Free agent deals signed so far this offseason I think would have been good value for the Astros: SP Charlie Morton $15M/1yr SP Griffin Canning $4.5M/1yr UT Josh Rojas $3.5M/1yr RP James Karinchak MiLB
I was expecting one more bat in the OF. I'm not really worried about the rotation depth, because Garcia will be back at some point. (Maybe Javier/McCullers) The real reason I'm not worried is I believe in the depth in the minors. Blubaugh/Gordon/Brito and to a lesser extent Gusto.
This is really good counter analysis. Well done, and thanks for taking the time to enhance the board’s collective knowledge.
I think Boris is running out of time for Breggy, Dana needs to set a deadline, this is ridiculous, either you want to be here or you don't but all this is at this point is using our offer to get more. I get it, you want the best deal, but the Astros are the only one bidding. Set a deadline for Sunday and then pull the offer, we have less then 30 days to open spring training
why set a deadline now... so fans can know what he's doing? They have had an open contract offer to him the entirety of the offseason. It wouldn't make sense to play hardball now. One of two things will happen - he'll take the Astros offer, or he won't.
I would actually like to see Houston go ahead and sign/add an OF. It’s not going to preclude them from adding Bregman if he accepts their offer, and it’ll put them in position to be satisfied with their roster without Bregman. Houston already has a lot of leverage against Bregman, having added Paredes, but filling one of their OF holes would really put them in position for Bregman to be nothing more than a luxury.
100% agree. Really like the idea of adding Polanco in the hopes he returns back to old form being away from the offensive black hole that is Seattle. Gives you a good option in case Bregman doesn't come back. And if Breggy does come back, then you've got even more depth in your lineup.
Anyone is allowed to have an opinion, but not all opinions are interesting or worth sharing. There is zero value added to the discussion by just throwing out a one-word opinion. It’s as bad as “me too” or “first” or “here’s a funny gif I like”. Why should anyone care about a random person’s opinion if it has no data, argument or substance? Especially in response to a fact-based article posted by one of our most thoughtful posters?
To me, I really think if there is any possibility of still getting Bregman, you don't sign a LF. You sign someone who can play RF and/or CF - Heyward is the guy. It closes one more of the 13 roster spots and sends a message but is someone who still works on the roster with him.
Can Polanco play RF? I'm case we're also able to sign Breggy. @Snake Diggit outfielders still available you think we should sign?
I’m not sure how Polanco would be in RF. My guess is he’d be below average at best and possibly pretty bad. I think he’d be fine in LF. But I am not that knowledgeable about that kind of stuff. If Houston signed both Polanco and Bregman, my guess is that if they didn’t make a trade, they’d try Paredes in RF and Polanco in LF. Paredes’ arm would be ok in right although his range would be well below average. But they’d have plus defensive players (Meyers, Dubon, Trammell) to sub in late in games. I personally am optimistic about Trammell, Hummel, Melton, Dezenzo, and Whitcomb (among others), so I don’t think the free agent market has much to offer. For the right price, Verdugo, Canha, Grichuk, Heyward, and Gamel might be worth bringing in, but I wouldn’t want to pay any of them more than $6M/1yr and I expect most of them will get more than that. Polanco is the only remaining free agent (outside of Bregman) that I think has potential to be a good everyday player for Houston. If Houston doesn’t sign Polanco and the trade market doesn’t offer anything then I’m ok with them just having McCormick and Meyers plus whoever wins the competition in spring for the other spot.
That could explain why we haven't signed any of those marginal outfielders. It seems like a few of those servicable players will not have a major league contract by spring training. The plus side of our internal guys is they could potentially play RF as well?
Trammell, Hummel, and Melton (as well as Leon) could for sure play RF. I think Whitcomb and Dezenzo both have the tools to be good RF but it would remain to be seen how the adjusted to actually playing out there. But if Houston is looking at playing someone from that group then you have to consider Meyers as a potential everyday player as well, in which case McCormick would be the RF.
Cool your t***, I was literally kidding when I posted it. He copied and pasted a link, not like I mocked a well thought out and written post from a poster here.
RF is the biggest issue on this team. I like Chas as an everyday LF, platoon CF, or 4th OF. I do not like him as anyone starting 20+ games in RF. More and more, I am hoping they bring back Heyward on a contract that does not impact the CBT. Verdugo would be a lesser OK for me too. If that doesn't happen then I hope they give Leon, Dezenzo, and/or Whitcomb a chance to get significant time there. Based on all the LF options, I think Meyers should end up being the primary CF again, due to his range and overall excellence with the glove. I'm fine with that if the lineup is 7 deep+ Pena and he is not needed as much to produce offensively. But I would cringe watching throws and opponents baserunning if Altuve-Meyers-McCormick was the OF.
