I don’t mind thinking that Javier could be good, but there is nothing from last season that suggests McCullers should even have a roster spot.
I am At least when considering SP We are also a catcher, LH bat that can play vs both RH and LH pitching and play in the OF and maybe a RH leverage reliever away I think Hunter is a legitimate #1 Cristian or Arrighetti will pitch back into a #3 and the other a #4. Between Weiss, Alexander, Gordon, McCullers, Ullola, and Blubaugh 2 of them can be #5 and #6 with the others covering innings due to injury. I am also hopeful (but not expecting) Wesneski and/or Blanco can return by August.
I'm back in the hospital and I blame the depressing suckfest of an offseason the Astros have had thus far for putting me here.
If you go slot in the pitchers on a list of where they’d fit on a normalized contending pitching staff 1-13 it might look like this: 1. (Ace) Brown 2. (Ace) ? 3. (Playoff SP) ? 4. (MoR SP) Javier 5-6. (BoR SP) Arrighetti, Blubaugh, Weiss, Ullola 7-8. (Closer) Hader, Abreu 9-10. (Leverage RP) Okert, Sousa, King, 11-13+. (Long/middle relief/optionable arm) Alexander, France, De Los Santos, Gordon, Murray, McCullers, Pearson, Ort, VanWey So if Houston adds a #2 and then somebody from that BoR group makes a jump up a tier, they’ll be good.
More evidence Houston plans to select a catcher in the Rule 5 draft. It’ll be a luxury having Trammell in AAA.
Space out means that he didn’t cheat on the same way every game in an effort to avoid detection. Cancer causing substance is tongue in cheek, they use everything from oven cleaner to corn syrup. That is baseball though - and why the Astros situation bothered me so much. The game isn’t golf, it has been from day one a game of cheaters and gamblers. The league knowingly looks the other way until it cannot anymore, and unless it is backed in a corner it gives a slap on the wrist. In the Astros situation it was Fiers, coupled with MLB’s inability to control its media - and players on other teams speaking up. The Astros got shafted- so did the early steroid guys.
VanWay and Trammell outrighted, so there ya have it @IdStrosfan https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/12/astros-outright-taylor-trammell-logan-vanwey.html As far as I know the 40-man is now at 39
New theory. Astros trade away $10+M in salary. Astros bring in a young pre-arb SP they think can compete with others on the roster for the #2 spot. Astros include Arrighetti in a deal ( Donovan?) Jim Crane signs Verlander to fill Arrighetti's spot.
They have a LOT of possible scenarios mapped out and a situation like you outlined is one of the better outcomes. They are really hoping to get a scenario like Tampa where they get a #2 starter and a bat, and then would go FA for another starter. Right now Tampa, Minnesota and Rangers are claiming they aren’t moving rotation pieces to try and drive up the market.
This is just what I was thinking, except Wilyer Abreu instead of Donovan, ending up with a roster that looks like: SS Pena DH Paredes LF Alvarez 3B Correa RF Abreu 2B Altuve 1B Walker CF Cole C Diaz Bench: Matthews, Susac, Allen, Melton SP: Brown, Ragans, Verlander, Javier, Weiss, McCullers RP: Hader, Abreu, King, Pearson, Sousa, Okert, De Los Santos Optioned: Gordon, Blubaugh, Ullola, Murray, Alexander, France, Dezenzo, Salazar, Whitcomb, TBD, TBD IL: Wesneski, Blanco, Walter I really, really like that roster, especially considering they’d likely still have at least 4 good SP ready in AAA and would retain all their draft picks. The moves would be: Jake Meyers and Cam Smith for Cole Ragans Spencer Arrighetti for Wilyer Abreu Sign Justin Verlander Jesus Sanchez for 2 optionable depth arms Draft Daniel Susac in the Rule 5. DFA Kaleb Ort
Signing Suarez is destroying the org? Or is Suarez giving you your best chance to win another championship with a slightly aging core?
Locked on Astros said this, not me. But I could see a trade that looks like this, Meyers/Hicks for Ragans. Given Ragans injury history this would be a fair trade IMHO. Are you a hold onto prospects at all costs kinda guy?
Add Suarez/Ragans and trade for a cheap bat like Donovan. Do these moves make you think that the Stros could compete for a title, particularly if Alvarez stays relatively healthy?
