Astros are paying Walker + Paredes what Tucker was slotted to recieve in arbitration and that’s before they offered Bregman 6yrs 152 mil. I still think they have the intention of adding a top OF on the free agent market. They cannot be fine with having Meyers, McCormick and Trammell on a championship contending team and having one LH bat on the roster (with Singleton likely gone)
i would add Winkler and one of either Verdugo or Laureano for the outfield on 1 ear prove it deals. Like the Braves had in 21 when they beat us in the world series, add some guys on prove it deals that can possibly help. The Braves had Eddie Rosrio, Adam Duvall, Joc Pederson and added Jorge Solar at the deadline. None were longtime solutions or with the team for long but they were productive big leaguers that helped the team. Any of the guys above at a higher AAV on a sorter deal should be better options than Myers, Chaz or any of the young kids.
I thought I put deferring money like the dodgers. For luxury tax purposes, the MLB calculates the present value of deferred money. This means that when a contract includes significant deferrals, the annual hit against the luxury tax threshold is reduced because the deferred payments are discounted to their present-day value.
I believe I read that they're currently at 244 mil. The 1st tax threshold for 2025 is 241 mil. The 2nd threshold is 261. The 3rd threshold is 281. If they they can trade Pressly and his 14 mil for '25 that gets them down to 225. If they decide to trade Caratini (which I hope they don't) would be another 6 mil. I don't think they're done. I think they add a bat in the OF and 1-2 arms in the pen.
My bad. If they can trade Pressly that gets them down to 230 (that is if they don't have to eat some of that salary).
Did I say anything about needing to "get below the tax level"? I just pointed out what the levels are for next season and where it looks like they are (and could be). I don't think Crane has any problem being over any threshold(s) if it improves the team. The tax hit does go up if you're over the level in consecutive years.
No, you did not. Crane has some leeway to play with wrg to this year, next year, whatever year.... https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id...yankees-top-mlb-record-9-luxury-tax-offenders There's no reason to sign Walker if "they" won't go above a line to fix the OF for 2025 I expect more moves.
Pederson was ready to play the field in 2024. There were articles about how he really wanted to be in the field. Unfortunately for him the Diamondbacks had one of the best, deepest defensive outfields in baseball so it just didn’t make sense to put him in the field. He wouldn’t be good in LF, but he would be fine for 80 games, most of them in Daikin park.
He is expected to be ready for Opening Day. He will likely be on some kind of innings limit less than what a normal full season load would be. (My guess is ~120 ip in regular season).
1 quality OF that plays every day. Platoon Chas and meyers with a winker type. my feelings wouldn’t be hurt if the OF was something like: Chas, Jake and Dubon v LHP and winker Dezenzo and Yordan at home v RHP with singleton at DH against RHP. That would be a good offense all 162 days.
They should be able to move Montero at the trade deadline. The new team will only have to pay 4M but his entire 11.5 will be off the books. Trade him and a prospect for nothing and you get 11.5M more to play with. Presley at 14M. Caratini at 7M. You could move 33M in salary cap money fairly easily and it would probably net out to be prospect neutral. 1 low prospect Coming in on the Caratini deal, 1 low level prospect heading out to move the ass end of Montero’s contract, Presley traded for salary relief. Thats more than enough money to sit. Santander and Winker, for example, if you wanted to do that. Throw in a potential Framber trade and you are good. Personally I’d go offer against like 8/100 this off season as well. That’s locking down his arbitration and then Extending him at 4/70 functionally at the end of that. Maybe 10/100 or 8/80 would get it done. You don’t have to do that- but I would.
Well, considering how he was supposed to be back in July and now will have nearly 2 years of recovery when Spring Training comes around, he sure as hell be 100% in 2025.
Are you sure that’s how it works? My understanding is that they only get CBT relief for the prorated amount remaining.
This is my understanding as well. Almost positive this is this case based on our previous acquisitions at the deadline.
My feeling might not be hurt, but my eyes will be in great pain every time a ball is hit into RF. The Astros need someone with a solid arm tp play RF everyday ... promote Pedro Leon or sign Jason Heyward or ...
