Profar had a very nice season and hits from both sides of the plate, nice option to have off the bench on days Pena and Altuve sit. I would not mind him as a reserve certainly an upgrade of Diaz/Mancini. There’s a few guys I’d be interested in that role in the under 10 mil tier but I’m not sure how many that can hit from the left side. I’d be happy rolling with this 1. Altuve 2. Pena 3. Alvarez 4. Bregman 5. Tucker 6. Abreu 7. Brantley/Conforto 8. McCormick 9. Maldonado 10. Barnhart/Lee/Diaz 11. Profar 12. Dubon 13. Hensley/Meyers/Leon/Matijevic/etc 1. Valdez 2. McCullers 3. Javier 4. Garcia 5. Brown 6. Urquidy 7. Pressly 8. Stanek 9. Montero 10. Abreu 11. Neris 12. Maton/Martinez 13. Vet starter like Kluber, Grienke (that can provide leadership too a young staff) or a high leverage reliever like Rodgers, Chafin, Ottavino
Profar seems like such a minor and inconsequential addition. It would certainly help our overall roster depth, but I would rather those PA go to Hensley, Diaz and Meyers instead of spending on basically a league average bat.
Again - Crane is literally telling anyone that will listen we’re supposed to be spending right now. No one is making him say that. Shredding salary three straight years says far more about Crane’s actual mindset and to be honest, as a fan, it’s ok to be disappointed w that. We’ve been remarkable at replacing key cogs (and unquestioned fan favorites) internally but that can’t last forever. And again, not one person has demanded them to make “unreasonable” moves. Furthermore, by making those comments Crane is more or less explicitly setting the expectation that those improvements won’t or at the very least shouldn’t come from within. The owner and now de facto GM is telling us he thinks they need to invest in the major league roster to remain atop our perch. Well… they’ve had chances this off-season. It would be nice to see them follow through w that.
Currently on the Rosters of the Astros or Space Cowboys: 1. Altuve 2B 2. Pena SS 3. Alvarez LF 4. Bregman 3B 5. Tucker RF 6. Abreu 1B 7. Matijevic DH/!B 8. McCormick CF/LF 9. Maldonado C 10. Lee C2 11. Diaz DH/1B/C3 12. Meyers OF 13. Hensley IF 14. Dubon UT 15. Leon UT 1. Valdez SP 2. McCullers SP 3. Javier SP 4. Garcia SP 5. Brown SP 6. Urquidy SP 7. Pressly CL 8. Stanek RP 9. Montero RP 10. Abreu RP/SP7 11. Neris RP 12. Maton RP 13. Martinez RP We're already in good shape for the regular season. Spring training will have an effect on out opening day line-up. We cannot know our greatest need at the trade deadline right now. We can only guess and we probably guess wrong.
He's telling us he is willing to spend for the right players and the right contract. Not that he will spend to win the off season spending battle. People assumed he would spend the Astros out of existence.
Now for my surprise pick at DH. Niko Goodrum - No power, but 488 OBP in 86 PA across 4 teams. There will be a surprisingly good player this year that we do not expect.
I’m not miserable at all. Crane set the standard at his press conference and I’m holding him to it- if he leaves gaping holes in the lineup and 40M short of the tax level that’s not a championship off-season. I love this team and I’m passionate about it because I love it. There is literally nothing more important for it’s success than what happens right here and right now- everything else is luck (injuries during the regular season, small sample size during the playoffs) and flipping a coin. Roster construction is paramount. Don’t mistake being passionate for miserable.
Bullshit. I’d have loved the Hanniger signing. Been ok with Gallo. Been fine with Narvaez and Zunino. I pretty obviously preferred Comtreras (and we’d have had the money for that and Hanninger) but would have shrugged and understood Narvaez or Zunino. We’d have zero holes if we did those deals instead of 2 and I’d be as happy as pig in ****. This off-season still can be redeemed between now and the start of the season but not the answer is bringing back a crippled Brantley, a Washed Yuli and promoting a Jag at catcher which looks to all appearances (maybe not Yuli) what the plan is. That plan sucks and the team on 4/1/2023 is worse (by a fair bit) than the team that won a title on 11/1/2022. That shouldn’t be considered acceptable as a fan. Even if we win a World Series.
This this this this this. And therein is the difference between process and results in a luck driven sport like playoff baseball, as compared to playoff basketball where the best team wins 99% of the time or playoff football where it’s over 50% of the time.
Another brilliant post. And my point when I said I’m merely holding crane to the standard he set for himself. And he was completely right in his press conference when he ticked down the list of things that needed to be done. And then he hasn’t done **** about any of them (yet) and people around here want to gargle his balls over doing nothing while every other team that’s trying in our division improved themselves, the team we are likely to play in the ALCS did as well, and while the NL is in an arms race. We were like nah- we are good with getting worse even though we clearly know what’s needed to get better.
I’m not asking them to spend to spend. I’m asking them to spend to plug two gaping holes in a lineup that they are completely aware of, situations the owner pointed out needed to be addressed in his press conference where he talked like a big dick player before deciding to be outbid by small and non critical amounts of money in FA.
The Astros are having the same damn offseason we have every year.You would think fans would learn and not overhype themselves, but here we are. The Astros under Crane play it safe, they always have, even under Luhnow. The only big moves we ever make are moves that fit into that, we often get outbid because of it. I can't see Crane changing that until it stops working so well, even if it leads to underwhelming offseasons.
You’re asking them to spend to spend. Crane never said he’d spend freely no matter what. It’s always for the right situation, the right player, on THEIR terms. Sure, they’ve had chances. But if a player takes more years or more dollars than the Astros think they’re worth (and frankly, there haven’t been any “steals” by any front office this offseason), do you want them to overextend for mediocre players? It’s no coincidence that the two most reasonable and lower risk FA signings were by this team… Montero and Abreu.
Gaping? Whatever. Who did you want them to get into a bidding war for? I respect when owners have a decent sense of what a player is truly worth and how it could impact the rest of his roster for years to come. On the one hand, everybody is worried that he’s going to be a Jerry Jones type owner.. yet you guys are asking him to behave just like Jerry Jones did. Weird dynamics… but yes, you’re just wanting them to spend to spend at this point, true value/risk/return be damned.
Yes gaping. We went 3/43 at the DH position last year and that was with 2 guys with a better track record than what we brought back. Our solution at catcher right now would see that line projecting to about a 525 or 550 ops. Literally the definition of gaping. And nobody is clamoring for a 300M contract to fix that- I think everyone would be reasonably happy with a 2/14 deal that just got handed out at catcher and a 3/42 for a guy like Hanninger. Neither move would have dick all to do with putting the Astros in a compromised situation going forward, it wouldn’t be basically spare change for what we still have to spend (leaving us like 20M at the trade deadline), wouldn’t block anyone interesting on the farm or stunt development, and would demonstrate a willingness to back up words with actions. that’s minimal table stakes to making sure a World Series contender has a credible option everywhere instead of 2 gaping holes.
Continue to lose it over not signing a Josh Reddick level replacement or a backup catcher. Keep using post season sample sizes to make decisions on 3-5 year contract offers. You’re literally getting upset over “gaping” holes yet you’re bringing up Hanniger and Zunnino. They’re all just guys.
Actually the $93 million they’ve committed is more than a lot of the past off seasons. And it wasn’t desperate/reactionary it was early on as they executed their targets before spending became haphazard and some teams got a little overzealous. The Astros, Guardians, and the Braves are likely the most set rosters and best mix of homegrown and supplementing players…. And the spending best reflected that this off season.
I’m not asking for anything. We’ve had a decent offseason but so far we’re a notch worse now than we were when the season ended. Abreu is a great signing but doesn’t make up for JV’s loss.
They don’t cost anything in resources and represent very real improvements from what we had. On 2 and 3 year “small” money deals.
Yep. And for another 20M this year, next year and 13M the year after we would be better than we were last year without any long term hindering of those positions. JV plus Vasquez > Abreu. It’s an incredibly simple equation. I’m extremely happy with Abreu signing. That fixed one of the 3 glaring holes on the roster.
