It’s the starting staff that concerned me last year and is even more concerning this year. Was laughable when everybody was claiming this team had “too much” pitching and wanted to trade guys. They don’t have enough starting pitching right now to get through a season, let alone contend. It’s wishful thinking (still) that Javier can be an every 4th day starter for an entire season. The next time he does it will be the first time. Once they extended Altuve, traded for Correa, and still have Yordan locked in at a team friendly rate for a few more years, they’re obligated to compete. Trading for Hader and signing Walker further exemplified the win now approach. A likely work stoppage next year even further should push their aggressiveness now. But if they’re not willing to be aggressive now from a tax standpoint, and still happy to be shopping for discounts or players coming off injuries/underpeformance as the sole replacements, and trading guys purely for salary relief, then yes… they’re probably just prolonging the inevitable needed rebuild.
Foster Griffin should be part of the plan. Not sure how much it would take to sign him. Then go get Walker Buehler and put him through the Astros pitching machine.
Every single year everyone in here says “that’s way too much “ when the top players sign Salaries go up every year In the end, it depends on how much yall all value Cranes money. Dude has probably made a Billion dollars on the Astros
This isn’t anything I have heard from the Astros but I am not convinced they won’t go over the tax line. I don’t think they will do it for just anyone, but if there is someone out there that Brown wants and Crane is excited about, I can see them going past the line.
Here is reality in my opinion If Crane is insistent on staying under the cap, there is only ONE way this team goes into the season as anything more than a “potential” playoff team: Trading Walker Losng Framber is way more concerning than 99% of the fan base realizes. It’s not just how good he is (when he isn’t trying to hurt teammates), it’s all the innings he gives you year after year. For a team with Brown and ?????? For a rotation, that’s a huge hole to fill (and I’m fully on board with Fk him get out of here), but you don’t bring in a middling starter and say let’s go That’s the problem with war and all the metrics when looking at an offseason. Losing Framber means we need to hit on MORE unknown pitchers than last year, and that’s so unlikely I also think that losing Dubon simply for money will hurt more than most think. He was way over used by a terrible manager, but you can’t just slide a Brice Matthews or some other low $ player into that spot and think it’s ok. Our overall defense already isn’t what we had in the glory years. Trading Myers to cut salary would be a terrible move also along those same lines. Maybe he makes more than Crane wants him to, but at his salary he solidifies a huge part of a winning team We need a front end starter which isn’t cheap, a solid back end starter, and an OF bat that can hit RHP. We aren’t getting those 3 without getting Walker off the books. I’d much rather attach a couple lower end prospects and cut that 20 million than give up Jake Last thing, on Arrighetti, who knows what he becomes. BUT, when you are trying to be a legit WS contender without a great farm while staying under the cap, you NEED upside guys like him to hit, you can’t afford to move them
It's not nearly that simple. I'm sure there are people who say "that's way too much" but I think the majority of knowledgeable and active fans are just referring to hopes. There is no such thing as too much if a team pays it. However there is a salary cap in MLB for all but 4-5 teams. The penalties are simply too much for a team without billion dollar revenue streams to ignore. Loss of draft picks, international pool money, and fines that escalate year upon year. The Astros simply can't stay above the CBT for a 3rd consecutive year. The penalties will kill a competitive window as sure as bad contracts do. And it has nothing to do with how wealthy the owner is or how much he has made off the team in the past
This won't happen but if I'm Crane I'm trading Walker to free up some more money and then I'd sign Suarez. Possibly sign JV as well to a one yr deal and if they're right at the luxury tax maybe JV is open to deferring some of the money. Brown Suarez Javier JV Arrighetti Alexander Blubaugh
You are assuming we went over last year, which none of us know And even if we did, it doesn’t send us into oblivion if we go over a 3rd year Crane is without a doubt the best owner in city sports history But it would be fairly easy to make an argument his no long term contracts has hurt us more than it’s helped. It’s what led to Abreu, Walker for starters. That’s what, 120 million dollars mostly wasted. Building the roster like this was GREAT when you had the Luhnow farm system and you had all the high end players needed to dominate the division. Continuing to do it that way with an aging core of top players and a low end farm, not so much Personally I want him to choose one of two paths 1. Be willing to go over the tax 2. Trade Yordan and Pena to bring in a ton of high end prospects I think Crane will try for another year to piece meal this thing together, and if it doesn’t work he will sell and cash out his enormous profit. And to be clear, I have no problem with that Hope you and yours have had a great Thanksgiving
Trade for Alcantara using Ullola/ Treadwell/Sullivan Trade for Donovan using Arrighetti/Blubaugh/Hicks/Matthews/Melton Sign Giolito in FA.
You dont think Ullola/Blubaugh/Sullivan/Matthews would be enough to trade for Cabrera or Alcantara from the Marlins? Arrighetti/Treadwell/Hicks/Melton would be enough to trade for Donovan?
https://blogs.fangraphs.com/lets-scout-the-players-coming-over-from-asia/ D'backs 2018 4th rd pick. Will turn 29 on 12/10 Pitched in minors -2023. Made it to AAA in 2021 but never made MLB. Pitched in Korea last 2 seasons Last year: 30 gs 178.2 ip 207 k 56 bb 1.024 whip 2.87 era
I think the Astros are bringing in Weiss as a RP. He might make a really good 7th inning option. Between Pearson, De Los Santos, Ort, and Weiss, Houston should be able to find a reliable leverage RHRP to complement the 3 setup lefties (Okert, Sousa, King) in the group coming in before Abreu and Hader. There’s not been much talk on Houston’s bullpen this offseason but they should be a strength of the team.
The luxury cap threshold is nothing but a convenient excuse for owners to not spend more. They are not very punitive at all. You don't lose draft picks. The fine is only on the overage. You could go $50 million over and see what? A $25 million penalty even if it's your third year in a row. So the difference between spending $300 million versus $325 million. What if the cap itself was $325 million? Would Crane spend that much or not? If he would, then just spend $50 million over the current cap and you end up with that figure either way. Either you have the money or you don't. The luxury tax means nothing.
