I don't disagree with you, it isn't that I think the Astros should keep a low payroll. However since the season ended I have heard the Astros had the money in their budget to add one $20,000,000 a year type bat (preferably) and possibly pitcher like Kazmir. The Astros rolled the dice on Rasmus and he took their offer, cutting greatly into their budget and closing the space where they hoped to add that bat (corner outfielder). Then the resigning of Sipp was a little more than they hoped. My understanding is they still have the money to add a relatively high priced free agent pitcher OR hitter. I suspect they are holding onto that money to go bargain hunting hoping they can get a bat AND pitcher. We also don't know how far this owner will stretch financially if pressed by the front office. If Upton or Davis is there at the end and less than the expected market value, maybe we swoop in. I am a little skeptical because the owner has to answer to a lot of stake holders.
Didn't Luhnow give Kazmir an iPad presentation about how cool we are and the fact there are no state taxes vs 10% in CA??? That's almost $5m over the life of the contract! #morey101
I don't see it. We traded AWAY cost-controlled starters for Giles. I think they're content to roll with Feldman in the 5th spot if they don't sign a FA veteran. They're not going to trade the farm for Jose Fernandez and it's not really worth trading for another Fiers-type pitcher.
I suspect they weighed the value of a legitimate #1 or #1(A) starter to their club in comparison to the value of a #2-3 starter.... Then looked at the monetary costs of #1/1(A) starters compared to #2-3 starters and decided it is a better value to parlay prospects into a #1/1(A) soon to be free agent or #2-3 under control at the deadline. There will be several #1/2 starters available at the deadline and even more 2/3 types to choose from under team control. The Astros will have prospects, so if they choose to, they can add an arm in the rotation for the stretch run with limited long term financial impact. It also explains why the Astros wanted Hammels so bad, a #1/2 under long term control at a very reasonable salary.
If we upgrade DH, 3B, or starter (I'm good with our 1B prospects playing), we could win 100 games We could win 95-100 anyway. Very happy about our bullpen. The Giles addition makes us better not just the 9th, but every inning due to the trickle down effect. Man if we had him Game 4!!! I just hope can avoid major injury and we get many more chances... and win. Scott is fighting another demon too, injuries. He's been injured pretty consistently throughout his career. He'd never pitched b2b 160+ inning seasons until last year. When OAK traded him, their announcers said they were just happy to get something for him thinking his arm might fall off. Doubtful he throws more than one 160+ over the next 3 years.
I think the opt out was a big part of the deal for Kazmir. Without any evidence to support it, I'm guessing the Astros offered something similar with the 2/3 season caveat that a lot of us suggested. Kazmir thinks he can go a whole season successfully, then he opts out and gets a much bigger deal. If he flames out again, then he still has a nice contract. We didn't offer him that chance. I really hope we don't sign Gallardo, because I simply don't think he's a very big upgrade over what we have already. Over the last 3 years his ERA is only slightly better than Feldman, and his K rate and FIP have been extremely unimpressive. He doesn't suck, he's just not a great use of our spending money.
Yea maybe. That seems like a lot of assumptions. I think that agrees with my point that they're probably not making a trade for a starting pitcher this offseason. The deadline is a whole other game and of course if they're in the mix anything is fair game.
It is based primarily on assumptions but I was told once the season was over that the front office was not going to spend $100,000,000 on a pitcher and they knew that all the #1 type pitchers were well in excess of that number. However at the same time I kept hearing how they hoped to add a #1 type pitcher... and that only leaves a trade....
I could see us trading for Andrew Cashner, maybe Tyson Ross, although his price may be a tad too high for my taste.
Maeda to the Dodgers too, wow. If they were 99% out on a possible Fernandez trade after the Kazmir signing, I guess this pushes it to 100%. A lot of you who think there's a chance we are set at starting pitching...you can ignore every other factor, but keep in mind that the owner himself said that was a priority following the Giles trade. They aren't going into a contending season with no insurance behind our current 5, if that's who they are rolling with. Some sort of veteran signing a la Fausto Carmona will be made, at minimum.
I agree with this. But saying they're going to sign an innings-eating vet to a minor league deal or whatever is very different than saying they're likely to go after Jose Fernandez or Tyson Ross, etc. As you said, the former is an inevitability to shore up the depth.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Astros also sign minor league free agents OF Eury Perez, RHP Cesar Valdez, both get invites.</p>— Evan Drellich (@EvanDrellich) <a href="https://twitter.com/EvanDrellich/status/682985198338871296">January 1, 2016</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> Perez, who turns 26 on May 30, made his Major League debut in 2012 with the Nationals. He was once a top prospect for Washington. MLB Trade Rumors: <script type="text/javascript" src="http://widgets.sports-reference.com/wg.fcgi?css=1&site=br&url=%2Fplayers%2Fp%2Fperezeu01.shtml&div=div_batting_standard"></script> Valdez, who will turn 31 on March 17, debuted in 2010 with the D-Backs, but he hasn't played in the U.S. minor leagues since 2011. He was in the Mexican League last year, and his performance there was probably a factor in his signing. <script type="text/javascript" src="http://widgets.sports-reference.com/wg.fcgi?css=1&site=br&url=%2Fplayers%2Fv%2Fvaldece01.shtml&div=div_pitching_standard"></script>
Is Gallardo still a possibly option? He wouldn't be a bad guy to throw into the mix if we can get a good deal with him. Other than that no name really sticks out to me.
Problem with Gallardo is going to cost us a first round pick. I don't like his numbers from last year, his whip was way too high and K is very low. Before, in his career he would K 9 per 9 innings, now the number is low. Before he would not allow more hits than innings and in the last 3 years his numbers are more hits than innings pitched, If we go by numbers, Gallardo would be our number 5 starter as Fiers and McHugh have done better in the past 2 years than Gallardo. I think we made a mistake by not re signing Kazmir for 3 years, we should not continue to give our prospect for a pitcher, so our hope is Feldman is healthy and pitching good baseball. Maybe sign another pitcher to compete with Feldman and Straily for that 5th spot. If Feliz ready??? Right now the rotation is: 1. K 2. McCullers 3. McHugh 4. Fiers 5. Feldman If McCullers can be that dominating number 2 starter, then we can have a nice rotation. After Feldman, we are thin, Straily, Wojo, Rodgers. Our 2 strong candidates, Musgrove and Feliz are 1 year away, at least half a year away. Straily was very good in 2013 and ok with Oakland in 2014, his problem is the long ball. He is still young, 26 years old, but is just a number 5 guy in a good rotation. Wojo had the opportunity last year, but struggled in the majors and in the minors. Rodgers has never been good in the minors. Thats is why i did not ilke the Appel trade, he could had battle for that fifth spot, if Feldman is injured, then i think our 2 options are Straily or Feliz.
Problem is he is likely trying for a 4 year deal, and I just don't see us going that long on a pitcher that isn't an ace More likely we add a couple of low end options to go to AAA and see what shakes out. Losing the pick for Gallardo isn't as bad as what we would have to give up in a trade for similar quality arm, but there are likely teams who will offer him more years than he deserves
The signing of Eury Perez is interesting. At 25 years old he is a career .307/.358 hitter in AAA in over 1,000 AB's and has averaged around 50 stolen bases per 500 AB's. He showed he could hang with mlb pitching last year posting a .269/.331 in 133 PA's. This may mean that Marisnick will be included in some kind of deal. Still hoping for a deal for Lucroy that includes Singleton.
I don't think it means anything more than a live body for camp. We already have 3 other CF on the MLB roster, and another guy in Andrew Aplin who is tailor made for the 4th OF role if Marisnick is moved.
