This is why Crane needs to bring back Sig to try to get back to where they were before the Click hire. I'm thinking Click waits until next offseason to hire Stearns as the next GM. Hopefully he can get the org back to where it once was. Manfred making Crane fire Luhnow was his attempt to breakup a dynasty that could've lasted for over a decade. IMHO. Good news is that apparently Crane has been getting advice from Luhnow lately.
I'm not sure but I don't think that he needs to. Obviously whoever the Astros sign as a LH bat would fit best at LF, but I think with Yordan, Chas, Hensley and even Dubon on the roster even a pure DH only player could be considered. But to me Longoria is JAG at this point. Doesn't move the needle but perfectly OK.
David Ortiz used steroids as well. I will be curious as well, to see how all of these deals play out. I highly suspect at least half these guys will be released in their late 30''s.
From McTaggart: After showing interest in free-agent catcher Willson Contreras, who signed with the Cardinals, and A’s catcher Sean Murphy, who was traded to the Braves, and with Christian Vázquez agreeing with the Twins, the Astros appear to be content heading into 2023 with Martín Maldonado as their starting catcher once again. Prospects Korey Lee and Yainer Diaz will battle for playing time in a backup role. I am completely fine with this.
I would prefer Narvaez or Jansen but otherwise yes I'm fine with seeing what Lee/Diaz can do. I do think it might be a good idea to sign somebody like Chirinos, Sandy Leon, or Severino to a minor league deal as insurance.
I am ok with this but don't necessarily agree with it. I will still be shocked if they don't bring in a veteran even if it's just a AAAA guy to compete and either win the 2nd spot or play in Sugar Land in case of injury/ineffectiveness of Lee. I don't see Diaz getting significant catching opportunities in 2023 without an attitude adjustment. "Yainer. You can compete for a spot on the MLB roster as a catcher or you can go back to AAA as a 1B/DH. You choose "
I guess my only concern is if Maldy gets hurt, but I guess we can make a trade before the deadline again.
Yeah. Because that's what he doesn't do well. He does a lot of other stuff great or you wouldn't be talking about an extension at all. Without the negatives he'd be looking at getting paid until he's 41 the way the market looks now but I'm suggesting someone would "only" pay him until he's 38 and I'm suggesting we should "only" pay him until 35 with a promise of matching his market if he still wants to be here down the road so he can retire and Astro. We be loyal to him to return his loyalty toward us.
Stop being obtuse. I didn't say he wasn't a plus defender- I said he doesn't have great range which is 100% true. Range is about the 4th most important thing for a 3B, so it's not like it's the end of the world that he doesn't have great range, but I was listing off the demerits that will likely keep him from signing a 10 or 11 year contract through age 41. The SS's all have really good range so the thought is that they will age into 3B and still likely be a valuable player as they lose a step, whereas Bregman if he loses a step will have to age into 1B, which is less valuable defensively. If Bregman had great range he'd still be playing SS. It never happened even with as many injuries as CC had, and we decided to hand over SS to an unproven rookie this year, you know, because Bregman doesn't have great range, which is exactly what I said.
competitive luxury tax cap will be 244 million in 2026. I think many teams will be in play for Tucker if he continues to excel.
Absent any further signings, I think Yainer has a real chance to stick with the big club next year as the everyday DH. Hits for average, hits for power. The bat is definitely MLB ready.
A club that exceeds the Competitive Balance Tax threshold is subject to an increasing tax rate depending on how many consecutive years it has done so. First year: 20 percent tax on all overages Second consecutive year: 30 percent Third consecutive year or more: 50 percent If a club dips below the luxury tax threshold for a season, the penalty level is reset. So, a club that exceeds the threshold for two straight seasons but then drops below that level would be back at 20 percent the next time it exceeds the threshold. There’s also a surcharge threshold for clubs that exceed the base threshold by $20 million or more. $20 million to $40 million: 12 percent surcharge $40 million to $60 million: 42.5 percent surcharge for first year; 45 percent for each consecutive year after that $60 million or more: 60 percent surcharge Clubs that are $40 million or more above the threshold shall have their highest selection in the next Rule 4 Draft moved back 10 places unless the pick falls in the top six. In that case, the team will have its second-highest selection moved back 10 places instead.
Really? I haven't looked at stats but my eyes tell.me Bregman has very good range. And he DID play the majority of games at SS when Correa was hurt as an Astro. Pena was by far a better choice than any 3B option to replace Correa and Alex has made himself a gold glove calibur 3B with a bat that plays there. How does that mean he no longer has the range to play SS? Again this is my own personal observations. What am I missing?
Narvaez just seems like a really good fit. Doesn't strike out much, lefthanded hitter, hits for some power, solid defender, only 30. Another thing I like about him is he has never been on a really really good veteran team. Sometimes guys who have been on non-contenders take a big step forward when they get on a really good team, for various reasons (better coaching, more targeted usage, better lineup protection, better clubhouse culture).
I don't know if the Astros are or are not going to add another catcher.... but read carefully the wording, this isn't information from the Astros, this is just McTaggart's opinion. There is no source, it is his opinion.
If we can keep the scouting and development team A++ while losing scouts and others on the development team, it will work. I'm just not sure how long we cab sustain it.
Bregman was not even a sure thing at 3B at the start of the year because of his quad injuries in 2021. He was down to an average player and hardly elite anymore. But he turned the corner and I'm very glad.
Definitely seems like the best fit as an insurance catcher in case of Maldy injury and/or Lee/Diaz not panning out next season. Could we try a 1 year deal at a slightly inflated salary or a 2 year deal at market cost? What is his market? Seems like a perfect platoon with a RH catcher like Maldy and a good bounce back candidate this season.
