You can't blame him for 2020 having a 70 game season. 2021 and 2022 he averaged 4.35 WAR and 550 PA. In 2020 1.8 WAR in the short season. You may disagree, but it's really not a reason to call someone an idiot. Hitting of that caliber would be worth much more than $20M, so $20M AAV is already discounted for a CFer. Maybe not for a DH or corner OFer.
I suppose I'm one of those. Of the SP on staff excluding JV, I have him and Urquidy rated as 5 and 6 and value them as mid rotation starters. He has greater value with 4 controllable years, so he's usually the choice in any trade involving a pitcher because of the return. I realize he performed well when thrust into the playoffs, but he also had not faced many of the batters yet. His ERA+ has fallen and his ERA has risen every year as the league adjusts to him. A 104 ERA+ places him as a slightly better than league average starter. Moving forward. he'll lose his delivery shtick. He may adjust or he may not. I think he will. So where am I wrong?
Javier has proven his stuff continues to play well. In my heart I would place him with the highest ceiling, even above Framber, though that feels like sacrilege. Brown may also have a very high ceiling, but is not proven yet. I love our pitching. I even liked Odorizzi more than most. And I like a six man rotation. To be honest, I'd hate to mess with it as currently constructed.
Bryan Reynolds is the best hitter the Astros can acquire in free agency/trades. He hits left handed and has four years of club control left. I think this should be the target.
His BB:SO ratio is troublesome, but the real problem I have is what we'd have to give up for 3 years of his services. It's not like we're replacing someone with a 69 OPS+.
What is option B worth over option A?: Roster A projected wRC+: 132 102 163 139 149 128 ~120 (TBD LF) 100 79 Bench: 97, 98, 103, 85 Roster B: 132 102 163 139 149 128 ~120 (TBD LF) 118 (Contreras) 100 Bench: 97, 98, 103, 79 Looking at that, I don’t see that being worth $80M+. I’m settling in to the idea of signing Brantley, Yuli, and a good lefty RP and calling it a successful offseason.
Last week when Crane said he wasn't done and said you can never have enough pitching, did he mean starter or relief pitcher? Everyone is mentioning Verlander and Rodon but any interest in Nathan Eovaldi? Didn't Houston have interest in the past? Just noticed he was born in Houston(or just outside). Maybe he wants to finish his career in Houston. Or he'll be in demand and the contract he'll most likely receive won't be worth it? Or does he hate Bregman and the Astros too much that he wouldn't consider them?
Just a philosophical question. If Contreras prefers length of contract, would you consider offering 5-$85M ($17M AAV) though age 35 to a 3-$60M ($20M AAV) to lure him while reducing his AAV? You know he will probably spend greater time at DH, a lower value position, as he ages and prospects take over primary C duties. Sort of like deGrom taking 5-$185M over 3-$135M.
