I will say this for Click (and I respect what he did here). Most baseball minds say get to the playoffs as many times as possible and it’s a crap shoot from there. So if the best plan is to get into the mad scrum that is playoff baseball as many times as possible, then prioritize developing Meyers and buy enough to give yourself a good (if not the best) chance in the post season. So it is not wrong or insane. I just don’t happen to agree with it entirely, I want us to spend to the Luis tax line every year, and want to win s many titles in the next 3 years as possible.).
Some people aren't into ruthless people. Crane is ruthless and has been in his other business ventures. Personally I like his style of management. He values winning over being PC.
No to Arozarena and no to Hunter Brown. Arozarena is a below average fielder and only slightly above average bat. Hunter Brown has Ace potential.
Click made My point is you live with the regular season to get playoff Yuli. Use Yanier as a fall back plan if Yuli falls off of a cliff, or make another deal at the deadline. One thing is for sure,Yuli has been one of the best money hitters in the playoffs throughout his career. There's real value in that and if I'm Crane I'm bringing Yuli back. Plus the fact that he's a clubhouse leader.
