I think more like 20% but basically I think you are right. If he catches every 5th game with a six man staff he will catch each pitcher equally and be available most days to help game plan. I think he gets an inexpensive two year contract with a mutual option to catch or move to the coaching staff in the second year if all goes well.
You might be right, but Dusty is gone and the new manager is saying that the primary catcher is Diaz. GM is publicly agreeing.
I'd say there are a lot of trade proposals of a ton of club controlled perceived talent from the Astros for a short term marginal upgrade (if even that). How many players that headlined a trade proposal for Chas did Chas outplay this year in the trade thread vs how many outplayed him?
I do think Crane might approve a contract longer than 5 years but it would require a very team friendly and front loaded rate. The notion that a team should take all the risks on a long contract is simply foolish. Over an 8-10 year span our minor league system is likely to produce multiple players that are better and cheaper than the recipient of such a contract would be in the last half of one of those interminable deals.
Yordan and Tucker are the same age and Cluck/Crane only bought out 3 FA years in his extension and it only takes him through age 31. You actually think Crane would greenlight an 8 year deal that covers ANY player through his age 34 season? I think it would be a very very smart risk but nothing I have seen or heard from Crane tells me he would be willing to do it. Also, if you look at it from Tucker's perspective, hitters want to avoid becoming FA in their mid 30s. They either want a deal that goes past 36-37 or ends before they hit 32-33 to be able to get another big money deal. So after second thought, I would be very surprised if Tucker signed a deal between 5-9 years. 4 years is probably the sweet spot for the Astros but it would take a huge salary in yrs 3 and 4 for him to consider it. Maybe 4 yrs / $102M ($12M, $20M, $35M, $35M) is probably the floor for him to give up the 2 FA years. The more I think about it the more I'm convinced Tucker will not sign any deal that does not cover at least his age 37 season. That deal is long enough that he may actually agree to $22M-$25M AAV, but the time to do that deal and make it affordable for Crane was 2-3 years ago but that would have made it 13+ years and no way Crane does that. The problem with Crane's philosophy is that by the time he decides a player has proven enough to be worthy of an extension, he is either already so old that he wants a longer deal to get past his mid30s, or has driven his potential annual salary beyond what Crane is willing to pay, or both. I think we are stuck with a team that will continue to sign older veterans to 2-3 year deals and occassionally get a pre-arb guy to agree to sell off 2 FA years for early security. Any all-star level player that gets to arbitration w/o an extension will likely never get one.
I actually understand this from an ownership viewpoint but it is a very very unfair model for players. The first 6 years a player is under control, he makes so much less than equivalent players who have already hit FA. Owners are just rolling in surplus value and raking in $$$$ Then as soon as a player has paid his dues and actually has a chance to make some of that up and get paid what he HAS BEEN worth, the owner is like " too bad you are old now. I will pay a cheap rookie again instead" I don't know what the answer is, but it has always bothered me when fans take the ownership side on this If ownership does not want to pay big money for a player in his 30s, fine. Then pay him what he's worth in his 20s instead of pennies or dimes on the dollar and then discard him.
if Whitley is forced onto the 26 man roster, he becomes the 13th pitcher and is slotted in as the long reliever in a blowout. In effect, the Astros will treat Whitley like a Rule 5 acquired pitcher. This would make 2024 the make-or-break year for Whitley. We will see.
I don’t think we extend Tucker. If we did what happens when Yordan comes up? We aren’t the Yankees or dodgers that can afford two huge overlapping contracts and still have enough room to sign expensive vets when needed. I would trade Tucker and break the bank for Yordan.
Yordan is already extended through 2028, and the Astros don't have any salary past 2028. I would prioritize getting players 2024-2028 to play with Alvarez and Diaz over worrying about 2029 at least until there is at least one good young MLB player with club control past 2029.
Tucker is a better risk than Yordan. He has a body type that ages better He offers more defensive and baserunning value He plays a more premium position at higher level He has been healthier None of it matters because Alvarez is already signed and Tucker is already gone, but in 20 years when we look back, I expect Tucker will have a longer career and end up with much better counting numbers even if Yordan has better rate numbers. I'm thinking: Yordan ends up like David Ortiz over 12 years (+2020) through age 34. Tucker ends up like Larry Walker over 18 years through age 38.
Yes - it has been discussed internally. There were some questions about how receptive he will be to it. At this point they want to get him in a situation to succeed, even if it isn't an ideal maximization of his talent.
Maybe - your logic is traditionally accurate. However - I will say that no one should under-estimate the amount of work that Yordan puts into his body, and his dedication to the game. You couple that with Yordan being a more natural hitter and having a better feel for the game - I think Yordan has a chance to be the one still playing at 36-38 year old with a .900 OPS.
That's just his personality. He never has been and never will be a rah rah type of guy Dude can play baseball though
Cannot bring this dude back. What are the starters going to do, demand Maldy? Or say nevermind. We like Diaz now. Wtf
You could have arbitration reflect their actual worth and start in year two. You know who would be against that? All those guys that went through the system in the model we have now. Those veterans outnumber the younger guys and getting a guy like Tucker on the cheap is how you are able to get the veterans for more. Who is going to be the first crop of veterans to vote and say you know what it is more fair if we take lower salaries now so that the young guys can get paid their worth? Once you are in this cycle it's hard to get out.
