At the amount a current extension would cost (7 yrs $65-$90M / 6 yrs $50-$65M) he would be a huge value if he never improves from where he is right now. I think his hitting ability and age make him a very safe bet that 2024 was his floor. A 3 WAR hitter for under $15M per year is a bargain. If he happens to he a catcher it's a cherry on top.
If you think Diaz would accept those extensions I don’t know what to tell you. If you think Brown hasn’t approached every good young player’s agent with an offer like that then you’re not paying attention. They signed Javier because he was the only one willing to tango.
You think it should be more? Obviously 2025 is a given, considering he is pre-arb. $800K-$1M 2026-2028 are 3 arbitration seasons. Does he get more than $20M total over those 3 years? Realmuto got $18.8M. Willson Contreras got $20.8M. Just for arguments sake, let's say he gets $21M. That's 4 yrs and $22M The highest single season salary any catcher has ever made is $23.875 which is Realmuto's current salary. Only 3 catchers ever have made over $20M in any season - Realmuto, Posey, and Salvy Perez. Let's say the Astros offer Diaz $24M for every FA season. That's 6 yrs / $70M or 7 yrs / $94M Maybe Diaz has visions of grandeur and expects to break some kind of salary record, but I think any extension should be well south of those numbers. 6 / $60M or 7 / $80M would be life changing money and make him among the highest paid catchers in MLB history. 9 catchers in MLB history have made over $75M in their career. I have no idea if he would agree to it.
Astros have interest in extending Paredes. They wanted to tack on a couple seasons to his control. No idea if that gets anywhere.
Saw this earlier - sorry no idea if this is relevant still or not Astros predicted to acquire $105 million Orioles All-Star to replace Kyle Tucker https://www.sportingnews.com/us/mlb...-replace-kyle-tucker/f4c4e5ed04255897e8d8b714
Astros entered the offseason with 5-7 organizational needs: 1B 3B OF SP3 (debatable) 2-3 Top 100 prospects They currently have 3-4 organizational needs: 2 OF SP3 (debatable) 1-2 Top 100 prospects They probably have the money/2nd tier prospects to address one of their OF spots. I don’t see a “clean” way to address the other 2-4 holes. So they’re on track to enter the season with a an excellent infield (slightly better than last year), a below average outfield (downgraded from average), an average rotation (slightly worse than the one they ended last season with), an excellent bullpen (similar to last season), and a below average farm (but significantly better than last season). Trading Pressly would free up the money to address either another OF spot or shore up the rotation, while replacing Pressly with a cheaper/lesser RP. A reasonable remainder of the offseason might look something like: Out: Pressly, Ullola, Blubaugh, Whitcomb, money In: Heyward, B Lowe, Neris Opening Day Roster: 2B Altuve 3B Paredes DH Alvarez 1B Walker C Diaz LF Lowe RF Heyward CF McCormick SS Pena Bench: Dubon, Meyers, Caratini, Singleton Rotation: Valdez, Brown, Blanco, Arrighetti, Garcia, Wesneski Bullpen: Hader, Abreu, Neris, Scott, Ort, Dubin, Whitley IL: McCullers, Javier, France, Sousa Optioned: Gusto, Gordon, King, Contreras, Hernandez, Salazar, Dezenzo, Leon, Corona DFA: Trammell, Hummel Top 10 Prospects: Cam Smith Jacob Melton Zach Dezenzo Brice Matthews Walker Janek Luis Baez Anderson Brito Ryan Forcucci Zach Cole Ethan Pecko I’d be very stoked with that roster.
Sporting News and Sports Illustrated are increasingly bs artists that throw everything out there with click bait headlines.
Laura Albanese of Newsday recently predicted that Houston would sign former Baltimore Orioles All-Star Anthony Santander in free agency.
I got to believe this is why Diaz did not really want to be a catcher. There is less money in being a catcher, there is more chance for a career, and not to mention it's hard to play 162 games at that position versus first base or outfield. Thankfully it seems he has at least taken to being a catcher for now.
$15M/1yr is a very good value for Torres. He was worth that in his worst season and he’s only 28. Gleyber Torres (age 28) career wRC+: 113 Christian Walker (age 33) career wRC+: 112
I know a lot of people have mentioned Carantin as a trade candidate but what about Dubon? I see some arbitration projections form 4m-6.5m and would rather keep Carantni than Dubon and let Dezenzo take more AB's. Obviously the trade value would be low but it's more for salary relief so we can go out and sign someone for the OF.
Dubon has more versatility than Dezenzo as he can play any position but catcher. Because of this he is a great value at that price.
Package him and Pressley. For One lottery ticket prospect and the salary dump is complete. Should give us over 17 mil to pick up a FA outfielder and stay under the tax threshold.
