This is where my problem is. Less than half a year with Castro. 5 more years with Gordon or Gusto. Both of those guys are just learning the pro game. Might be leaned on next year to fill the Framber void.
Looking only at the position player side, let's look at this roster. In 9 days, they need to look at all the injuries and decide who they know who will return. If they are not certain, they must decide if the internal replacement is good enough. Let's say everyone except Paredes, Meyers, and Dezenzo are confidently expected back but its too early to be confident about those 3. That leaves you a potential playoff lineup of: Pena SS Altuve LF/2B Yordan DH Smith RF Caratini C Walker 1B Trammell/ Matthews LF/2B Chas/ Melton CF Dubon 3B Diaz is 12th man and you need a backup infielder so Short is the 13th man. Is that a winning playoff roster?
Every year we find a new Gordon or Gusto. We are great at both finding and developing pitchers - just look at Walter, dude came out of no where. Regardless, neither of those guys, especially Gordon, are filling the Framber void. They have to hope Arrighetti steps up if they don’t re-sign him.
It would do ok through the AL playoffs because of our pitching and no one in the AL much better on the bottom. But this season is all about the Dodgers pitching health. If they are healthy Sadly they take the chip. On paper at least
If the Stros had never won a WS would you fell the same way? As far as trades go there are only 3 prospects that would be off limits if I was in charge. (K. Alvarez/Gomez/Brito) Like I said there's no Bregs/Tucker currently in the system and if Crane's willing to pay the CBT for a controllable middle of the order bat, then I'm on board and we as fans should be very happy that we have an owner that's willing to spend the money to give his org its best chance to win another WS.
Hypothetically... Wouldn't we get more in return out of desperation at the break - not to mention we have Carrot-Tini for the rest of this season.
Cleveland colleague of mine said its super unlikely he is traded and rumors were shot down by the org yesterday.
I still think Donovan is the best fit for this team. Can mirror Altuve alternating 2B/LF and backup 3B and SS. Lefty bat. $2.85M in 1st yr of arbitration. 123 wRC+, 149 wRC+ vs RH pitching .364 OBP and 13.8% strikeouts. St. Louis needs pitching for 2026 badly. They have Gorman to replace him at 2b but may want Matthews, who will no longer he needed at 2b or salary relief
Chandler Rome just dropped an Article: PHOENIX — On Saturday night in Seattle, the Houston Astros’ sole source of offensive continuity could not finish a run to first base. All-Star third baseman Isaac Paredes pulled up lame, grabbed his right hamstring and displayed the sort of limp that portended a serious ailment. “This is a pretty significant injury,” manager Joe Espada confirmed Tuesday afternoon. “We are waiting on some results, but it’s definitely something that’s going to keep him out for a while.” Paredes’ official diagnosis is a right hamstring strain. An exact timeline for his return is not known, but expecting him back in the near future is foolish. Asked on Tuesday if there is a possibility Paredes won’t return this season, Espada replied, “We don’t know yet, but I know it’s something that’s going to take some time.” Delivering grim news has become a soundtrack of this star-crossed season. No major-league team has more injured position players than Houston. Five of the nine hitters from the Opening Day lineup are on the injured list, part of a 17-man MASH unit that will force action at the July 31 trade deadline. Club officials have spent the past few weeks pondering their biggest priority. A farm system without any top-end talent will make acquiring multiple players difficult. Injuries are also making it dangerous to trade the few healthy players remaining on the major-league roster. Pursuing pitching help — either an established starter or a right-handed leverage reliever — once appeared Houston’s most pressing need. Paredes’ injury has increased the likelihood of adding at least one bat, according to multiple team sources, though the fact that Houston is in the market for one is not a surprise. General manager Dana Brown has reiterated his desire for a left-handed hitter for the past two months. He’s also fond of repeating a favorite axiom: “You can never have enough pitching.” Addressing both areas is the most logical answer. Perhaps Brown can pull it off, but the lack of impact talent in his farm system will put him at a disadvantage in most bidding wars with other buyers. A slew of teams still deciding whether to sell has created a slow-developing market, though conversations are occurring. Whether owner Jim Crane will authorize crossing the luxury tax for a second consecutive year must also be considered, especially if Houston is pursuing multiple acquisitions. Past trade deadlines have proven Crane can be aggressive when his club has a legitimate chance at a championship. According to FanGraphs, this Astros team awoke Tuesday with 7.3 percent odds to win the World Series. Only two American League clubs had better odds. However, no precedent exists for Houston’s payroll situation. Last season, the club exceeded the luxury tax and paid penalties for the first time during Crane’s ownership tenure. It is unclear if he’s amenable to doing so again. According to Cot’s Contracts, the Astros are $2,048,672 under the first luxury tax threshold. Payroll must be monitored, but progress from the team’s four injured starting pitchers may play a more critical role. Spencer Arrighetti, Luis Garcia and J.P. France are all scheduled to appear for Double-A Corpus Christi this week, according to the team. Cristian Javier will make a start for Triple-A Sugar Land. An August return for all four pitchers feels feasible, presuming they avoid any setbacks. Just activating them will aid an injury-ravaged staff, but Brown and his lieutenants must weigh how effective they’ll be after such long layoffs. Garcia hasn’t pitched in a major-league game in 26 months. Both France and Javier have missed more than 13 months. Insuring themselves by acquiring another starter is a sensible plan. So is adding another leverage reliever to shorten games and lessen the pressure on Houston’s top-heavy starting rotation. Bear in mind, the club is 30-31 in games not started by Hunter Brown or Framber Valdez. Reinforcements are also looming for the Astros’ lineup, but it is far more difficult to forecast when they’ll arrive. Their substitute-laden lineup has held its own in the absence of notable names, defying logic while growing a lead atop the American League West. The Astros are averaging 4.7 runs with a .761 OPS in the 69 games since slugger Yordan Alvarez last took an at-bat. Shortstop Jeremy Peña fractured his left rib on June 27. Houston averaged 5.5 runs across the next 18 games, albeit with Paredes atop the batting order. According to both Baseball-Reference and FanGraphs’ calculations of wins above replacement, Paredes is Houston’s second-most valuable position player behind Peña. Replacing that on the trade market is impossible, but the Astros wouldn’t attempt to do that. Finding a left-handed hitter who can play anywhere on the infield is an obvious priority. The Tampa Bay Rays do not seem inclined to move second baseman Brandon Lowe, who landed on the injured list Tuesday with a left foot injury. Colorado’s Ryan McMahon is an ideal fit for the Astros, but his $12 million salary calls into question whether Crane would cross the luxury tax. If the New York Mets dangle Brett Baty, he fits the mold. So does Baltimore’s All-Star designated hitter Ryan O’Hearn or Minnesota’s switch hitting utilityman Willi Castro. Acquiring any of them would raise the floor of Houston’s depleted offense, but none would supply the jolt of Alvarez, Peña or Paredes returning at full strength. Whether that will happen is a mystery, making the next nine days a far more fascinating time.
