Valdez, Blanco, Kikuchi, and Brown have put the team on their back for the stretch run. Those guys have exemplified top of the rotation pitching. Most teams pay exorbitant amounts of money to just have one of those level of pitchers on their team. I remember seeing a podcast last year with MLB baseball scout saying that Hunter Brown’s future was not as a starter, but as a bullpen guy. The confidence with which he said it, told me this guy must know something. I just kind of figured Brown would spot start until Urquidy, MCCullers, Garcia, Verlander would get healthy and slip right back into their place in the rotation. Well, Brown has the 15th best ERA in the AL and 26 in MLB. He has the strikeout and wins to show he belongs amongst the best of the best pitchers. Considering his ERA was in the 5’s during the first couple of month in the season, says he’s been pitching like an Ace.
I hope they can re-sign this guy. It would infinitely make me more confident in the Astros SPs next year, even without JV. Focus in getting this guy signed first, then look at Bregman and others. Framber, Brown, Kikuchi, Blanco, and Garcia.
he's certainly got stuff. He also got that dog in him. Hope they re sign him. i am going back to Japan in November. i def wanna rep a 'Kuchi jersey over there lol
Me too but it’s kinda rare to turn around and sign your rental. Yes I know we did that with Verlander but it’s not the norm.
Get this done, even if they have to let Bregs go. Trade.to fill three of the holes in the lineup, or sign a cheap fa like Gamel. This can be done. What really needs to happen is Brown pulls off a trade like Click did for Diaz. Trade for a cheap young bat.
You are right that it is rare to sign your rental, but JV was actually under contract through 2019/2020 (vesting option) when we traded for him in 2017. Grienke still had some time on his contract when we traded for him at the deadline too.
Now that the West has been completely secured and Dana went out and to get Kick many of your overreacting cats look completely wrong. Dude has been an Astro reclaimation project like many before him.
Given how much Verlander struggled and the fact that Garcia,Urquidy and LMJ didn't come back, it's 50/50 at best this team even makes the postseason if not for the Kikuchi pickup. Maybe they could have played hardball and saved a prospect....maybe, but were any of those prospects individually worth missing the playoffs...I don't think so.
Keuchel was an internal guy as was Peacock (came as a prospect) so they couldn't be reclamation projects. Pressly was decent before coming here.
I remember when the Astros traded for Randy Johnson, and the plethora of quality prospects that developed into elite players. Because Randy Johnson performed like an ace, nobody bats an eye about the prospect they gave up. Kikuchi likewise performed like an ace, and was instrumental in getting back to the playoffs. Maybe the prospects they gave up will become great, but that just means the trade worked out well for everyone. Kikuchi also wins because he can now demand a much higher contract as a free agent.
It was a rental, always a rental. He’s been nothing short of fantastic, and clearly a top 3 deadline hit, but we have an entire starting rotation on IR that will be ready by spring training. Can’t invest a premium at a position of strength. next years rotation is Valdez, Javier, Brown, Blanco, then Garcia/Arrighetti. 85% sure Verlander will not be brought back, 85% sure McCullers won’t pitch again, 85% sure Urquidy will be moved to the long inning reliever. We have 8 starters not named JV, LMJ, Yusei, there just isn’t room, nor need, no matter how good he has been, and he’s been A+
Nah. Javier won’t pitch before August of next year and might miss the whole season. Blanco, Arrighetti, and Garcia cannot be counted on to be playoff caliber starters. Urquidy will be non-tendered. The Astros will need to add a Game 3 starter at some point in the next 10 months. I’m not saying they should pay Kikuchi, but he would be a great addition and there’s a need for him.
