Agree on both And I really think he will. Something about Bregman and Lance just makes them seem like they don't want to play anywhere else but Houston And it's unfortunate too because all the health issues wtih Lance has made him less than a big fan favorite also
My only issue with Lance is that he tried to come back last year instead of just having the surgery. It was obvious he had adjusted his arsenal to accommodate things, and while still very effective... it wasn't his norm. Also unclear if he mis-led the front office/training staff as had they known his 2023 was in jeopardy at the get-go, it likely influences what they do in the off-season vis-a-vis pitching. 2021 is peak Lance... and if the flexor heals as it should post surgery, there is no reason why he can't get back to that (both in terms of stuff/usage) for the rest of his contract.
I don't see that much Bregman hate on CF to say most or even close. I just don't see Top 10 in the AL in runs scored and RBIs as much of a compliment considering Bregman has split time batted 2nd and cleanup mostly for the Astros, a Top 3 team in the AL in scoring runs. To me it means, yay Bregman has been healthy, but is having a down year, and someone went out of my way to find something that makes Bregman look impressive if one ignores he's on the Astros and would be putting up more runs/RBIs if he was hitting like he did last year splitting time between batting 2nd and cleanup.
I'm bullish on Garcia. I think he has ace stuff and is built like a tank (presuming his elbow heals). He could also be an elite bullpen guy as Nook suggested, as his stuff certainly plays up, but starting pitchers are just that much more valuable.
He had a torn UCL that he fully recovered from (a common pitcher injury) and a torn flexor that seems worse only because the team minimized the severity (as they do all injuries) and he elected to try and rest/rehab it basically turning a 1 year process into a 3 year process. I guess he could always start having leg problems… but I’m hoping this gets figured out and LMJ becomes a little more honest with himself and the team in terms of his effectiveness when healthy vs when injured. Meanwhile, Charlie Morton… the one we all thought would retire due to arm trouble 5 years ago… keeps chugging along.
constant jabs from that poster against the fanbase here when he’s arguably one of the most vocal when it comes to Dusty and Maldy hate (love ‘em or hate ‘em, they’re still Astros)
Unless it's the right outfielder. This team has: 2 great full time outfielders 1 great part time outfielder/DH 1 great hitter who could play LF but not healthy 1 great OF who doesn't hit enough to be full time. That's not the same as 3 great full time outfielders. The right outfielder would be welcome.
The Astros have 3 guys that should be full-time OFs in most situations (Chas, Tucker, and Meyers). Another that can either be a full-time OF, full-time DH, or a mix of each depending on whereever he decides to play (Alvarez). The Astros have by far the best OF in baseball in 2023, and that is with Alvarez missing a lot of time and Dusty playing Julks in the OF. Dubon...he's hit well as an OF, caught a jogging Stanton at home, and only made one blunder that I've seen in the OF so far. So, he hasn't hurt the Astros as an OF too much so far in the OF in 2023. Brantley should not be considered an OF at this point. I highly doubt Urquidy has the trade value to bring in an OF that is worth rostering over the in house options.
From the position side, the biggest problems moving forward are 1B and potentially SS if this season is representative of Peña’s abilities.
I wouldn't classify Pena as a problem even if 7 other positions (does DH count as a position?) have better players. I'd put him as not a negative or a plus at this point regarding in the field, but control is still very nice. Other than pitching, I'd focus on 1B as you mention, backup C, and a bat or utility player that can hit RHPs as the priorities going forward. Get all that plus pitching, then SS is next up (unless a top flight SS falls out of a tree). I'm really not too concerned with SS with Dubon and Kessinger as other options if Pena craters if the Astros have a different manager next season.
I wonder how good Kessinger’s glove is at SS. +2 OAA in a tiny sample this season. I could see him performing as well as Peña offensively with his on base skills.
this stifles the ability to be fluid with the offense. I don’t like the full time DH. I like the idea of yordan playing LF and DH depending on the park size and/or pitcher. We can put a better defender in the OF when the situation calls for it. I’m not sure Yordan even wants to be a DH only player. The DH spot can be used to get bench players at bats, to use for players coming off an injury, or players with a nagging issue that may hurt them in the field temporarily. I think the DH should be more of a rotational position.
I've been seeing a lot of negative Kessinger talk lately (mostly twitter). I'm not a huge fan, yet. I'm in a wait and see mode. I'd say odds are that he's a better MLB player than Singleton, but then again he doesn't have to hit for him to have that mark, IMO.
What epic mlb commentary Baseball has been so fun this year. Mlb attendance headed for the biggest increase since 1999!
