I like Dubon. He is what he is... he can't hit but he can play competent defense in a lot of places which is useful. If someone was out there that could hit and do what he does I'm fine replacing him. I just don't see that player being offered without giving up salary or prospects. He shouldn't be starting as often as dusty puts him out there but we all know how dusty is.
He hasn't been elite since 2019 and he was bad both last year and in 2020. He'd be like the 6th or 7th best arm in the bullpen for $11MM/yr?
Dusty definitely has some old school tendencies. Some end up making a lot of sense. Some don't. Re: giving Yuli so much playing time when he was playing like crap for the better part of the season. We'll never know if Yuli getting all that playing time allowed him to play through/figure out his problems but clearly he was nails in the post-season. Re: Not playing Chas against lefties with his pronounced platoon split, while giving him AB's against righties. I read something that said Dusty knew he'd be facing mostly righties come playoff time so if Chas wanted to play full-time in the playoffs he needed to be facing righties in the regular season. This one seems to have paid off. Re: playing Dubon so much. Dubon was a non-factor in the playoffs anyway, so this seemed somewhat moot/unnecessary in the end. I'm inclined to give Dusty the benefit of the doubt a lot moving forward.
With 1, 3, 4, 5, and 6 hitters all projected to be 20% above league average or better and #2 and 7 hitters not being a negative, I think the team can absorb a lesser hitter in CF as long as defense is plus. My thoughts are: LF: Yordan 50%, Chas 40%, Brantley 10% CF: Meyers 70%, Chas 30% RF: Tucker 95%, Chas 5% DH: Brantley 55%, Yordan 45%
There is one player that I would love to get if and only if he can play LF (which he's never done in his MLB career). Jean Segura. If he would be okay with a utility role and spot starts in LF then that's the dude in the 7th or 8th spot that would routinely turn the lineup over each inning, and fast enough to steal bases.
162 games is a grind. If someone like Dubon can give each regular 8-16 days off (5-10%) then it helps come playoff time. That may not be possible in upcoming seasons with Seattle, Texas, and ( maybe?) Angels getting better. He is a perfect 26th man and very useful as long as he is not given starts in the playoffs. As for Chas that makes perfect sense. If he is going to be a starter ( and last year he was needed) then yes start vs RH and LH. If he is going to platoon w/ Brantley while Meyers (or Leon) are starting CF then he will get enough ABs vs RH relief pitchers.
I don't think I've seen a single person complain about Chaz facing righties. He should have faced more righties, and lefties, and more PA in general. We have a ton of talent, so Dusty can get away with playing scrubby Dubon without justification as long as he plays the real players when it matters. Ultimately I suspect Chaz will have the everyday job, but I 100% believe Dusty will still regularly start Dubon in CF solely because he likes him, and it is gonna piss me off. Dustys biggest strong suit here is that the team takes over the personnel choices from him in October and the best team always plays. I see a lot of people raving about Dustys "long game" regular season managing, it's kind of starting to aggravate me. Dusty has failed in the postseason a ton in his career. Now people are chalking up his stupid regular season choices to brilliant 4D chess managing because his team finally didn't fail.
It was a not uncommon complaint that Chas sat against lefties and played mostly against righties, which went against his splits and tended to make him look worse overall. I actually like Dubon and have no problem with the way he's used. What Dusty did with the Reds/Cubs/Nats is irrelevant now IMHO. He's been extremely successful with the Astros and I think that's part adapting to new trends but also part integrating his hard earned experiential knowledge.
Please someone with more knowledge contribute: My understanding is that the instincts are adequate but not stellar and he is willing to work. He needs repetition on plays in CF to be more natural but he has the speed to overcome what he lacks in instincts and experience 90+% of the time. My understanding is he should be solidly average or slightly above average but not gold glove calibur.
Yuli was awful in 2020 and also in the 2020 postseason. He was great in 2021 and also the 2021 postseason. Had his best year in 2019 but was bad in the playoffs. I think there's a lot of randomness to all of it. But I'm delighted it worked out this time.
Dubon came in as the CF in the 9th for most of the close wins in the postseason with either Chas being pulled because he just batted or being moved to left. For whatever reason, Dusty didn't pull Chas in the 9th just after batting in Game 5 of the World Series. Maybe Dubon makes this catch, but Chas, the CF with better range, being in CF in the 9th in this game seems to be dumb luck.
Bauer is a douche but that does not make him guilty of the accusations. My personal opinion is that he probably didn't do things the women didn't know about, consent to, or expect but he probably went further than was acceptable to them. Again just my opinion I don't know. But he has talent and that means he will be in someone's starting rotation in 2023. I can't imagine Crane signing off on the shitstorm of negative media coverage if the Astros signed him, even if he had not been so anti-Astro Might as well bring back Taubman if they intend to sign "Tyler"
I could look, but I don't remember Dubon coming in and Chas being removed? Only pulling Yordan and Chas moving to left. In this case the game was close. I think Dusty needed to keep Yordan's bat in the game and just bringing in Dubon with Yordan in LF was not the move the team wanted Chas is the better defender with more range and I am sure the Astros know this. Dubon does not make that catch. I'm 50/50 whether Meyers makes it - he can get to it and 100% he catches it in 2021 but does he jump for it after the injury?
