To me it's about how the players feel. It's been years, and very few players remain. I think the effects would be minor if any. But that said, I think he is not worth the contract. Give that money to Alex, Tucker, or Framber. Or even some combination of Pena, Diaz, and/or Bryan Abreu. If the team is willing to let Tucker walk then they damn sure can let Bellinger move along.
I do not remember if it was Brown or Espada, but one of them had mentioned less games in the field, with the number 40 thrown around in the same conversation. I know that Alvarez REALLY wants to play the field, but getting 140 games a year out of him would be really nice.
Don't stop there... there's always Mr. Baseball, Major League, Moneyball, Angels in the Outfield, Bad News Bears, Rookie of the Year, the Sandlot, The Fan, 42 & a League of their Own... that could hold you over
It's always about the fans and the media keeping this issue alive. Fans bring it up constantly. Media bring it up on every national TV game, especially the postseason. Meanwhile, the Red Sox and Yankees both sign Marwin Gonzalez and there is not a single report of any trouble in the clubhouse.
Joe Espada isn't a lone wolf like Dusty Baker. First, he is a big believer in metrics - but second, he was a special assistant to the GM in NY and with the Astros has proven that he works really well with the front office. So, Dana Brown and others will have more input in who plays. If I have any concern with Espada it is that he is too nice and balanced a person. He isn't likely to cheat on the margins or overlook things that his players are doing. He did stand up to Mark Teixeira in private after Teixeira ripped him to the media - and years later Teixeira said he respected Espada.... so that gives me hope he won't be a push over.
2023 OF PAs vs RHPs Meyers 260 Alvarez 108 2023 OF PAs vs LHPs Meyers 76 Alvarez 65 That is about 12 games that Chas or Meyers sat versus a LHP so a DH that hit lefties worse could bat and the Astros had Alvarez's defense in LF.
So- 12 games we did something really dumb with that decision, to go with 80 or 90 games doing something dumb with the catcher position, to go with playing Abreu hurt when he was killing the team for 1/2 the season, along with Framber being hurt, Javier having a dead arm, Brown hitting the rookie wall at 100 MPH due to poor usage, Garcia and McCullers being out basically the entire year, Altuve missing half the year, Yordan missing a **** load of games and nobody having a career year anywhere around the diamond, plus JV not coming over until the deadline. Huh. We won the division and nothing went right- but that chase gassed us going into the playoffs (especially on the mound) which is where we basically lost the series with the Rangers. I'm going to say the confluence of events that played havoc with our season doesn't repeat itself and we get back to 100 wins and cruising like we had done the previous years with just sort of neutral to slightly good luck.
I'm saying in general. Abreu goes on IL for 3 weeks for his back, some DH days open up when JD would need time off with Victor taking a 1B day... Stuff happens. If it's for 10-12 million he's a useful bat still.
I actually don't think he will be getting half of the starts against RHP if his overall wRC+ is 97. I think it will take more than that. His defense in centerfield is pretty good - but they have the option of shifting McCormick to CF. I think it will take a an wRC+ of over 100 for him to be getting a lot of overall starts in CF, which is what they want to do.
This makes sense The point of my post was that with proper usage (and Espada over Dusty makes that hopeful) Meyers can be a net positive player even without any improvement. And if you look at his numbers on 7/31/23 when Dusty benched him in favor of Dubon he was 94 but finished at 88. That had to be demoralizing and its reasonable to think he keeps the 94 if he keeps getting regular playing time and get the season total over 100 with more starts vs LHP to prop it up. If he gets less than half the starts vs RHP then his numbers look even better but in that case they better have someone better than Julks in LF when Yordan DHs. That's why I think a player like Ryan O'Hearn would be perfect, and not expensive.
I agree that the Astros will manage Meyers so that he is a positive overall... he is at worst a platoon player if he is healthy, and at best if a near all star if he hits righties better.
Meyers needs to prove that he can hit .250- .260 and hit top level pitching at that rate. Can he do this maybe and we'll find out soon enough. If Brown gets a chance to trade for a guy like Burger he shouldn't let Meyer/Chas etc... stand in the way of getting a deal done.
Versus other Astros OF, Meyers is 4th in career wRC+ versus RHPs. I don't think Alvarez will be utilized as a fulltime LF unless out of necessity. Even if Meyers has a wRC+ of 90, he's likely an average to above average player and the Astros would need to go outside organization to improve his position other than play Alvarez in the OF full time. My only concern is whether the last 92 PAs for Meyers (wRC+ of 70) is more representative of his play than the first 249 PAs last year (94).
A bunch of ifs in this post. If's are the definition of Meyers career. Hopefully he's fully healthy and we can find out which type of player he is. I'm betting on a platoon type guy who would be a full time starter on a lower level team.
You dont know this, Loperfido, Baez or even Melton also possibly could provide as much or more than what Meyers could provide. I know Meyers is a nerds dream projection player. I'm in prove it mode.
I agree with you that Alvarez is not ticketed for a lot of left field duty, certainly not the 50/50 ratio discussed last year by Baker and Bagwell. I think that if Meyers has an wRC of 90, that the Astros will go outside the organization at the deadline. Meyers has unfortunately missed a lot of time with injuries - and so it is really hard to know what the Astros have. I think he was on pace to he an Eric Byrnes type player until the injuries - now we will find out. He also needs to be more consistent.
Regarding projections, betting on prospects is more fantasy projection than on Meyers who only needs to play like his career average to be a good player and vastly better than what most prospects end up being.
