With Max saying he is willing to waive his no trade Clause. I think we should offer Maldy to them asap. This kind of move could get us a decent prospect for the SP whisperer. Verlander loves Maldy and he would help those two vets asap. This would also give us a chance to move Lee up next to Diaz. Js if Cohan was smart he would so be on the phone trying to make this happen. I think Maldy is falling out of favor with most fans and this would be a feel good story for him
They don’t want Maldy and they wouldn’t trade us a flaming bag of dogshit for him let alone a promising prospect.
It takes 26+ players to go through a 162 game season and make the playoffs. 5+ SP 8+ RP 9 starting position players 4 bench players This team just does not currently have the depth to make it through the grind and get through 162 games with the needed success. SP Good- Framber, Javier, Brown Could be improved- France, Blanco Unacceptable- RP Good - Pressly, Neris, Maton, Abreu Could be improved- Stanek, Martinez Unacceptable- Montero, Dubin Catcher Good- Could be improved- Maldonado Unacceptable- Infield Good- Altuve, Bregman, Pena Could be improved- Abreu Unacceptable- Outfield/DH Good- Yordan, Tucker, McCormick Could be improved- Meyers/Julks Unacceptable- Bench Good- Dubon, Diaz Could be improved- Meyers/Julks Unacceptable- Madris So from this 3 players are Unacceptable ( must be improved). 2 RP and a bench player. 8 more could be improved. 2 SP, 2 RP, C, 1B, LF/CF, and a bench player. There are (theoretically) 2 players on the way back. Brantley should cover one of the position players leaving just 1. Urquidy would replace one of the SP, but just raise it from "Could be improved" to borderline "Could be improved/good" Let's say that they return so that leaves 9 potential places to upgrade this team. #4 SP = Urquidy slides in at #5 leaving just 1 rotation spot, but ideally it would be a guy who can make a playoff start over Urquidy. 2 RPs= 2 good RPs that can slide into the #4-6 roles would drop Stanek and Montero ( because he can't be optioned) to the last 2 spots. Martinez and Dubin get optioned. C= This is what it is. We just have to live with it. Maldy is not getting upgraded or benched. 1B= Similarly, Abreu is the starter here for better or worse, but he has been much better of late and I expect a solid if not very good 2nd half. Bench= 1 solid run producer who hits RHP very well would be quite welcome but if Brantley returns and is productive this team should be perfectly fine.
Now apportion the analysis by playing time, as that's the real issue. We could have above average everywhere but 1b (and as you said- I wouldn't be surprised if he was average or better from 6/1 on... but we choose not to. I'm not sure that getting a "solid bench guy" is going to change that, unless it allows you to send down guys.
https://nypost.com/2023/06/28/alex-coras-astros-apology-made-kenley-jansen-want-to-cry/ So melodramatic.
If Brown is the GM of the entire org & underneath him are: manager, coaches, assistants, players, minors, scouting... then why can't he look at the holes of this piece of swiss cheese that compromises the entirety of the organization and UPGRADE / DEVELOP / TURN A NEW LEAF / BRING IN NEW & BETTER TALENT in the areas for which this club is suffering. (Just keep O-G Pettis... IDGAF who you are, this dude needs to stick around.) Cintron/Espada... level up, or you're on the bubble. Baker will be gone before the end of the season. Bring in familiar faces / voices... a lot of these 'new guys' almost look like deer in headlights bc they made it to the show. D-Baker is not your assertive, developer-of-talent/youth Manager who can relate or make a case in point with some of these guys hitting the bigs for the first time in their life. Everyday, organization exponentially gets that much older / outdated / irrelevant because complacency and the fact that we've won it 2x already in the last 6 years.... there's no "chase / want"... its evident. Hey, it's one thing to build a championship organization... you cross the threshold to an entire different level when you can consistently be the ones who can rightfully state it, intend it moving forward, and show/prove anything short of that is unacceptable & an afterthought... Jim Crane & Dana Brown BOTH have an opportunity here to send ripples across the league & become better than what we all know as the best Owner/GM relationship in all of Houston sports / MLB. I want to see both of them do whatever it takes & bring in whoever/however you have to to keep the Astros as a relevant org. Bc heres the rub: we don't make the playoffs this year, we don't finish 1/2 in the division, we don't make the ALCS or have skin in the game of the WS... then this entire "Astros run" will be credited to Justin Verlander (thank you, grateful) and/or Jeff Luhnow. I'd like to see this tandem (Crane/Brown) make an IMPRINT on MLB... ensure your spot in the baseball HOF that much sweeter. We don't need another hurricane or scandal to act as a scapegoat in our unprecedented run. Getting old Jimmy... you've got enough money to make sure your grandchildren (& their children) will live an affluent & fortunate life. You already have 2 rings... not that you care, but you will be elevated to a legendary status in all of sports (& H-town legend) if you continue to succeed in getting the final out. The fans deserve more than the product you're running on the field / in the clubhouse... you have fans here that have spent more money than your books allow for DB's salary & have witnessed / cheered / experienced more games/players than DB has managed in his 4 years. Nut tf up. Show the rest of the league you didn't come here as an owner to find out by fcking around. Gamble on, get wild, just be sure to yell cannonball.
Jose Altuve walked 3 times last night, bringing his walk rate for the season up to 13.3%, that ranks in the 90th%. If you want a larger sample, including last season, he has an 11.3%, which would still be in the 80th%. These are Alex Bregman numbers. He has low key turned himself into a guy really good at drawing walks without noticeable impact on his other peripherals. He still loves to attack first pitches and overall sees less pitches than average. A sign of the true great ones who keep developing their game.
Assuming Abreu goes back to sucking @ss, the Astros hitters are healthy, and the Astros hitters hit as well as they have this season..... The ideal spreadsheet Astros lineup would have an average wRC+ of 115 The close 2nd with Dubon playing 2nd and Altuve at DH has an average wRC+ of 114. A simulated Dusty lineup with Altuve, Chas, and Diaz on the bench has an average wRC+ of 101. If Abreu is an average hitter, those numbers go to 119, 117, and 104. In this scenario, assuming that the Astros played the best lineup, second lineup, and a full-Dusty lineup evenly, the Astros would have a Top 5 offense with a wRC+ of 113. Caveat: These numbers assume Dusty does not play better hitters higher in the lineup.
Abreu isn't going back to being dog ****. He has fixed his swing. Will be MVP caliber again? probably not. However, he isn't going back to April and May unless he is injured. He literally forgot how to swing a baseball bat.
So how concerned are we w Javier's lack of production and alleged drop in velocity? There's no mistaking his sudden inability to miss bats, walking more hitters, and middling FB velocity.
I'm concerned, but the reason for that is because the lack of rotation depth and overall pitching depth on this roster. This team does not have the 4 starters and 8-9 overall pitchers needed in the playoffs. This team has: 3 MLB starters 2 AAAA starters 4 playoff calibur RP 2 proven MLB RP who just aren't good. 2 AAAA RP Javier's standing as 1 of only 3 MLB starters is bigger than him not being himself as 1 of 5.
Starting from his debut, there was always a concern about his ability to handle a full season's workload of starting pitching. I still think he was wasted in 2021 as he began as a starter, then was changed to a bridge multi-inning reliever with sometimes leverage situations, sometimes not. The inconsistent workload seemed to impact some preparation routines, then we saw some of it backfire in the World Series. Granted, this is only magnified after he was really great in last years' post-season as a starter. I still think he will be fine for a full year... but may need more rest between outings (which they got last year with the 6 man rotation).
Very. He’s got to be right if we are going to make the playoffs let alone have a chance to do damage there.
