I should have chosen my words more carefully. Yes, Hinch looked and acted weak. He claimed that he didn’t tell Luhnow - yet he regularly met with Luhnow. He claimed he never discussed it with Cora, his bench coach. Yet he spoke to Cora every day. He claimed he never told the players to stop - yet he was their manager. He claimed he didn’t stop it - but smashed a screen? It makes no sense at all. It isn’t believable. At least this is my memory of it and discussions with people with the Astros years ago.
I agree he looked weak. I took it as him trying to take the fall for it back then. Not sure how I feel about it today other than the fact I hate Luhnow was jettisoned for it. To think what could have been.
Would you trade Luhnow still being here with us going to 2 more WS and winning 1? I wouldn't as there's no guarantee we would have even gone to the ALCS each year since (minus 2024)
I know this is wishful thinking, but I'd love the Astros to get into the bidding for Hyeseong Kim. Can play LF/2B/SS/3B, bats LH. Seems like idea #2 behind Altuve.
Yes, because I believe they would've won more than just one championship and would be more than willing to do this trade to see Luhnow's vision carried out. Of course I'm a risk taker and I realize most people aren't wired the way I am.
The Red Sox are looking for pitching and RH bats that are MLB ready and preferably at least semi-proven. I think it would start with Arrighetti or Blanco and then Dezenzo or Whitcomb, and then add some combination of pitching prospects.
No way I give up more than Arrighetti for Casas, he's a good 1B but I dont think he will be a star level player.
Snell is unpredictable. He can just as easily blow up as be spectacular. Their staff in my opinion with or without Snell is solid though. It's a risk with little downside because if he blows up they are still ultra competitive.
Good to know the salary cap is keeping things competitive. Seriously, how do the Dodgers, Yankees, Red Sox, etc. spend seemingly hundreds of millions of dollars in an offseason yet then somehow manage to come back the next year and spend hundreds of millions more, then still have the prospects to trade for even MORE at the trade deadline? It's maddening.
I agree. I'm not saying I would do it either. I'm saying that's what it would take. The more I think about it, the more I want the Astros to give Dezenzo a shot at 1b. Resign Bregman Trade for Robert and Brandon Lowe to start in the OF.
The Dodgers do all this and still make an operating profit of 25m/yr. The Astros make an operating profit of 55m. The Astros model is appreciation based while still making a decent profit margin and paying their executives and players plenty of money. Without a real salary cap (which will never happen) the Dodgers and Yankees will continue to build super teams to a point that the rest of the league is just also rans. Eventually it will drive me away from baseball.
