Done with Yordan. He can't stay healthy. I will always remember 2022 when he showed up big (we would not have beaten the Mariners without him)
He’s the best all around hitter in franchise history outside of Jeff Bagwell*. When healthy he’s consistently been one of the 5 best hitters in the game. A guy that good you stick with him as long as you can until he shows that he can’t do it anymore even when healthy.
My only caveat to this is that I'd like someone with a little more speed and a non-gimped hamstring hitting 2nd. Pena Altuve Correa Paredes Walker Meyers Diaz Cole Smith Sanchez Smith Hell, if Meyers keeps hitting and getting on base, bat him 2nd
That it is true, but playing the field is more running, and more chances to turn an ankle or get injured. He is a big guy, he seems to have a hard time accepting his size. He doesn't carry himself like a man his size and he needs to be more cautious. Maybe he needs to run at 85%. Talk to Barry Bonds about it, he and even Bagwell adjusted how they ran and played as they got older protecting their body. The issue is going to be 4 guys for basically 2.5 positions --- Alvarez, Altuve, Walker and Paredes. I know a lot of people don't agree with me, but I really wouldn't be shocked to see Altuve back at second and Yordan at DH with Walker in a new uniform and Paredes at 1st. Maybe Correa would be willing to move to second, but he is really good at third - better than Paredes.
I feel like you just keep everyone - trading Walker is fine, except you're going to have to eat salary and there's a good chance injuries will take take care of the logjam anyway. You trade him and then someone gets injured and we're back to playing AAAA players for no reason.
This is true, but I will say this - have you ever crossed an MLB home plate with cleats on? It is VERY slick, and I assume that is to keep dust from collecting on the plate, but it is unnecessarily slick... I have seen guys slip, but usually they collect themselves without injury.
That's why, if it's remotely close, you slide. If you're scoring easily you chop your steps as you get to the plate so you're not lunging forward with one leg and no center of gravity to keep it from doing what Yordan did.
Hell you can make an argument for Yordan over Bagwell. He’s got 4 seasons with an OPS+ of >170. Bagwell has one.
I don't think they would move Walker just to move him unless they had his salary ear marked for another player, or they actually valued the player that they would get back. I think it also depends on how the organization views Matthews going forward, and if they are bringing Urias and Dubon back. The other elephant in the room is that the Astros right now do not have sufficient pitching for 2026 and limited finances to add it. Even if Hader and Sousa are healthy, there is no way they do not add another veteran leverage guy for the pen. Just so much unknown... for example, if Cole doesn't fall apart, does he go into Spring Training looking at a shot to start? Is Melton and Matthews being dealt for pitching? Do the Astros decide to move Pecko into the rotation or make Ullola a leverage reliever (with a crazy walk rate?) Every off season has questions - but there are a lot with this one, and the nice thing is that there are ways to put together a very good team if the Astros make smart decisions.
Yeah - because the second half of Bagwell's career was in a more offensive period, his raw numbers are gaudy - same with Berkman actually. Roughly 450 times in baseball history has a player had a season with an OPS of +170. That seems like a lot, until you consider that is over 120 years - and includes Negro League stats that are inflated. So roughly 3 guys a season has an OPS of 170 or higher. Yordan was on pace before the hand injury to have done it for the 5th time in 7 seasons as a professional. That is basically being a top 3 hitter in all of baseball...... he went into this season with an OPS+ of 168 .... that is 14th ALL TIME....... tied with Ty Cobb and Mike Trout and right behind Joe Jackson, Hornsby and Mickey Mantle. Yordan Alvarez as an actual hitter - through age 28 is the best hitter in Astros history, and if he stays healthy, or at least somewhat healthy, there is a good chance he hasn't hit his peak as a hitter --- he could have an OPS+ 200 season or two in him, which is God level.
Yordan also has to be the oldest 28 year old I’ve ever seen. Dude moves like a 35 year old, with knee issues and is already bald.
For sure, and most guys learn that early. However, a guy like Yordan with his size and center of gravity seems to think that he can move and has the balance of a slender 5'9" guy.
Personally I'm in the "trade Yordan for a King's ransom camp" not because I don't love the guy but because I doubt he'll stay healthy consistently. With that said, you can only trade him if he's really healthy to get that kind of return. IDK - I'm torn, but I hate to see us not get anything if he keeps spiraling downward. His injuries don't bode well for aging.
I'm in the minority, I don't think he moves that bad really for 28. I think that his knee injury recovery has been amazing. I just think he is a very large man with an odd center of gravity that seems to think that he is a normal sized man. If he can keep his hips and knees and back and hands relatively healthy, there is no reason he cannot mash into his mid 30's.
Is this a "real" picture or AI? It appears that his left leg and foot are facing the wrong direction.
No one is going to give you a Kings ransom with his salary, injury risk and limited to DHing. We aren’t finding another hitter that’s even close to his talent. There’s not much upside in trading him.
Yes they would. 26 million a year for a potentially all-world hitter for his age 29-32 seasons. Is nothing. Look at some contracts given to end of the road/injury risk players with much worse track records than Yordan.
