Well, a division opponent just got stronger with our half-season exhibition. Yet, here we (Astros org) sit… twiddling our thumbs, keeping our fingers crossed, hoping we try to buy the pot by going all in on Bregman. Let him walk and get paid… take 1 step back in order to take 2 forward should be the mindset, but I’m convinced we’ve been in a 2 steps forward, 3 steps backerdsass cycle for years. Pussyfootin’ goes round in circles. Shouldve traded Valdez and Pressly and made a VALIANT CHAMPIONSHIP effort to sign Yusei. Dude was one of the best pitchers we’ve acquired since the homegrown rise of Brown, Arrighetti, Blanco. Make some GD moves, trades, acquisitions already… put the league on notice that this team will be a formidable dynasty-caliber team. Where’s Jimmy Moneyman Mac—? he needs to be in the front office before Jackson, Bagwell & others… let that man invest some money and call some shots. LOWER THE RISK TOLERANCE JIM, DANA, et al…
Astros as an organization are on a continual downslope after reaching its peak in 2022, which to me coincided with the end of Luhnow's influence, and the beginning of the club having to start making franchise impactful decisions on its own.
The Astros have a great foundation and can absolutely win a World Series this year. But the depth and secondary pieces are not what they were 2-3 years ago. They need to make 2-3 good additions to maximize their chances.
Feels like Kikuchi will be the first of several departures this off-season with the organization capped out and trying to spit-ball their way into another year of contention. Prove me wrong Stros
He will be the only one of consequence unless Alex leaves too. Gamel, Heyward, Graveman, Cabbage, even Verlander aren't really major losses.
in his 6 seasons pithing in the MLB, Kikuchi has had a sub-4.00 ERA once. He has had an ERA greater than 5.00 three times - for a career ERA of 4.57. His total WAR in those 6 season is 4.0... The same WAR Luis Garcia had pitching for the Astros in his first two seasons. Kikuchi had a good run here, but he is an established guy that has proven he's mediocre at best (missing bats). You don't pay a player like that $20+M per season.
The Astros passing on Kikuchi should not surprise anyone. Starting pitching is not something they are thinking about this off season. At most they will take on a league minimum type they can park in AAA in case of an emergency. Bigger fish to fry.
^^^^ This And they have the money to make these moves. Right now they're waiting on a decision from Bregs.
The Astros will be able to make moves, they have some payroll room, they have some players they can trade for additional payroll room and they also have some players and prospects that they can move for pieces that they need. Kikuchi got to the West Coast and got his deal out of the way - the Astros are waiting to see what is going to happen with Bregman and some other possible trades being discussed. Someone with the Astros told me that before the off season - they expected 6 teams in on Bregman with 3-5 possibly being "really in". We are seeing the names bantered around in the past coming to light - Boston, NYY, Philadelphia, Detroit and the Astros.
? They've got around 30 mil to spend and can easily come up with another 25 mil or so to spend if they want too. That should be enough to add 3 pieces, two top level Lowe/Robert type pieces and have enough left over to add a Conforto piece. That's if they let Bregs walk. So they will be spit balling by choice if they decide to go that way. Crane doesn't remind me of a spit ball kind of guy.
https://www.mlb.com/astros/news/ear...gues-prospect-roundup?t=mlb-pipeline-coverage Dezenzo off to a hot start in winter ball.
What makes you say this? Every major negative aspect of Houston’s current roster situation can be traced back to Crane or Luhnow: Crane: signed Jose Abreu and Rafael Montero to dead money deals Luhnow: signed McCullers to massively underwater deal, cost the Astros 4 top prospects with the cheating scandal, didn’t produce a single surefire star player after his 2015 draft (although Hunter Brown probably counts moving forward) So far Brown’s worst move appears to be having signed Cristian Javier to an extension only for him to get hurt. His 2023 draft looks very very good. He unearthed a trio of very solid cheap BP arms in Scott, Ort, and King. It was his idea to try Ronel Blanco as a SP. The Kikuchi trade turned out to be one of the best deals of the 2024 deadline. Caratini was a very good value free agent signing. Brown inherited a maxed out payroll and a barren farm. He’s been GM for 2 drafts, one of which he didn’t have a 2nd round pick because the owner demanded they overpay for a closer. Give him some time. Hell, its probably still too early to render a verdict on James Click, much less Dana Brown. Who signed each player on the current projected 26 man roster: Crane: Altuve, Alvarez, Hader, (J Abreu), (Montero) Luhnow: Pena, Tucker, Meyers, McCormick, Valdez, Brown, Blanco, Garcia, McCullers, B Abreu, Whitley, Dubin Click: Diaz, Dubon, Whitcomb, Dezenzo, Arrighetti, Pressly Brown: Caratini, Singleton, Trammell, Scott, Ort, (Javier)
Totally disagree with this post. Luhnow built this team to be a dynasty. They most likely would sill be a dynasty if he was in charge. There would've been no championships or 8 ALCS in 9 years without Luhnow and losing 4 draft picks didn't slow this org down one bit. Luhnow did make a mistake re-signing LMJ, nobody gets everything right. Click added to the team with the Diaz/Maton trade and extending Alvarez. Brown really hasn't done much, traded for Kikuchi. I guess Tatlor Scott counts. But the farm wasn't barren as you say. Diaz was a rookie coming out of the farm system Dana's 1st season. Arrighetti, Blanco etc... were in the farm system. They currently have 5 or 6 guys that could be contributors to the MLB team in the minors last year. Crane hopefully learns from his mistakes and listens to Brown so there are no more Abreu/Montero type signings and I know this isn't going to happen, but Crane needs to put the band back together minus Luhnow and get back to the analytics model that made this a dynasty. Petula is the guy I woud choose to lead the org and bring back Sig/Oz etc... Since this isn't going to happen, I'm on board with giving Dana another 3 years to build up the farm and since I dont know near as much as you do about the farm, I expect Dana to add 4-5 impact guys each year in the draft/int signings. BTW, I would put Alvarez in the Luhnow group. He found Alvarez and Crane re-signing him was a no brainer. IMHO. Also I get that Bregs isn't on the 26 man roster but he's a Luhnow guy.
Click was in agreement with Crane on Montero and Abreu. I could be wrong - but my memory is McCullers was a Click signing. Click also dealt away a gold glove outfielder for a back up catcher. Click deserves another shot to be a GM - but he was involved in poor decisions as well.
