I can already see the nerd cave salivating over the additional bonus money.... and over-slotting all these late round picks! Honestly, I'm over this whole draft "bonus money pool" process... and I think MLB and the players union will revamp it ASAP, especially once the grievances are in.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Luhnow: "We did nothing unethical, we did nothing disingenuous. We tried to sign good players at the appropriate values"</p>— Evan Drellich (@EvanDrellich) <a href="https://twitter.com/EvanDrellich/statuses/490248641840705537">July 18, 2014</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
I am not salivating over the additional money. You take the best player available unless you have two guys literally ranked the same and one is cheaper. I know it worked with Correa (so far) but that doesn't mean it should be done every year. In some ways there is more pressure on the Astros next year, if I am drafted by them in round 1, I am going to hold out for every penny, because you know that the Astros do not want to miss out signing a #1 AGAIN.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Luhnow on Jim Crane: "He’s been supportive throughout. We’ve been in contact with him throughout and he’s been involved all day."</p>— Evan Drellich (@EvanDrellich) <a href="https://twitter.com/EvanDrellich/statuses/490249364196323329">July 18, 2014</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>The injury risk on Brady Aiken is real. That said, The decision scientists now have a huge chemistry test. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Astros?src=hash">#Astros</a></p>— Dinn Mann (@mooseoutfront) <a href="https://twitter.com/mooseoutfront/statuses/490248319965622273">July 18, 2014</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>So the first picks in the last two drafts have a combined record of 4-6, 7.31, 125 baserunners in 76 innings. And Jacob Nix knows...</p>— Peter Gammons (@pgammo) <a href="https://twitter.com/pgammo/statuses/490249374342340608">July 18, 2014</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p><a href="https://twitter.com/pgammo">@pgammo</a> the value of an agreement with the Astros.</p>— Peter Gammons (@pgammo) <a href="https://twitter.com/pgammo/statuses/490249537190383616">July 18, 2014</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
They had the #1 pick THIS year.... after going 51-111. I'm not going to take consolation in getting the #2 pick next year... and what's their strategy now? Best player available still? More under-slot/over-slot games that cost them two other picks this year? The one constant of this whole rebuild was how important building through the draft is... how they weren't going to short-change talent... and how you have to stockpile talent in this game in order to get a few prospects to make it. As much as I hate it when they "experiment" at the MLB level... they're playing with fire when they have a turn of events such as this.
Why wouldn't he? He isn't injured, and nobody has come forward to say that he will be injured (because they don't know!)
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>"It’s disappointing. I’m not going to say it isn’t. we’ll just regroup," Jim Crane said.</p>— Jose de Jesus Ortiz (@OrtizKicks) <a href="https://twitter.com/OrtizKicks/statuses/490250694687879168">July 18, 2014</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>"Certainly that’s disappointing," Astros owner Jim Crane said on GM Jeff Luhnow not signing Aiken.</p>— Jose de Jesus Ortiz (@OrtizKicks) <a href="https://twitter.com/OrtizKicks/statuses/490251664998146048">July 18, 2014</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>"That’s part of our strategy, but that doesn’t mean we can’t deploy the resources elsewhere," Jim Crane said.</p>— Jose de Jesus Ortiz (@OrtizKicks) <a href="https://twitter.com/OrtizKicks/statuses/490251732530655233">July 18, 2014</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Astros owner Jim Crane will sit down with the <a href="https://twitter.com/HoustonChron">@HoustonChron</a> on Tuesday afternoon or Wednesday morning to discuss the state of the team.</p>— Jose de Jesus Ortiz (@OrtizKicks) <a href="https://twitter.com/OrtizKicks/statuses/490251856270999552">July 18, 2014</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Astros plenty capable of executing same strategy in '15, hitting picks, salvaging. Even they'll admit losing a year of development hurts.</p>— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) <a href="https://twitter.com/JeffPassan/statuses/490251102017703936">July 18, 2014</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Jeff Luhnow: "We didn't sign Brady Aiken. As a result we will have the 2nd pick in the draft next year." (more)</p>— Mark Berman (@MarkBermanFox26) <a href="https://twitter.com/MarkBermanFox26/statuses/490249786281312256">July 18, 2014</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>More Astros GM Jeff Luhnow on not signing Brady Aiken:"Obviously disappointed in that outcome.We made our best effort today 2make it happen"</p>— Mark Berman (@MarkBermanFox26) <a href="https://twitter.com/MarkBermanFox26/statuses/490250101898485760">July 18, 2014</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Astros GM Jeff Luhnow on team's efforts to sign Brady Aiken today: "We didn't really get any response from the other side except no."</p>— Mark Berman (@MarkBermanFox26) <a href="https://twitter.com/MarkBermanFox26/statuses/490250695816138754">July 18, 2014</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>*cancels October 2017 reservations at Houston Marriott; changes them to 2019.*</p>— Craig Calcaterra (@craigcalcaterra) <a href="https://twitter.com/craigcalcaterra/statuses/490252400645517312">July 18, 2014</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Poor Brady Aiken is gonna learn a rough rough life lesson. I can almost guarantee it. He's going to be a cautionary tale of greed.
I just don't see the point of drafting pitchers with top picks anymore. If the organization is going to nit pick scans on these guys arms, then what is the point? On top of that, it seems like hitters are panning out way more than the pitchers are.
I will say it again, Astros did everything right. Nothing to be ashamed of from an organizational standpoint. Just got screwed by a greedy kid.
I take it many of you don't know how Houston sports work. Brady Aiken is now definitively the next Kershaw. Not a doubt in my mind.
You said they had "nothing to show for it"...... as I point out, that is clearly wrong. If you point is you wanted them to sign Aiken, that is fine... then say that. The Astros lost a 5th rounder and 21st rounder I believe, something like that. Do you know how few impact players are drafted in rd 5 or rd 21.... not enough to make it the deciding factor on whether to take Aiken or the #2 next year. This wasn't about "short changing talent", they had a # they agreed on prior to having it come up that he had a small UCL... obviously they were concerned about future injury risks. I don't like everything the Astros do. I was very critical of the Wandy Rodriguez deal, the drafting of Appel and the signing of Feldman... but I am also not going to say that the Astros went 51-111 "for nothing" when that isn't the case. Using your logic, if they take a college player, that gets to the big leagues faster than Aiken would, are you okay with it? If people like Peter Gammons wants to pile on and say the last two #1 picks have a 7.7 era... he can go ahead, never mind the fact that he LIKED the pick of Appel a year ago!
Statistically that has always been the case. I believe someone posted a really good write up from someone on a 2013 draft thread on why Kris Bryant should be taken #1.
