Starting to look like the Astros will get better value signing a FA pitcher and trading Garcia/Urquidy for OF. Just don't over pay for Benintendi.
Again, still not comparable. The 2019 staff didn’t have remotely the depth of 2022. Your takes on this are so bizarre.
RIP Grant Wahl. Not baseball related but biggest sports news I can remember in a long time. Can’t believe it.
Jose Abreu shows up at 37 seconds into the clip. I posted this clip because people are concerned about his age and he made contact with a 102 mph fastball better than any else last season.
No. I’d still take the Astros lineup overall and bullpen by a landslide. Astros have a starting five that can dominate their lineup.
This is really a question with two distinct answers. JV is better than Abreu. The transition from JV to Brown will hurt less than the gain from Gurriel to Abreu. The net makes us better just like the net from 2021 Gurriel to 2022 Gurriel had to be offset by 2022 Yordan gaining over 2021 Yordan to keep us from flaming out. Yordan was better both seasons, but the net differences made us a better or worse team.
They weren't in awe of Arod. They just can't overcome their biases. One of which is they are the best and when they don't win it's because someone else is cheating (too.) The other is Jeter was the BEST at EVERYTHING.
Can Rondon and Correa prevent them from getting no-hit and one hit by our number 2 (formerly 4) pitcher?
Top WAR FA’s are starters(aside from Correa. We aren’t spending on Rodon and he wouldn’t sign with Houston anyway… Eovaldi and Bassitt both had more than JV. I think I’d rather deal for Varsho or the other DBacks OF then tie up money in the years and uncertainty on Benintendi. Brantley is the same production on a 1-2/10 per kinda deal. Offseason wishlist -Sign one of Eovaldi, Bassitt, Manaea, Kluber, Grienke. -Trade L.Garcia/Urquidy, Maton, Matijevic, A prospect if need be for Varsho. I think DBacks would be high on Strom getting back someone he helped develop who pitches to his liking. Four years of control for both Varsho and Garcia so I feel everything else is sweetener. -Bring back our spiritual guru Uncle Mike with enough depth that he wouldn’t need to rush back in March if that’s too soon. -Sign the best LH reliever (who’s a top five Bullpen FA). Taylor Rodgers I feel all this can be done with the Astros still under the tax. C Maldonado, FA/Lee/Diaz IF Abreu, Altuve, Bregman, Pena, Dubon (CF), Hensley OF Tucker, Varsho, Alvarez, McCormick, Brantley Call up options: Meyers, Leon, Bannon. Could we put Yuli on the Sugar Land team just in case, lol Rotation Valdez, McCullers, Javier, FA Vet, Brown, Garcia/Urquidy Bullpen Pressly, Stanek, Montero, Abreu, Neris, Martinez, T. Rodgers
Can someone explain to me why we aren’t heavily pursuing Vazquez as our starting C??? What am I missing here? It can’t be bc we’re fully committed to Maldy - that’s just nonsensical. We already have a strong hitting, solid defensive C that’s familiar w our staff. Letting him walk bc he’s 32 and wants a 4 yr deal would be pretty stupid when our only other MLB C is already 36 anyways and our other alternatives requiring trading talent away. Spell it out for me bc I don’t get it.
Vazquez wants to play somewhere he will be the unquestioned starter. Houston would only be interested in him as a backup or at most “co-starter” with Maldy because they (for better or worse) view Maldonado’s defense and pitcher management as extremely valuable. Also, Vazquez is not a strong hitter; he is overall a league average hitter who has fluctuated between slightly above average and bloody awful.
I would describe it as JV and Yuli versus Mccullers and Abreu. Hunter is likely going to see 15 or fewer starts. They will put him in the bullpen before starting him over Urquidy. It's going to take the usual injuries to free up starts for him.
A combo of Brantley/McCormick platoon should be a .900 or more OPS which they can do if they get Varsho or another centerfielder. I would only deal a starter if I knew a veteran was willing to sign an Odorizzi or Morton style deal. I suspect Arizona would prefer guys without major league experience to maximize control. Unfortunately they are loaded in outfield and our best chips are outfielders. Could take a third party...
I think the upgrade of Meyers to Varsho is not worth the loss of Garcia or Urquidy. If we are going to pay 15M+ for a pitcher, it won’t be to keep our rotation at 6. I really don’t see any situation where we trade one our current 6 SP. Given the options in club and FA, trading McCormick is the most likely option.
I understand your position and respectfully disagree. Brown has always been a starter unless preparing him to contribute on a team with 7 starters already. His upside is right up there with Javier, just above Framber. I love McCullers, but I consider him lower than those three on the pecking order. Even Urquidy and Garcia have more upside than they showed last year. I expect Brown to receive 25 or more starts in 2023. McCullers will replace the Odorizzi innings we got earlier in the year. I do not anticipate them returning to a five pitcher starting rotation unless we are hit with an injury bug. I do understand him not exceeding 110 IP, but after 3 of the last 4 years at 100 IP, he's ready to be stretched out. He appears to have found himself at Sugar Land.
