I never claimed to have any inside information... actually Keith Law didn't either... But you see what you want to see...
I wouldn't think that is the case, Crane sure don't seem like the kind of guy who would sit back and let Luhnow do as he wishes. Someone did finally get Crane to STFU after so many public relation gaffes, but I'd be shocked if he was sitting all of this out
Who said anything about criticizing Luhnow.. You want to criticize him, go right ahead... He has certainly made mistakes.... but don't pull stuff out of mid-air.
Yep, I agree with that I'm not a huge fan of what Luhnow has done so far, others are...so i'm sure that fuels most of the comments in this thread Hope i'm wrong and he gets at least one of the two picks next year right, if we do indeed get them
Nope, never said that he didn't What I said was, he sure doesn't seem to be the kind of guy who would sit it out
This is the key point here. They had already AGREED to a deal with Aiken... and then used the physical against him... the physical that is not entirely sure whether or not what was found will be an actual problem. They then have the conspiracy theories of the Astros trying to stand by a MRI result in order to lower the salary to make an offer to another player. While I don't believe this was their intention from the start... I do believe they actively explored it by reaching out to Marshall's camp and saying that "they may have some extra money soon... don't move into that dorm and impregnate that co-ed just yet.." Finally the Astros make the "qualifying" offer, but by then the damage has already been done in the "agent's" eyes as he realizes that not only will Aiken not get his agreed upon deal, but Nix also won't get his because it was contingent on Aiken signing. That overall level of "distrust" was enough to advise the clients to "stay away". From the questionable medical report, to pulling offers on not one but two players (one being the overall #1 pick in the draft), to probably having a "take it or leave it" approach that pissed off the agent, it was enough for them to be spurned no matter what the Astros did today. In the end, I understand they'll get the #2 pick next year... I understand they can easily pick players who will make a difference faster than Aiken/Nix would (if that's the case, why not pick them this year?). I'm more angry/annoyed/frustrated that this was supposed to be around the time where we aren't as concerned about "next years'" draft... we're not supposed to be as concerned about trying to get draftees at a discount on a technicality, or selecting players with high round picks we know we can't have, but will get thanks to our slot-saving advantage program. We're supposed to reap the rewards of a #1 pick three years in a row after 3 years of sucktitude that have decimated the fan base, and overall interest in baseball in a town hungry to be fanatical about baseball again. We're supposed to be trying to put together the BEST TEAM on the field, AS FAST as possible. As I said earlier, I only hope this experience can make the front office a tad more humble in its aspirations/methods that are starting to piss off a lot of important groups. Maybe they actually "learn" from it... although if you asked them, they'd probably say they couldn't be happier with the ultimate outcome (which on paper is probably a fair shake... questionable HS #1 overall for more slot money next year). The fallout from this is pretty sizable amongst the media, the players union, and agents from here on out. In the Astros mind, it may be "worth" it... but likely only gets mitigated if/when Aiken, Kolek, Rodon, and Nix all turn out to be huge busts or get hurt. I'm taking a break from this forum... I'll still watch the games, still take an interest in the minors development, and still shake my head when Porter makes bone-headed decisions... but this whole ordeal has irked me as to how much "longer" this front office or this owner is really going to be taking one step forward, and 3 steps back while tripping over two left feet.
It's 50/50...but i get the feeling, in 15years, we're gonna regret this worse than taking jio mier over mike trout.
Funny, I think a poster on this board was telling me how Derek Jeter had the same stats as Mier early on. Still makes me laugh.
I am not a huge fan of Luhnow either. I think he has done well enough to keep his job but the jury is out long term. I think the Astros developmental program is better, have overall drafted well and have done a great job locking up Altuve and Singleton. I am not happy with and was happy with the choice to take Appel #1, the trade of Wandy Rodriguez or the signing of Feldman. I didn't like them at the time and still don't.
I would be curious of this also. Obviously it will be years before we see the success/failure of the whole piggyback system of developing pitchers, but I don't see how it has been a big positive so far (just my opinion)
For some reason people like to magnify the 1st overall pick. In reality most selections have substantially higher odds of being misses than hits when you view it in that light. Whoever you select, its a virtual guarantee that one of the hundreds of players you pass on will become a star.
Pretty easy, actually. I'm paying attention to his track record. What about this negotiation doesn't scream Jim Crane? Dude is Bud Adams 2.0.
While you are certainly right that most Stars are taken later in the draft, fact is that with the number 1 overall pick you need to be able to get a star yourself, even if someone taken later develops into a bigger star Go back to before we started our string of top overall picks Cole Harper Strasburgh Beckham Price One total bust, and 4 star level players Only one time in the history of the mlb draft have the top overall pick four years in a row all failed to make an all-star team So yea, there are misses, and absolutely there are later picks who become studs. But the fact remains, while the draft might be a "crapshoot" as some like to say, the top overall pick is much less of a crapshoot and your odds of being able to hit on that pick is much better than later in the draft Plus, when you suck on purpose to get that pick, make it count
The Astros minor leaguers have overall developed better than under the prior two regimes. The Astros have also done a good job working with players with marginal pitchers and getting the most out of them. There is more depth in the system than ever before and for the most part players are advancing.
[rQUOTEr]... Aiken's side (with adviser Close also happening to be the adviser for Nix, which unavoidably adds some stickiness to the situation), is said to have responded with nothing beyond a “no” to all three offers Friday. There was no counteroffer, according to people familiar with the talks. Not even for the original $6.5 million, they say. Close just said nothing, at least as far as the negotiations were concerned. On other scores, he apparently had plenty to say, giving Astros GM Jeff Luhnow an earful about the situation. People who heard about Close's conversations with Luhnow said Close berated Luhnow for various perceived transgressions, accusing him of leaking the medical findings regarding Aiken that derailed the deal (he is said to have an issue with his left ulnar collateral ligament) and suggesting to him that players don't or won't want to deal with them because of the way they handle things. Luhnow declined to confirm the content of their “conversations,” and Close didn't respond to texts. Tonight, the players union left little doubt where it placed the blame. Union chief Tony Clark issued a statement saying, “Today, two young men should be one step closer to realizing their dreams of becoming Major League ballplayers. Because of the actions of the Houston Astros, they are not. The MLBPA, the players and their advisers are exploring all legal options.” ... http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/writer...ips-astros-as-team-cant-reach-deal-with-picks[/rQUOTEr]
