been saying this. yuli 2023 reg season will be better than yuli 2022 reg season. brantley is a massive offensive upgrade assuming he's healthy. both cheap. re-evaluate offense at trade deadline.
I'm not interested in gambling on Yainer Diaz or Hensley as everyday players at all. We know CF and C are not strong spots offensively. Left field and 1st base need to be filled with known quantities. This isn't the same deal compared to when Correa left and Pena stepped up. We still had confidence in Brantley and Yuli who were coming off solid seasons (1st and 2nd in the batting title) and we hoped Meyers could be a dude when he came back from his injury.
Wow, check out Ben DuBose on Twitter. He is noting that MLB commentators Brian Anderson and Ron Darling are saying that Dusty fought for Peña to hit 2, but the front office was against it. And that Dusty wanted Maldy to catch JV Framber and Mccullers, a point of dispute with front office. This screams hit job on Click. I wonder if this is Dusty with a IDGAF attitude and he wants click gone. Or maybe it’s a Crane move. In any case, this is problematic - not that there were differences of opinion, but that it’s being aired now.
Urquidy has a much better chance to be competitive for the next three years than Verlander does. JV starts out with a big advantage he is a top 5 MLB pitcher to begin next season. Urquidy is a top 60. The trajectory of a forty year old pitcher over three years is not likely to be pretty. The chances that he is still a #1 starter at the end of the 2025 season are minuscule, let alone still being an ace. Urquidy is a #2 starter in 2023 and he will be 30 in 2025. He has improved incrementally every year of his short career and like most pitchers he probably does not level out till he is between 30 and 32. I am under no illusion that he will ever be as good as Verlander is today but I do expect Urquidy to be better than JV 2 years down the road. Perhaps much better. If there was an actuarial table for pitchers Verlander would be uninsureable and Urq would be just approaching his prime. Verlander still has a lot of value left, but Urquidy has far more.
Man look, when you win the world series you don't sit on your hands people. You keep improving because everyone else around you is too, trying to catch you. Take that mickey mouse mentality somewhere else.
I do not have Alvarez at DH as HIS SPOT anymore. He's our regular LFer now. Now we are looking for DH, 1B and backup Catcher. If Yuli returns he settles 1B. If Brantley returns there's the DH. If Vasquez returns (least likely), there's C, perhaps a true share with Maldonado. Hensley is a Utility Infielder to replace A Diaz. I'm not sure if YDiaz or Dubon gets the last utility role. Meyers or Leon as 4th IFer. All this is without outside additions.
If Yainier is a serious candidate for a 1st base job I expect to see him playing first in winter ball soon.
You need the horses to get you to the playoffs. Verlander just capped perhaps his finest season since he won AL MVP and AL Cy Young over a decade ago. 3 years $105 million would be a good deal to offer. If he can get a Scherzer-type deal ($43 million per), then I think you have to say goodbye. if the Astros let Verlander walk, then I would hope that they are looking to add impact -layers at positions of need and lock down Tucker to a similar deal that Yordan got as well as looking to lock up Framber.
“Need” is very subjective. With in-house options Houston projects for over 30 fwar from their position players which is on par with their championship teams.
By drop you mean trade for the bat we need at DH. Let young catchers start the year with Malady. They stated yesterday they want Yordon in LF most of them time. 1B is a possible trade spot too if they can't get a vet in FA. JV isn't a great starter he is ELITE. You pay for ELITE, give him 3 years 120 with incentives. Pitch ELITE give a bonus. Crane worked out the last deal, asked JV to give the team an out if they needed one. They figure it out again. JV has actually gotten better here and now he is engaged with teammates even more. Plus if your want Hunter Brown to reach his full potential let him learn from his idol for the next 3 years. Some of you guys are over thinking this. Crane loves him, has the money, said from day 1 as owner pitching matters. JV is gonna pitch till he is as old as Nolan was if he can. 300 wins on his team in the AL is this easiest path. We keep him fresh all season with deep rotation and work horse bullpen. Lock him up.
Jon Morosi mentioned Teoscar Hernandez as someone likely to be moved. I wouldn't mind him platooning at DH/LF with Yordan.
I’m down with the plan to sign JV at $40m, Abreu at $20m and Brantley at $10m letting Montero walk. Question is what do you do with your 7 man rotation? Send someone to the pen or trade Urquidy?
Here is the problem with “no JV then use it on a bat” Its one thing to spend even $40 per on JV, for 2-3 years To go buy a bat with that money would take more than 3 years and then you are messing with your ability to sign guys like Tucker, Javier, Framber, etc….. those guys are controlled “cheaply” for the next three years Who are you going to sign for 3 years that will be a true difference maker at the plate
