I mean, it’s pretty hard to improve this lineup Altuve (MVP) Peña (ALCS/WS MVP) Yordan (All-Star, 3rd in MVP) Bregman (All-Star, 2nd in MVP) Tucker (All Star) Abreu (MVP) Benintendi (All Star) McCormick (Above average CF hitter that may improve) Whoever at catcher I’m now of the opinion that as long as you can get one of Conforto or Benintendi, you either sign a backup catcher to platoon with Maldy or you trade for a cost controlled option that represents a significant improvement as a hitter.
Benintendi isn’t just a platoon with those guys…he’s also part of a platoon at DH with Yordan, which is a giant hole on your team right now. Benintendi gives you the opportunity to play excellent defense in the field and roll out elite OF/DH combinations: LF: Benintendi CF: Chas RF: Tucker DH: Yordan LF: Yordan CF: Chas/Benintendi RF: Tucker DH: Chas/Benintendi From @Nook comments, he’s not going to get a big contract, so I wonder if he ends up coming in cheaper than we expect. The most obvious, affordable way to improve this team is at catcher. Maybe not Murphy, but I’m sure there’s other options.
Varsho has been catching less and less and less due to a very weak arm. Just like Jake and Chas, it is below average for a CF but it is bottom ofvthe scale for catchers. I have been on the Varsho bandwagon but once I read that I figured he is just a too expensive since there are 2 similar options on the roster already. All he offers as an upgrade is the ability to hit left handed.
I HATE the idea of Benitendi He has no upside left, does not hit for power or steal bases and only plays LF. And will make 20 times what a pre arb player makes. I would prefer to hand those plate appearances to Justin Dirden
I’m warming up to it as well if the price is right. Basically, it’s a Bellinger move — if he can hit, he’s a quality OF and a dangerous bat. If not, he’s a 4th/5th OF that can pinch hit when you need power off the bench and play defense. You risk wasted money if the strikeouts remain, but no worse than Pedro Baez.
BA is your argument for catcher? And you proved my argument that he did play Vazquez like I already said days ago they had nearly the same plate appearances. If they trade for a really good catcher Dusty will play him he played Vasquez plenty considering he ONLY hit singles and not that many. I'll will agree to disagree.
In my mind (and I guess one year it will bite me in the ass and I will look like an idiot- but I doubt it’s this year) we are a playoff lock and talking about incremental wins improving us from 108 wins to 110 wins is more or less irrelevant. I don’t care. What I do care about is making sure we have as few holes as possible on the roster going into the playoffs. That means 8 stud pitchers you can count on and nobody that’s an automatic out when they face good pitching and game planning. In a perfect world you might have 1 specialist that’s really important to you as well. Right now the astros have the first one covered and I bet it ends up: Javier, Framber, Brown, LMJ or Garcia plus Presley, Abreu, Montero and Neris. Everyone else with an arm is background noise beyond your top 8 arms unless you are talking about really unusual circumstances. The astros have Altuve, Peña, Yordan, Bregman, Tucker, Abreu you can count on for a good solid AB. It looks like catcher is destined to be a black hole. Chas against LHP and Brantley against RHP could conceivably bring it up to 7 solid bats. But then you get stuck and say- well- unless a guy like Conforto can play CF (he can’t) or you are willing to move Tucker over there against RHP bc that’s when UM is going to play but he has to play at DH you run into a Situation where it gets really tough against RHP to get 8 solid bats into the lineup at once. Contreras was worth it because he would have fixed that. Varsho fixed that problem one of two ways. Gallo- maybe? I don’t give s **** if he strikes out 10 times in 16 plate appearances hitting 8th and playing CF against RHP if he hits 2 HR’s and walks 2 times to go along with it. Woo the puzzle pieces that solve this dilemma for the Astros cleanly are super expensive. So go get a LHH Cather and a LHH CF, commit to the platoon and call it a day I guess. That would likely leave you 25M to spend at the deadline and/or on pitching (I wouldn’t spend on the pitching bc you already have your 8 arms along with redundancy.
The team and lineup are good enough to absorb him if he fails. The roster has replacements if it doesn't work. No downside really. I just wished he didn't K so much so he would benefit from the end of the shift.
I can understand that, but he does bring something that the vast majority of pre-arbs don’t…he’s a proven commodity. I’ve gone back and forth on it. can see the logic for signing him and passing on him. Ultimately you still have a couple of holes to fill, and you don’t want empty your farm filling them. Benintendi/Conforto fills one of them…the other is at catcher.
Just hang it up. There is no deal that improves the Astros enough to justify the cost or prospects. Let the others waste their resources on foolish contracts and be there to pick up the pieces, for the RIGHT price.
Let’s focus on Chaz and Maldy platoons … what’s your thinking on the cost to get that tier platoon bat at the trade deadline? On one hand, we aren’t talking about world beaters here. Just competent hitting. Would figure that the acquisition cost shouldn’t be too high. Based on the importance of learning our pitchers etc, seems to me we would want to have the Maldy platoon on hand at spring training instead of waiting till the deadline.
This. Even if he doesn't catch, I do still like Varsho and I see a Varsho/McCormick platoon being really good, but not worth the trade cost. For me, Varsho's value lies in him being both a C and OF. If we aren't letting him catch outside an occasional spot start then keep the powder dry for Reynolds or Murphy. I would see if Kluber accepts 1 yr/$9M (a 1M raise from last year) to chase a ring. Benintendi is interesting (and being under 30 may still have a little room for more improvement), but something may be up with his hamate bone, and if he's too expensive I don't want to risk him being another Josh Reddick in the later years of the deal. I would offer Oakland Luis Garcia, Yainer Diaz, Joe Perez, Forrest Whitley, and Jake Meyers for Sean Murphy. Takes care of C by acquiring a young, two-way star. Three cheap years, maybe even try to extend him.
Didn’t realize Chas’ splits were that different. Can see logic for platooning his bat, but he’s still young and could improve. Something to note: Benintendi has hit both righties and lefties relatively well over the last 2 years
You cannot take a position player and play them 37% of the time and expect consistency. You mind is boggled.
I don't care for Murphy, but I'd do Luis Garcia for him straight up and that's it. A #5 starter for a #7 hitter seems fair.
Man looking at Kris Bryant…the guy has dominated lefties and righties his entire career. If there’s a way to make that deal work, I’m interested. Would be like adding another Yordan in the lineup. Get the AAV down to $20 million with limited prospects and we’ve got a deal.
