The names I have not been shortstops. I didn’t specifically ask but I assume they would readdress the shortstop situation in the off season. Do they long term think they can sign or trade for another SS or do they think they have a long term internal solution? IDK but my understanding is they are not getting a star SS back. Could they get Tim Anderson? Maybe, but he has been terrible - his buyout is only 1 million dollars though and his salary is only 14 million next year. His attitude is considered a problem though.
yeah this is exactly how i see things. adding more than 1 starter (despite how it may currently feel like we need more) makes no sense to me. at least one of javier or brown will have to get back to form regardless. that's just what the situation is going to be. and i don't think there is a clear upgrade at SP...even Cease sketches me out. So get the one on your interest list that costs the least. If Verlander is available and would be the 3rd or lower-cost pitcher on the market and under the parameters you mentioned, he'd be my top choice of all the rumored available names easily. Sign me up for Bellinger, Verlander, and a reliever.
We have all been waiting for Leon to get where he is today. It is time to bring him up as a 4th outfielder. Meyers and Julks become expendable and if Leon is for real he takes a full time outfield spot if not he makes a valuable 4th outfielder/versatile bat. Cheap, controllable Astros kind of result. Additionally you can not DH Alvarez as long as you allow Dusty to play Maldanado ahead of Diaz. If you want Diaz' bat in the lineup it will be at DH.
Astros get: SP Justin Verlander (his vesting option becomes a guaranteed year) RP Brooks Raley DH Dan Vogelbach $40M Mets get: OF Jake Meyers OF Colin Barber SP JP France That is not a great deal for Houston but given how highly the prices are it is a clear upgrade to this year's roster without a big impact long term. NY may insist on Gilbert instead of Meyers which would be hard for me to say yes to.
What am I missing with Dylan Cease? Obviously he was amazing last year, but in the other 4 years of his career, he's never had an ERA below 3.9 and is generally above 4. His WHIP has also always been 1.25 - 1.55. He strikes out a ton of people, but otherwise seems no different than a Garcia, Urquidy, France, Bielak type in terms of actual results. He's not even an innings eater, never having pitched 185 innings in a season. If you take out last year, his career bests over 4 other seasons are: 165 IP 3.91 ERA 1.25 WHIP Comparatively, neither Garcia or Urquidy have ever had an ERA over 4.00 or a WHIP over 1.17.
yup. also stroman having a career year in a contract season. all these guys mentioned are essentially fliers to me. wouldn't pay a ton for any of them.
Those career numbers include Cease’s rookie year (when he was just 23) and the fluky pandemic year. The last 3 seasons he has pitched like either a legit ace (2022) or a solid #2 starter (2021 and so far this year). Since 2021 here’s where he ranks among MLB pitchers (min 100 ip): fWAR: 8th K/9: 9th ip: 14th And that’s all with ignoring the notion that his stuff/profile fits the mold of the type of pitcher Houston has been able to improve after acquiring. You act like “France, Bielak, Urquidy but with more strikeouts” isn’t a meaningful upgrade. That’s like saying “Carlos Correa isn’t that great, he’s like Mauricio Dubon with more HR”.
It’s a good question. First, look at the FIP. Cease has not had a good defense behind him. For the last 3 years his cumulative FIP is about 3.20…. Next consider that with the Astros defense, most Astros pitchers out perform their FIP. So it is very possible that Cease would have an era of under 3.00… also consider, that the Astros typically are good at making adjustments for pitchers. He also pitches a lot of innings, a week ago he led the league in innings pitched. Also his stuff is elite, and that often times matters in the playoffs against top line ups. He has averaged almost 12/9 K’s the last three years. His issue is command - he walks almost a batter every other inning - but gives up few hits. The White Sox are well behind the rest of the league in player development and coaching - the Astros are not.
There’s too much chirping re: Maldy. It’s on the coaches to determine playing time but he’s a franchise legend. I didn’t hear y’all calling for his trade when our pitching staff was putting up legit GOAT/unfathomable playoff stats,—leading to a freaking ring—and then some over his tenure. Let him walk/retire at the end of the year, and it’s on the staff, organization to slot him to the backup/late game platoon role. What is clear is that for once our organization actually has a competent long term outlet at C with Diaz et al. Anyways, that all I have to say about that. Machete obviously has his flaws (as do literally all players), but put som respek on his name you unthankful goons.
You have confused causation and correlation dude. He isn’t responsible for those numbers you are talking about. He’s responsible for being the worst major league regular over the last 3 years and to call him a legend is laughable. Since it’s the trade thread we should trade him for a bucket of shag balls. To literally anyone. And I’m not going to ask whether or not the shag balls actually show up.
It would be oh so nice if the Astros could trade for Verlander today so he could be here Monday to pitch against Texas.
@Nook Here is my thing. Tim Anderson doesn't want to be in Chicago. He wants more money but that's not the case wright now he is hurting himself. But, wouldn't you believe if we traded for him and Cease it effectively kinda lowers his value.. if we add Pena and Anderson came over I wonder if his attitude would change ?
Nook's comments make a lot of sense to me, but this doesn't. Strikeouts alone don't make someone great - they make someone theoretically have higher upside. But in both 2021 and 2023 (the years you say he pitched like a #2), his ERA and WHIP were higher than Urquidy/Garcia, despite all his strikeouts - that means he was worse in a lot of other areas. Correa has a lot of successful seasons behind him that give you reason to think he'd be better than Dubon. Cease really doesn't - he has one. Maybe the defense is the key to it all as Nook said. I don't watch the White Sox or Cease to really have any sense of it. But Cease's numbers are nothing like a #2 pitcher in terms of actual results. He was obviously a #1 last year, but if everyone was healthy on the Astros staff, his actual results the other years would put him behind Valdez, Javier, McCullers, Garcia, Brown, and Urquidy. Obviously a lot of those guys aren't healthy right now, so he provides value, but doesn't necessarily seem commesurate to the asking price unless he's going to be dramatically better as an Astro.
