Snell, Bellinger, and Hader all rejected Qualifying Offers, so the Astros would lose their 2nd, 3rd, and 4th round 2024 draft picks, along with losing $1.5M of their 2025 international signing pool. Signing all those guys would also certainly put them high enough over the CBT threshold that they’d have their 1st round pick pushed back 10 spots. Hard core damage to the long term outlook. But what a roster: 2B Altuve 3B Bregman DH Alvarez 1B Abreu RF Tucker C Diaz CF Bellinger LF McCormick SS Pena Bench: Dubon, Caratini, Meyers, Singleton Rotation: Verlander, Valdez, Snell, Javier, Brown Bullpen: Hader, Pressly, Abreu, Montero, Harvey*, Whitley, Bielak/McCullers, France/Garcia (Signing those guys would allow them to flip Urquidy and maybe Kessinger for a solid 7th/8th inning RP like Hunter Harvey from the Nats.)
I wonder if they go all in aka go over the tax line this year for 1 more legit shot at a World Series. Hader wants $100 million like Diaz right? It's a lot but maybe they know they can't keep Bregman. When Bregman walks next year, the money they would have used to keep Bregman is part of the money used towards Hader. Then have 1 of the rookies or cheaper 3b option for next year????
On our pod we did a dream big/make big changes episode. I had us signing Hader and Snell and trading out Framber and Tucker for Cease and Robert (wash them for prospects and send them back - whatever) and the truth of the matter is that it’s one bad year budget wise and beyond that it’s pretty manageable. Another thing you could do if money wasn’t a big object- front load their contracts in year 1 and year 2. It counts even for the Astros but if you traded them post 2025 to start over the new team would have only what’s remaining count on their cap- and there would be surplus value there to bring back prospects. Again, I know this isn’t happening but one measly year running a 280M payroll could set us up for the next decade of things went well, as well as fielding maybe the greatest roster in baseball history.
If the Astros have Josh Hader money, I would much rather they not give it to Josh Hader. He may give you 60 innings, and that's if he doesn't have one of the random flameouts relievers are prone to having. This is more of a general issue with committing a ton of money to relievers, particularly if you are gonna create a salary cap for yourself. There are far less risky way to create value with your money if you want to address the pen. A lot of guys are gonna pitch out of the pen, his 60 innings won't help a ton if the other 200-300 innings are thrown by scrubs.
Crane likes splash moves and has always said he would spent for the right guy. And this is a Luhnow guy on top of it. It makes perfect sense to me. Crane wants to win and Hader is a difference maker who won't cost 7+ years, or likely even 5. It's worth the crisp that he ends up being Montero after 2-3 years of big value and a World Seies!!
I want this to happen to have that kind of roster But I also want to hear/read the reations from Rangers and Mariners fans
I haven't heard anything today about the Astros signing Josh Hader. However I can say with 100% confidence that Jim Crane wants and has wanted Josh Hader for years. He pushed Brown to trade for him at the deadline and he is a special exception to the budget rules.... or as they call it in the front office "The Crane Rules".... I don't think Crane would over pay, but he will make a good offer.
They only have Alvarez (on a very team friendly deal), Javier and McCullers (I think) plus the pre-FA’s beyond the next year or two. This team should have enough to sign 3-4 big contracts moving forward. Hader, Altuve, Bregman and a starter should be easy. Trade Tucker and/or Valdez next winter too save Arb money but don’t lose Bregman. Alvarez, Altuve and Bregman should be the long term core to retain.
Probably not, I don't know what number Crane has in his head - I doubt Brown even really knows what his absolute max number is. However - Hader is one of those guys that Crane makes exceptions for.
Abreu, Hader, Pressley would be pretty sick especially if Montero comes back to life this season. You move France and McCullers to the pen and our bullpen would be just sick.
A playoff bullpen of Hader, Pressly, Abreu, healthy McCullers, rebounded Montero, breakout Whitley, and France for low leverage multi-inning work sounds pretty dope. And they’d still have 6 SP in Verlander, Framber, Javier, Brown, Garcia, and Urquidy.
If this is the exception to the rule, I am all for it. Odds wise... the Astros and Rangers are +140 and the Mariners at +275 to win the AL West as of this moment. This is the type of move that makes you the favorites to win the division/AL crown and focus on next years deferments or whatever for Altuve/Bregman/Tucker when that time comes. What a move it would be.
This would be the potential Astros playoff staff 1. Verlander 2. Valdez 3. Javier 4. Brown 5. McCullers 6. Garcia 7. Urquidy 8. Pressly 9. Hader 10. Abreu 11. Montero 12. Coleman 13. 40 Man spot Sign me up! Best staff in baseball
