I know a lot of people want a bullpen arm, and they could use a dominant setup man for the regular season... take a look though what they could do in the postseason... Game 1: Framber / Stanek / Javier / Pressly Game 2: Greinke / Garcia (bullpen rested) Game 3: McCullers / Stanek / Javier / Pressly Game 4: Urquidy / Odorizzi (bullpen rested) Basically the bullpen should be able to go no back to backs assuming nothing unusual like a pitcher getting hurt in the second inning... if that's the case, then no need to pitch a gas can like Paredes, Taylor, etc. Also, you're letting some starters go 4 to 5 innings so they know they don't have to pace themselves and can throw harder to a degree... Having 7 quality starting pitchers has it's benefits...
When you think you have enough pitching, that's the ideal time to go out and grab more pitching. I think we need at LEAST 1 solid bullpen arm, and possibly 2. The goal here isn't to be good -- it's to be great. 'Great' will be necessary to beat the Dodgers or Giants in the World Series. Our hitting is great. Our pitching is above average. The championship window is open now. Make a move.
I get that, just saying we don't need to sell the farm... if we can upgrade from Stanek I'd be fine with it... normally your 3rd best bullpen arm isn't the difference...
They’ll definitely go out and get a bullpen arm. Your plan on paper sounds all nice in theory, but it’ll never happen. i would love for our starting pitchers to keep going 6-7 IP in the postseason, but that’s just not how the game is played these days. Go and acquire a set up guy with closer capabilities (I know, they don’t grow on trees). I mean whoever it is has to be better than Tyler Clippard, right?
Pitchers used by the Astros: 2017 World Series 12 2019 World Series 12 2020 ALCS 12 Valdez, Greinke, McCullers, Urquidy, Garcia, Odorizzi, Pressly, Stanek..... That's 4 short... Taylor would be the next choice Hopefully Baez comes back Would still need 2 more and I'd rather add some guys over gambling on Paredes, Scrubb, Raley, Bielak, Smith, James, Pruitt, or Abreu
Agree this team isn't great. But it's because the starters are only above average. We need killers on the mound and we only have Framber. Javier could be a second but he's been relegated. That's were this team will fail if you ask me. There are teams that can dominate us on the mound and into submission once the playoffs kick off. We are very good. We are not Great.
I thought as long as we had Correa, we were as good as any team? I thought he was the whole team? now you are confusing me
We really need a couple of high leverage relievers. Guys that you can trust to pitch you out of a jam. They don't have to give you a bunch of innings. Just a couple batters when you need a strikeout or double play.
Health will help this team more than any outside source. If you get Pruitt, James, and (oh please) Verlander in one-inning roles in the final third of the season. That is enough.
The guys I like (Iglesias, Barlow, Cisnero, Fulmer, Hudson, Kennedy) are guys with very high k rates this season who have experience pitching in late innings. Hopefully they get one of them.
Here’s a hypothetical: Astros get: RP Michael Fulmer RP Jose Cisnero $2M Tigers get: IF Freudis Nova RHP Peter Solomon RHP Shawn Dubin PTBNL (Tigers pick one from Bryan Abreu, Enoli Paredes, or Tyler Ivey after this season ends) Astros would add 2 very effective relief arms to the back end of their bullpen without giving up any major pieces. Both guys come with additional years of control which dramatically reduces their offseason shopping list. Neither guy comes with a big salary. Nova is one of their highest ceiling prospects but his stock is down and they have other good prospects at his potential positions. The arms are 2nd tier prospects who could be guys they regret trading but that is their area of depth. This trade also comes with a net gain of 1 40 man spot. The Tigers get Nova, who would immediately become their best middle infield prospect. He is a buy low opportunity for them. The pitchers all have ceilings to be better than the guys they are trading away and will give them more big league ready arms to fill their bullpen as a supplement to their emerging starting pitching. Astros resulting pitching staff: SP: Greinke, Valdez, McCullers, Odorizzi, Garcia, Urquidy RP: Pressly, Cisnero, Javier, Fulmer, Stanek, Raley, Smith/Taylor If Baez or Verlander get healthy, Smith would likely have to be DFA. James and Pruitt would need to really show well on rehab to justify a spot over Smith/Taylor.
