If they sign 2 impact bats, If they need another bat they should have money to get a solid MLB avg OF at the deadline. I would probably hold onto Framber and try to make another run at a title. Imagine a lineup with Walker and Robert in it and a pitching staff of Framber/Hunter/Blanco/Arrighetti/Garcia with a FA addition.. Really good stuff and a team that could compete for a championship not only this coming year, but with a few tweaks the next 3 years. Maybe more depending on how guys like Matthews/Smith/Baez/Gomez/Melton and many of the young pitching prospects develop.
Come home and a fubo suggestiion is I lean into misery for an astros Phillies playoff game I was alive for but too young to remember and carnival barker Bob Costas is telling me that when (THE MOST OVERRATED PITCHER OF ALL TIME) Nolan Ryan has a lead in the 7th he’s like 33,427 and 5. guess what happened next. **** it I’m rewatching Ted Lasso episodes
That is true. To be fair, I would rather Framber is on the Astros than any other team. I just think that he is by far the biggest trade chip this team has. The team is several ( at least 3) players away from being a serious contender and SP is not one if them. If this team can add 3 legitimate MLB bats and still keep Framber, I'm all for it. I just don't see how they can do that based on the status of the farm system and the current payroll. There are AAA teams out there that are laughing at the Astros' outfield. The team traded Tucker. If they don't trade Framber they damn sure better be better offensively than they were in 2024. Otherwise, trading Tucker instead of Framber is malpractice and should cost Brown his job. Just like when he refused to add a hitter at the deadline. Everything is half way. Trying to walk the line and no commitment to actually spend what is needed to REALLY strengthen the team or tear the bandaid off and stock pile legitimate prospects. So the Astros have year after year of half-assed flawed teams and watch stars walk without getting crap for them.
Yet they made it to 7 ALCS in a row. If they added Robert and Walker, then traded for a guy like Yastremski at the deadline if one of Dezenzo/Matthews/Melton/Baez didn't workout would you be happy? I think an OF of Chas LF, who I expect will be happy and have a bounce back year Robert CF Dezenzo RF or one of the other guys I mentioned will makeup a fine OF. I also would bring Gamel back on a vet min deal as insurance.
He had no problems against right handed pitching in the big leagues. He quietly was very productive against all righties…. We won’t discuss lefties though…
I could deal with that. I want them to bring in 2 legitimate MLB OF and give the rest of the starts to Dezenzo, Whitcomb, Chas, Leon and/or Dubon. I think my current favorite is: Trade away Meyers or Chas. Trade for Mullins to platoon in CF w/ whichever is not traded. Trade for B.Lowe to play LF. Give RF to Dezenzo and/or Leon until Melton is ready. Park them in the #8 spot in the lineup (Pena is 9th) and just let them get MLB experience.
Not against righties - if I remember right his OPS was over .800 I have no idea how good he will ultimately be - but if there is any optimism with him, it’s his splits… and even that’s a concern because he struggled mightily against lefties.
He’s always thrown a cutter. It was the sinker he added in the middle of the season that turned everything around for him.
Why trade him now? It makes way more sense to deal Framber at the deadline if we are going to trade him. It’ll allow us to see how our rotation is shaping up and where we are as a team. I don’t think the return we get now versus the deadline will be significantly better. Honestly, it could end up being the same or even better based on how desperate teams are for pitching. It’s a lot more expensive to acquire pitching at the deadline as we saw this past season. Don’t want to be in a situation where guys like Chas have bounced back, the offense looks fine and now we are looking for SP because Blanco has regressed, Garcia/LMJ aren’t healthy, etc. We can always fine Jesse Winker type players at the deadline.
So, 65 PA is enough to judge how a prospects entire career is gonna play out? That's more than a little short sighted.
Im willing to give Meyers one more season. I flat out think that shoulder injury he had is carrer changing, and considering his elite level defense, Im ok with giving him a full off season to adjust after his "supossedly" first full season back healthy. We will be 100% sure about who Jake is going to be at the plate going forward after this season. Im perfectly ok with the fans that think they already know who he is, I need one more season.
I believe that a player capable of playing both 1B and OF at a high level would serve to turn the combination of Jon Singleton and Jake Meyers into a star level player. I don’t hold out much hope for a big breakout for either player, but even based on the levels they’ve already shown, they can be really good when properly utilized. Singleton is a very good hitter against RHP and I think he had some bad fly ball luck last year and could have easily had 4-5 more HR. Meyers is a good hitter against LHP, and when used mostly against lefties and as a pinch runner and defensive replacement, is a very valuable player. There’s a scenario where Houston only adds one more good bat and still ends up with a very good/deep lineup, but it would require a bounceback from McCormick and the emergence of a guy (likely Dezenzo or Whitcomb) who can play both OF and 1B and be a good hitter against both lefties and righties. 3B Paredes (good/great) 2B Altuve (good/great) DH Alvarez (great/great) OF TBD C Diaz (good/average) OF McCormick (average/great) 1B/CF Singleton/Meyers (good/good) OF/1B Dezenzo/Dubon (good?/good) SS Pena (below average/great)
Surprised there hasn’t been more movement in the market. MLBTR #2, 3, 7-11, 13-14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24-26, 28, 31, 33-35, 37-43, 45, and 47-50 free agents are all still unsigned. Would have thought these guys would have learned their lessons about going into the new year without a deal.
