You're probably right, but if Baez plays well Dana has shown he will aggressively promote a prospect.
If I had to guess - Alimber Santa is the guy most likely to be taken, but I suspect none of them will actually be taken.
Can we get some players from Japan to willingly come to us please? I don't think Ohtani even considered us at all...
Ohtani didn't consider St.Louis or Chicago either. Geography is a huge part if it. Japanese players usually like to be along the Atlantic or Pacific coasts. The Gulf of Mexico doesn't count, lol. Another part is the media exposure and popularity and knowledge of the teams in Japan. Then, of course, you consider the Astros spending their money and scouting capital in Cuba and the Caribbean and basically ignoring Asia.
If, somehow, the Astros manage to extend Framber, does that give them the long term rotation depth to shift and trade an Arrighetti or Blanco to improve the 2025 lineup? I realize " you can not have too much pitching" but this team can't hand out 3-4 impact type FA contracts without jettisoning some payroll and you can't trade 1 year of a market price contract for an impact bat.
SP health is a huge unknown right now. If there was confidence that Garcia and Javier would be healthy and productive the 2nd half of 2025, it definitely opens the door to shopping Arrighetti (and dramatically reduces the need to add SP this offseason). If Framber wants to take a big discount to stay in Houston, then a rotation of Framber, Brown, Blanco, Garcia, Javier, and whatever McCullers can give is plenty good. I’m pretty bullish on Blanco and Arrighetti, so if they were traded I would want the return to be very significant.
I would like them to re-sign Kuch and see what they can get for Framber, rather than shop Blanco and Arrighetti this off-season. We need to see what we can get out of Javier and Garcia, before we commit to them.
Yeah, Framber and Arrighetti are the only 2 guys that make any sense to trade imho. Blanco is already 30 and could be an ace; teams aren’t likely to value him properly. Brown is a budding ace and you don’t trade those guys, ever. Garcia, McCullers, and Javier are all hurt so their value is way down. But I wouldn’t want to trade Arrighetti unless he was very highly valued (like a MLB Top 50 prospect). Signing a veteran like Kikuchi and trading Framber is one way to essentially pay for prospects, which is something Houston should probably try to do if they want to contend beyond 2025.
There's certainly a case to be made for trading Framber to fill a couple of hole in the lineup and bringing back Kikuchi. The only type of deal I would do for Framber would be this type of deal and I doubt the Orioles would do it. Kjerstad/Mayo for Framber. I would want this time from any team Dana does business with. The Cards/Reds would be teams I also would look at doing a deal like this with.
The Astros should be focusing resources on 2025 and maybe the 2026 seasons. The Astros just don't have the MLB talent to unconsolidate it across years.
I agree. A lot of ifs in there, but if a team has multiple needs. . . Where is the line between "this player is very valuable so he is too good to trade" and "This team has many needs and by trading that valuable player we can fill them"?
Agreed, but I think there are many other ways to contend beyond 2025. But they've gotta get the 2025-2026 offseasons right, particularly if they let Framber/Bregs/Tucker walk. They have to hit on the FA they sign to replace Bregs/Tucker and they really need Melton/Matthews/Baez to be the next wave of talent coming up to the majors. They also need to hit on a Yanier type trade.
Signing Kikuchi and trading Framber seems like such a no-brainer. Like you said, it's essentially paying for prospects which the org desperately needs to do. Nvm that right now I probably feel better w Kikuchi on the bump in a big game more than Framber.
Cubs DFA’d Patrick Wisdom. If his 2024 was a fluke, he’d make a very good platoon mate for Singleton, as before last season he crushed lefties.
I don’t think there’s any way the extend framber. He’s got a ring and will be looking for a big payday. It’s been mentioned before that he loves New York. I can see him leaving pretty easily.
I don't think we should even say or write the word "McCullers" in this place until the dude actually pitches from an actual mound against a batter that isn't wearing orange and blue. Persona non grata...until he isn't or he finally retires.
I want no part of a long-term Framber extension. I know he's an absolute horse, and can carry your rotation for large chunks of the season, but the mental midget nonsense he pulls on a regular basis is so tiresome. I have rarely seen a guy that can get into his own head so easily after a bad pitch or bad sequence. He's just not someone I would want to dedicate a large amount of money to.
I don’t know about all that mental midget stuff but I do think any significant payroll years for Framber should be limited to 4 years (thru 2029); if they want to add on a couple years with dramatically lower AAV to lessen the CBT hit and ensure Framber finishes his career in Houston that’s fine but he should not sniff $150M+ imho. I’d be looking at something like $110M/4yrs and go as high as $130M/6yrs.
This is reasonable. Let's not forget, though, that Framber turned 31 yesterday. He's older than Bregman- and ground ball pitchers generally don't age well. He will be 32 when he hits FA so lengthen the contract at your own risk.
