I don't know why pitch clock would affect him so much, the clock stops when you start your windup, so long as there is one second left on the clock when he starts his rockabye windup, it's fine.
Not the clock per se, but introducing the clock added some new changes to how to identify the beginning of a pitcher’s delivery. https://www.mlb.com/amp/news/luis-garcia-to-adjust-windup-due-to-2023-rule-changes.html
Garcia has supposedly several times said that he didn't feel ready. I think the Astros would love to be confident in bringing him up - but they don't think he is ready. Arguably Javier and Arrighetti came up too soon.
Javier may have still been sick - he is either sick or covering an injury again, and I don't think it is an injury coming off another severe injury. He lost some velocity the inning when he got "sick" and then had a combo of poor performance and poor luck in his last game. His velocity was down his last inning but he seemed to be physically laboring. Javier has shown he can dial it up in relief so I think at worse he becomes the set up man, but I think we will see him round into form the next couple of starts. I think he is likely a 5 inning starter most the time, but capable of giving up 0-2 runs in those 5 innings when he is locked in.
Pena ss Correa 3rd Alvarez lf Altuve 2nd Walker 1st Sanchez rf Diaz c Caratini dh Meyers cf The defense isn't nearly as good with Altuve at second and Alvarez in lf. However the line up is very deep and the middle is very good as well. If Meyers is hitting well I would even consider sliding him or Sanchez in the two hole to the line up depth is even better with Caratini and Diaz being the 8th or 9th hitter. The reality is that most likely Altuve would shift to left, Alvarez to DH and Urias would man second base. Either way I am potentially excited about not seeing Melton, Trammel or McCormick in CF starting anymore. I don't know how good Meyers will be coming back, but the bar is pretty low.
Meyers news is exciting as hell. CF has turned into a blackhole lately. Meyers was a borderline all-star.
https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025...bin-designate-matt-bowman-for-assignment.html Dubin got claimed by the Orioles.
Great article today on Rooney and how his poise and experience may be just what the bullpen needs. DD
So, any chance that's the playoff lineup but with Paredes instead of Caratini in the lineup? That would be pretty awesome. He's already slow as a tree sloth- he can't clog the bases that much more.
I have not heard anything recent about a timeline for Paredes' return this season. I know that he is getting plasma injections and working out some, but there are concerns of reinjury from instability. Making it more complicated is that if he needs surgery, he will miss the beginning of next year and not have a chance to work on playing second base or first base. Paredes thinks he can play second, the Astros are skeptical. Ideal situation is that Paredes DH's in the playoffs and spends the off season getting in shape to play second or first - with the Astros likely trading Walker for another player on a similar contract at a position of need. Then Paredes can play first, and Yordan can DH. That could be trading Walker for someone like Eduardo Rodriguez, Trevor Story or similar player of eating some of the Walker deal and trading him for a more modest salaried player.
I haven't heard a lot on Paredes, seems to be that the organization is at a wait and see holding pattern. If he is healthy he will be in the middle of the line up at DH I am sure.
The Pirates have released Andrew Heaney. He has flaws, but if I were the Astros - I would be interested in adding him. He has been effective in the recent past and no one wants to play for the Pirates.
I have always really liked Heaney and thought he has untapped ceiling. I’m surprised he struggled this season.
The interesting question is where do the Astros have needs next year- I don't see any. I mean, if you are going to trade Walker and play Paredes at 1B. Need at backup catcher- but that's not going to be a walker trade. Diaz, backup Paredes Urias Pena Correa Altuve/Sanchez Meyers Smith/Yordan Dubon, + one of melton, matthews, dezenzo, leon, chas, etc. I don't see a need. Nobody is going to trade starting pitching for Walker unless it's just garbage. I would think any trade for Walker is about impossible to get back somebody that you would find playble, even eating money. Only a contender would want him and they aren't going to give you anything of value that's playable. I would think any deal for him would look like the Correa deal with a non-prospect and the entire negotiation over who eats how much money. Hell, maybe the answer is Walke and Dubon (I think he's getting traded) to the same team and not having to eat any money coming back. Or Walker and Melton or something like that for a non-prospect but they will take on all the money. Hell, if I'm colorado (I wouldn't be b/c I'm not an idiot) that might be a deal I would call Houston and suggest. With Colorado then thinking maybe they can rehab him- he loves hitting in all the NL West parks and flip him for something of value at the deadline for their trouble (along with Melton having a crack at being worthwhile for them).
Paredes posted a (seemingly) hopeful message on instagram about a return this season. I just saw it on Reddit.. I don’t have instagram.
Nooks suggestions about Eduardo Rodriguez makes sense to me, if they can line up and if Houston thinks they can tweak Rodriguez. I don’t see Boston swapping Story for Walker with Casas coming back.
