Just get healthy. That's the only thing that matters. I would think biggest issue is too many infield bats. I would go Altuve at 2B and live with the defense in most cases. You can pull him for defense with a lead. SS Pena 2B Altuve LF Alvarez 3B Correa DH Paredes C Diaz 1B Walker CF Meyers RF Smith That's a contending lineup If they can get healthy: Brown Javier Arrighetti Ullola Blanco/Mccullers/Alexander/Walter/Blubaugh/France/Garcia They will have options and depth. This team would have won 100 games with reasonable health...
Yordan is likely finished besides DH. I can't see him in the field anymore, and as DH, if he gets on base, they will likely sub in a runner.
Probably should trade few guys to get good players around Yordan Alvarez, Brown , and Pena Hader, Valdez, Correa seem like they could get you good players. C walker is servicable, but is he what you envison on a championship squad? Nope.
People expecting a massive over haul are going to be disappointed. They may well change the manager and a few coaches- but they aren’t rebuilding or gutting the team. Injuries cost them winning 100 games. They will be flexible in what they do as far as trades and signings. They won’t trade Jeremy Pena just to trade him, but if they get a haul they likely will trade him. Same with other guys. Walker, Pena, Meyers, Diaz all will be discussed to see what the interest around the league is. Matthews and Melton will dangled to add a top tier pitcher for the rotation. Altuve will likely see less time going forward. Yordan will likely be the full time DH. Correa has said he wants to focus on 3rd and this year he was mediocre at SS. However there is a slight chance he moves over to let Paredes play third if the Astros move Pena. I think Santa makes the bullpen as well.
Get YOUNGER- old guys get injured. Keepers Correa - 3B Pena - SS TBD - 2B ParedasCarantini - 1B Alvarez - DK Smith - RF Meyers - CF Cole - LF Diaz - Catcher Or move Correa to 2B, and play Paredes at 3B..... Get rid of Walker, McCormick, Sanchez, Urias, Trammel and maybe...ALTUVE Let Framber walk unless he gets signed for cheap.... Sign some pitching and rebuild bullpen... DD
You keep Walker. Cut Penas errors in half alone. Carlos at 3rd is a Gold Glove Altuve at 2nd, least important position Pena at SS Paredes/Yordan DH and LF CF needs a major upgrade RF should be whoever wins between Cam and Cole Pitching is a mess. Whatever they did with these dudes ruined their arms. Hitting coaches have been a joke for years. Head 790 calling us idiots for calling them out when they had a top offense for x amount of years. We also had top notch hitters for those years. Look what happened when it was hitters that need help. They were all terrible. Dusty was just a jagoff, but Joe is f'in clueless.
So many players need to be replaced Gone in Free Agency Framber Valdez Ramon Urias Need to be traded Christian Walker Cristian Javier Jesus Sanchez Lance McCullers - Need to be released, Get Health Insurance Release Chas McCormick Taylor Trammell Brendan Rogers Craig Kimbrel
I want to see if Cam Smith plays 3B, Brice Matthews at 2B, Isaac Paredes at 1B Maybe Carlos Correa and Christian Walker need to move on.
Trade Bait Josh Hader Christian Walker Jesus Sanchez High Value Bennett Sousa Victor Caratini - I think has high value as a trade piece. Middle Value Brian King Trade for Top Prospect Starting Pitchers that throw 97 - 100. Josh Hader, Bennett Sousa, Victor Caratini can get these Starting Pitchers. Brice Matthews is untouchable, he is the future 2B
Altuve is a full time player, in my opinion, as he should be. He IS the astros, and will never get traded. Alvarez is our best hitter, when he is healthy, but he can't play in the field. And Framber should never be allowed back on the astros at any amount. I half think he tanked his season as retribution against the astros. I don't think it is a coincidence that he magically played a good game when he knew it would be his last of the season. I also wouldn't mind if they traded Correa as well. I just think a lot of the old guard will be stuck in their old ways and not listen to anyone. To me our most important players are: Smith, Pena, Myers and Altuve. The rest of them can stay or go: but I would seriously consider trading Alvarez as he could get a good haul and I don't feel as if he is helping that much to the team as it is currently constructed. In fact the astros played great baseball without him.
I'm not following. You think another manager would have done better with all these injuries? Give me an example of a team making the playoffs, which they almost did, with their starters missing about 50% of their starts and the lineup missing about 40% of the season on average.
