It's former Astros pitchers day. Cole, Keuchel, Greinke, Lyles, Musgrove, Sandoval, Morton all starting today.
Why is the solution ALWAYS spending on a FA? Shouldn't getting the best ball player be more important?
It's hard to stick on the Astros Rotation. Heck, we have seven starters (including McCullers) now and doing well while the offense is muted. BTW, I'm glad to see Javier having success as the 6th starter like I thought he would. I've been wanting him to start the last two years.
guy torched spring training and won the damn batting title last season. he's slumping. the guy is a hitting machine. as long as he's healthy, he will be fine.
Being a relative stat, it's more about how far from average a pitcher is from an average pitcher than anything to do with offense league-wide. Unless league offense is reducing pitcher variation, it won't make a difference. However, A pitcher who relies on SO vs BIP might be affected (regress to mean) just by the dead ball.
Slumps are hard to deal with. It brings out the chicken little in most of us. Patience falls on deaf ears.
Yuli is almost 38 years old, and the baseball change seems to affect contact hitters (Brantley one of few exceptions) more than pure power hitters. I expect he will hit better, but I'm not expecting another career year from Yuli.
Six Man Rotation. The next decision is whether to skip Javier to keep the rotation at five days rest or give all the pitchers an extra day's rest. I was for keeping the rotation rest schedule, but I don't want to sit Javier now. Coming up with reasoning to reflect my bias, pitchers have worked up to about 100 pitches and a lull might be optimal for a couple of more weeks. But in this case, I have no argument which ever way it's decided.
The comparison between above average production and starting off with a bad month is drastic. But a slump like last July is "Normal" for him.
I always laugh at how many people think about SAVINGS by assuming they would have spent the monwy. Carlos NEVER received $30M from the Astros. Just an offer near there. Budget room went mostly to Verlander. Budget flexibility came mostly from the new CBA. It's still there, but it's not $30M.
Yeah, a near .200 xwOBA from a 38 year old with around 100 PA should be a cause of concern. Nothing will be done by the trade deadline but if this continues into the summer have to think the Astros make a move by the trade deadline.
I know the Astros have to find a C for next season, but I wonder what they feel internally about the position right now. From the outside it looks like a trainwreck, but with their actions they seem to be more or less happy. Maybe they view hitting as something to be avoided with catchers.
They sure as hell don't think it's something to be "avoided", just something they're willing to sacrifice given how important the position is to the pitchers. Maldy sucks, but he still has an .088 BABIP, which is extreme. That will regularize at some point.
They must be expecting a RHP. Every LH and SH in the line-up. 2B R ALTUVE, Jose LF L BRANTLEY, Michael 3B R BREGMAN, Alex DH L ALVAREZ, Yordan RF L TUCKER, Kyle SS R DIAZ, Aledmys 1B S GOODRUM, Niko C L CASTRO, Jason CF R SIRI, Jose
So at the deadline what do you do if Odo continues to perform well? His trade value will probably be at it's peak. His value to the Astros will also be high as a good starter on a contending team. Does McCullers condition matter to you in making this decision? Given their histories with the Astros I probably trade one of them. If Brown and Whitley look like they could be up do you trade two of the four. If so which two.
They used to say you couldn't have too much good starting pitching. But this year may challenge that.
I do not agree that a search for a catcher is inevitable. I believe the plan all along has been for Castro to retire after the super two date. Bringing Lee up at that time to split time with Maldy behind the dish and with Gurriel at first solves two problems at once.
I think there is a change to Super 2 with the new CBA. I know MVP finalists get automatic Super 2, but I think the cutoffs are higher too. We might have to wait until after the All Star Break to see Super 2 candidates.
Roger. Should be even less of a return expected then. No reason to help them out with Coburn, seems like a 50 grade and 45 grade prospect or maybe even what a couple 45 grades might work?
That will go up but something else will go down. He has to be one of the worst hitters in the league who receives regular playing time year after year. He’s also not a great defender either.
