I think the number counts Alvarez as a trade. Sometimes I think we are the Spurs of the 2000's of the MLB. We figured out the international draft better than anyone else and we picked up our versions of Parker, Ginobili and others for pennies on the dollar.
It's crazy to me that no other team had more than 3 international FA. That's an Astros gold mine. And Pedro Leon may be the CF next year. He, Jaime Melendez, Cristian Gonzalez, Misael Tamarez, Miguel Ullola, Luis Baez, Kenny Gomez, and Alimber Santa are all in the MLB pipeline top 30. Plus Jairo Solis, Edison Batista, Ronel Blanco, Julio Robaina, and Dauri Lorenzo are all in Fangraphs top 34. ( Santa and Gomez are not in Fangraphs) Thats 13 of the Astros top prospects. This could last for at least a few more years.
Stanek and Neris were the only free agents on the world series roster. Brantley would have been if he were healthy obviously.
I could see Alvarez counting either way but technically he was traded. If he makes it Yainer Diaz will be a trade too.
I feel any player who was traded while they've never played a game for a big league team roster should be consider home grown for the new team. The Astros traded for Alvarez early and developed him themselves...to me he's homegrown.
I really wish someone would blow the whistle on Yankee/Sox/Dodgers cheating in the past. So many anecdotes out there (and heresy) -- but would be good to get someone on the record. It can't just be the Astros -- that is the disgrace of this whole thing. All these players and teams pointing at the Astros and not manning up about their own indiscretions.
I sort of feel like JV coming back is not a win for The Astros regardless of the amount because either way whether on a 2year or 3year its going to be an enormous figure. For a team so stacked with pitchers a starter is pretty much the position we less need to fill, not to mention one that has been particularly bad in The World Series. I love what JV brought to this team, he was part of the recognition that The Astros had arrived but lets also not forget that JV did not make The Astros. Not even close, I'd go as far as to say that without The Astros JV is ringless. We don't need JV. Its the other way around. If he wants to get the bag then fine, I hope Astros use that money to try and improve areas that do need improvement. If he comes back on a team friendly contract (he wont) I'll be happy. If Astros overpay for an aging star in a position they don't need (they wont) I'll be concerned.
Hahaha This deal is crazy lopsided Astros would need to throw in Cristian Javier and Jeremy Pena for the Angels front office to not hang up and refuse to take any calls from the Astros ever again. That package of 4 would not get either of those players alone.
Honestly, as good as Trout is I'm not sure I'd spend the money on a guy like him who wishes to stay on a losing team, doesn't seem to fight for it to be better, and is injured almost every season. Where's his motivation? Not sure I'd trust him in a game clinching series just yet.
JV was content to stay in Detroit on a losing team and had to be convinced to leave to go to Houston. People complain when players chase rings; they complain when players don't chase rings.
Maybe, but Trout accounts for 20% of LAA’s spend and they lose control over Ohtani in a year. Nationals were in a similar spot and look what they got from the Padres.
No they wouldn't need to throw in Javier and Pena. Maybe Urquidy. We are not just adding up how good players are and trying to even that out. There is team control and salaries to consider as well.
