In other words, you don't like when Click re-signs Luhnow's guys even if they are great, but at the same time are mad at Click for not being able to keep Luhnow's guys that it was not his decision to let go (Crane for Correa, and Springer for Springer). I personally really like most of Luhnow's guys, and I have no idea why it is so horrible to bring back great players just because Luhnow brought them here. What is so wrong with trusting Luhnow's guys to win another World Series is such a bad thing?
No. The Astros are operating like a second tier big market team (i.e., not the Yankees or Dodgers) that has been dominant for a long time, will probably be dominant for a few more years as long as they trust their players (and don't have too many injuries that linger for years), and is spending the vast majority of their budget on keeping their players that they can and the rest to fill holes now or later.
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That’s probably a little overly optimistic but I do think there’s a lot of upside in the Framber/Garcia/Urquidy trio beyond their projections. They are projected to combine for 7 fwar but seeing them put up 10+ combined would not shock me.
Baez starting the inning after getting the final out brings up a question. Does he HAVE TO face a third batter by facing the second or does completing the prior inning releave him of that requirement?
I think the rule is if you finish an inning you do not have to come back the next inning, even if you havent faced three batters. However, if you do come back out, then you can't exit without having first faced three batters total between the previous inning that you finished and the next inning you started.
It's not again, it never stopped. If his salary wasn't what it is he no doubt would be gone at the end of camp. We're hoping much more than expecting him to contribute.
Spoiler WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Eyes are always on Michael Brantley, even when he might not expect it. He works in silence and loathes outside attention. His swing is something out of a textbook, the type many desire but few can replicate. His routine is scrupulous and never changes. Watch before a pitch arrives, when Brantley bounces the bat twice on his back shoulder. It’s one of the habits he never breaks. To outsiders, the Astros outfielder seems a blend of grumpy and grounded. Brantley exudes no emotion, the double play during Game 6 of the 2019 American League Championship Series notwithstanding. He is the same player whether he finishes 4-for-4 or 0-for-4. “Professional is something that I think maybe gets thrown around a little bit haphazardly in this business, and while we’re all professionals, I think Mike epitomizes what being a professional baseball player is all about,” catcher Jason Castro said. “I always knew he was a very good hitter just from playing against him. But when you see the way he goes about his work and he’s very methodical about everything he’s doing and trying to feel on a daily basis, it’s probably one of the most impressive things I’ve seen.” Brantley is perhaps the most influential player in Houston’s clubhouse. His lessons aren’t always vocal. Sometimes he doesn’t even realize he’s delivered one. This is the book of Brantley, a collection of anecdotes, wisdom and observations from teammates and opponents past and present. Brantley built his reputation in Cleveland, where he earned three All-Star selections in 10 seasons. He became one of baseball’s most difficult outs and perfected the meticulous routine many in the Astros’ clubhouse try to emulate. Astros catcher Martín Maldonado: “You can see him hit a ball, and me personally, I think it’s a good swing. You see him shaking his head like he didn’t like it. The most important thing with him is he expects perfection. I’ve known Michael since 2007, and he’s been exactly the same guy for this long.” Ten years in the American League Central constantly pitted Brantley against another emerging star who later became his teammate. Brantley has 81 career plate appearances against Justin Verlander, more than any other pitcher. He’s 22-for-76 (.289) with eight strikeouts and 10 walks. Verlander: “Facing him, I hated it. Love/hate. You know you’re always going to get an unbelievably professional at-bat, and that is the best compliment I can give. He knows what he’s doing, I know what I’m doing, and it’s going to be a battle. He never gives in. It’s a lot of fun but frustrating as hell. Over the years, I loved to hate him. “Being his teammate, I think he’s remarkably even-keeled and does a great job of helping those around him be even-keeled. Which seems easy. But in this game, it’s one of the most difficult things you could do, especially as a hitter, because it’s so hard to be successful. It’s a game of failure for them. He’s imparted some of that in me as well, just whether it’s through the way you think about things or your routine or the attention to detail. All of those little things matter, and he does and teaches all of those things extremely well.” Astros third baseman Alex Bregman: “He’s the same guy every day. He shows up, works hard, has his routine and knows what works for him. He sticks to it. He knows what kind of player he is, and I think that helps him be as successful as he is. He knows exactly what he’s trying to do every day and what he’s trying to accomplish, and he does it.” Castro: “You don’t really get a sense of any of that unless you play with a guy personally. That, I think, in combination with his ability to help some of the younger guys and talk them through the way he thinks about hitting and his approach, things that make you a professional at this level … to have the kind of success that he’s had, I think he also does a great job at kind of communicating that to some of the younger guys.” Verlander: “If there is a young guy that comes in this locker room, I always steer them toward Michael. It doesn’t even have to be a hitter. Pitchers can learn from him, too.”
Spoiler Since he got to Houston, Brantley has been a sounding board for younger players. He earned the nickname “Uncle Mike” because of it. George Springer credited much of his successes in 2018-20 to Brantley’s presence. Kyle Tucker now follows Brantley almost everywhere. The roots of Brantley’s generosity trace back further. New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor, Brantley’s lockermate in Cleveland: “Before my first big league camp, he gave me a ride to the hotel. I saw him at the airport, and we shared a black car, an Uber. And ever since then, I’m like, ‘Wow, I want to be like this guy.’” Astros shortstop Jeremy Peña: “In (Port) St. Lucie, 2019, my first spring training, I remember I was the first one in the clubhouse. Or I thought I was the first one in the clubhouse. He was already there, sitting down. I sat down next to him, and it was kind of awkward for me. I was starstruck when I saw Mike. I sat down next to him. He kind of looks over, comes over to me and goes, ‘What’s up, man? You don’t say what’s up? You don’t say hi?’ I was like, ‘Oh my God, he’s talking to me right now.’” Astros second baseman Jose Altuve: “He helps everyone, guys coming from the minor leagues to the big leagues. It seems like he just makes people around him better.” Lindor: “I had my hat backward in big league camp. I went to the (batting) cages, and he was hitting in the cages along with Michael Bourn. He looked at Michael Bourn and was like, ‘Should I tell him?’ And Michael Bourn said yes. So he said, ‘There’s only one guy in the game that wears his hat backward, and that guy has 600 home runs. It’s (Ken) Griffey (Jr.).’” Astros outfielder Chas McCormick: “As a rookie, watching Michael Brantley and watching his at-bats … what he swings at, what he doesn’t swing at … he doesn’t need to talk. He can just play, and you can watch him do what he does. It’s pretty incredible to watch his plate discipline.” Lindor: “He really opened my eyes as a young player coming up to the big leagues. There’s a way of doing things. I look up to him. I respect him a lot. It’s Uncle Brant.” Brantley is a man of few words. He is accessible to the media, but his responses rarely reveal any insight into his operation. His advice to young players is sometimes succinct but digestible for those who feel like their grip on the game is slipping. Tucker had a .175 batting average and .584 OPS after 33 games last season. Tucker: “He said, ‘It takes one AB, Tuck.’ You just have that one AB where everything syncs up, and you kind of realize that’s the feeling you need. You kind of go from there and start going off.” Lindor: “We talked a lot about hitting. He always said to me, ‘You can’t repeat your 100 percent swing 10 times in a row. So don’t swing 100 percent. Don’t swing 100 percent.’ That was one of the things he always said.” Peña: “He’s always given me advice, especially last year during the playoffs when I was going to play winter ball. He sat me down and was like, ‘Hey, if you’re going to the Dominican, make sure you go down there to work on the right things, focus, and come ready for the spring.’ That’s what I did. (He told me to) pretty much just learn my body, (develop) a routine that works for me, know my body, my swing and my game and stay true to myself.” Tucker: “He was explaining it to me more, but he said it takes one AB to click, and you’re good to go after that. It was a really reassuring thing. When it’s not going good, you wonder if you’re ever going to get a hit again. But you just need that one AB to have everything get going and kind of turn your season around. I didn’t think I would hit .100 on the year, but he definitely helped me out with everything else overall.” Verlander: “One of his best qualities is that he’s willing and able to talk to everyone. He will take the time out of his day to help you get better. Which is a quality not a lot of great players have.” Brantley is in the final season of his second two-year contract with the Astros. He has made the American League All-Star team during each of the past four 162-game seasons. Injuries and age are an obvious question — Brantley turns 35 in May and spent 30 days on the injured list last season — but his production cannot be disputed. He hit .311 last season and finished runner-up to Yuli Gurriel for the American League batting title. His influence inside the clubhouse might be irreplaceable if he leaves. Gurriel, through an interpreter: “I’m always watching, always looking to see what I can take away when he’s hitting. He doesn’t know that I’m watching and looking, but I just try to take as much information when he’s hitting. But he doesn’t say much. He barely says anything.” McCormick: “It’s kind of hard because he doesn’t really speak out that much. He’s a pretty quiet person. Being able to watch him play, that’s how he shows the young guys his toughness. He’s a little older now. His body is kind of banged up a little bit, but just watching him want to get out to games … Last year, I was his backup, so whenever he was hurting, I was kind of getting ready to go. Watching Michael, if something happened during the game and he wasn’t feeling too hot, he’d kind of come up to me and say, ‘I’m good. Sit back down.’” Astros reliever Josh James: “He was telling me to not have any more kids. He was telling me two is fine because now you’re playing man defense. Now you get into three and four, you’re playing zone. He said to keep it at two so you can control it a little bit more. Some fatherly advice. I see the way he is with his family. Watching a lot of the guys in here, especially Michael, they love their family and put their family first. It’s just kind of a guideline for me in terms of that’s the kind of player and father I want to be.” Castro: “He’s the guy that not only you want in the lineup in a big spot but also the guy that you want in the clubhouse around some guys that have huge potential that he can help understand what it takes to be consistently good at this level.” Altuve: “The way he is, he teaches you a lot just by looking at him. The way he works. The way he treats people. He’s just amazing. A great guy, and I think we’re all happy to have him on our team.”
No, it's not. There is an Apple bundle that Apple Tv+ is part of that is $24.99/month (which is a good deal for people that use the bundled products), but by itself, it is $4.99.
