I think the main thing about Dana that makes him better is that he listens to others in the org. In this specific case, he obviously respects what Murphy and Miller think and gets the guys they want. Kikuchi is a prime example of that.
I prefer that. It means it is harder for other teams to replicate it and go after the players the Astros want.
Given al we have been through with the loss of draft picks its amazing one dude shines every year. I'm not buying the farm on Brice until he gets the K's under controll but he is young and given this time of need, Any injection of youthful exuberance is welcomed.
At this point he is the 2nd baseman, if a month from now he's fallen apart we can always just slide Altuve back over there. No need to look for a 2B on the market.
Game 1 playoffs starting lineup (realistic possibility) Pena Alvarez Altuve Smith Walker Diaz/Carartini Matthews Dubon Melton I’d rather it be Paredes and meyers but I’m selling on that right now. If that was the lineup and we had all current pitchers plus Arrighetti and Javier healthy I’d feel pretty damn good about our chances. I’d take that if offered it.
Man oh man did Brice have a game last night, the HR was awesome but that DP to end the game was just as impressive....he literally won the last 2 games. We might just have our 2nd baseman of the future, the funny part is he shouldn't even be up at this point, but he is taking advantage of his opportunities, he looks more comfortable each game
Can he anticipate the adjustments the league will make before they make them and make his adjustments to their adjustments quickly?
Bryce Mathews reminds me of a much higher strikeout version of Mookie Betts. I don't think he will ever have the Strikeout rate that Mookie has but I hope he can improve his plate discipline at the Majors.
An incredible 2 games for Brice! Kid has more HRs than singles (3:1) and looks more comfortable at the plate and in the field. Really happy for him and excited for us. Keep it up young man!!
Dana is really good at identifying player's limitations which allows him to accurately make good trades. He realized Gilbert wasn't going to be a good center fielder which limits his value. He saw Joey's limitations. He saw something special in Melton, Brice, and Cam. Dana may turn out to be the best talent evaluator we ever had which is probably the most important trait of a GM especially when you have an owner who does most of the heavy negotiation. Nook also mentioned that he plays nice with others.
I think @Nook mentioned he plays nice with others COMPARED TO CLICK. I believe he also said he is stubborn and not afraid to fight to defend his opinion. None of that is bad. Please don't quote me on those. its all from memory and ever since I became a grandfather. . .
Brice loses rookie eligibility on 8/24 (if ASB counts or 8/28 if it doesn't) or when he gets his 130th AB Notice, its ABs and not PAs. A BB, HBP, SF, or sacrifice bunt could be very valuable. He is currently averaging about 2.5 ABs per day so would not get to 130 until September. He will, absolutely, be a top 100 prospect, if eligible, going into next year. The 45 days only counts until September. Should they send him down for 1-2 weeks when Pena comes back, drop him to 9th in the order, and manage his playing time to keep his rookie eligibility for next year? A lot depends on how badly he is needed. It's really easy to say "Go get 5 ABs everyday and do not strikeout. We will bring you back in 2 weeks." if Pena is back and the Mariners are still 5+ games back.
They aren't going to do this nonsense. They aren't going to mess around with his batting order to manage plate appearances or any other crazy stuff. If they need him, he's on the team. And if he's on the team, he'll be used however they best think he'll help the team win.
Tell him that then don't worry about offering him an extension. That is the kind of crap that causes bad feelings from players towards the organization. It's one thing to delay a guy coming up to add more team control. But to have him come up and produce and then send him down for reasons other than performance would be really bad The only way he ends up back at AAA would be if he struggles, which is still very very possible regardless of the last two games
