I've got a lot more hope than this. Dana will add a Baz type pitcher and Miller will get the best out of him. As long as they've got pitching they will be contenders. I'm a believer in Miller after seeing what he did with Kikuchi and Pecko/Brito/Blubaugh/Forcucci/Treadwell are on their way to the majors.
Im interested to see if given chance will Chaz finally get those red eyes (nightly boozing) and last years Astros swing at everything and run into some dingers aproach out of the way and have rebound year. Rebound year and he gets that 15m/2y being ready to retire after signing. I just don't know does he have the hunger for the game anymore. Going to Miami (in February)for 3m to be possibly flipped deadline time might not get him interested to give it solid push. One decent bag after rebound year and out of the game with ring feels possible.
Aaron judge missed a bunch of time in his age 26-28 seasons. Clearly his zenith was behind him and he was no longer a generational producer. Of course in actuality he has gone on to be relatively healthy and has been the best hitter in the game. Yordan is one of the only players in the league that is anywhere close to the hitter Judge is, and you probably shouldn’t give up on that type of player when he is in his 20s.
I believe the Astros farm is as good as most with regard to pitching. Pitching can be developed through teaching and training and Houston does that well. After years of picking last and losing some significant picks on top of that the Astros still produce major league pitchers every year. Bats are another matter. Hitting can be polished up over time but the natural coordination and athleticism that makes a great hitter are innate and rare. Drafting late year after year leaves a team bereft of those special talents. Finding other ways to acquire them is difficult but not impossible. Learning to identify them early and trust in that identification enough to draft them very young. Paying them enough to sign them before other teams are willing to commit. Trading some established pitching for young hitters and trusting in your ability to replace that pitching internally, and scouring the international market for young hitters are some ways to improve. The will to stay young and maintain high standards may be the most difficult ability to hone. Trading away players that are at their peak for young talent seems counter intuitive but it can yield multiple talented players to keep the team in contention for years to come.
No but I have been calling for him to be traded for almost two years now. After another season his value could rebound a little or if he has another tough season it could fall away entirely. I think of him as a high risk today because of the potential difference in the return for him. The Astros are carrying a few players that belong at the DH position. Normally I would simply trade them all but Altuve is owed better and has no trade value.
Not if the players you trade for perform Yordan has been in the big leagues for 7 years and has given you 500+ at bats exactly twice Yordan is an absolute STUD when healthy, but being more healthy the older you get certainly isn't the norm Again, I'm not saying we should be going out looking to move him. BUT if the right offer were to come along, you damn sure should listen. It's not like you have to, or need to, take whatever the best offer is, but if someone is looking for that one final piece and offers you too much, you jump on it I'm not sure many, if any, on this board understand how difficult it is going to be to replace Crazy Framber and his 192 innings (which led the team) I keep reading how we should be a playoff team because we had so many injuries last year and we were so close to making it anyway Right now our rotation as far as guys we know we can count on consists of Hunter Brown We are a long way from being a solid playoff team even with Yordan right now. If someone calls, you listen
Absolutely you shouldn't GIVE UP on that type of player But there is a huge difference in giving up on him vs someone making a stupid offer that fills your needs with several high upside players
I’m on the fence. I don’t want to trade Alvarez, but I would if it allows us a return of a ToR pitcher, a Cam Smith calibre prospect, and 2 more top 100 prospects. Maybe that’s not enough. I’m not as expert as Snake, idastrosfan, raining threes, or blind hog, but it just seems to me that giving Paredes, Altuve, and a ToR pitcher a place to play makes up for the difference in offensive only production we get from Alvarez. Altuve had 25 homeruns last year, Paredes was on his way to 30. Let’s say the trade of Alvarez and used the excess money on a MoR pitcher or LH batting OF. We could put a pretty substantial lineup with lots of growth potential with our young guys and a stout rotation. Would we have a better chance with Alvarez and a couple of mediocre pitchers or two top rotation pitchers and a significant number of trade pieces? I’m not really sure, but we should at least test the waters to see what the incoming pieces would be.
I think it would be impossible to find a realistic trade for Yordan Alvarez that brings back a ToR SP plus 3 elite prospects. 3 top 100 prospects might be possible, but no team looking to add Yordan will have an extra ace they are willing to part with. Off the cuff, sending Yordan to the Mets for Kodai Senga, Carson Benge, Jonah Tong, and Jett Williams I think technically meets your ask if you consider Senga a ToR SP, but I don’t see any way they would give up anything close to that.
Would a Sosa like return be acceptable, not including hindsight? People are comparing him to Judge. Would my ask above be justifiable for Judge? Maybe the ask is a MoR starter and 2 or 3 top prospects and you use the money saved on another MoR or 2 pitcher? I have no idea what is realistic. I just don’t see the point of hanging on to Alvarez if we are writing off 26, because we can’t get pitching. I think we potentially have enough hitting even without Alvarez to compete (like we did last year).
I don't disagree, but I'm willing to take that risk that Alvarrez will play 125-130 games this year. The key to the Stros next season is adding a high upside SP2. ( If the right deal came along I would add a high upside wildcard SP3. I would take a chance on Baz and sign JV. Then trade salary and try to find a Brantley type value. If you trade for Baz sign JV that will be around 18 mil off of the cap. Either trade Padares and clear 9 mil and add a top level guy like Tolle or keep Parades and trade a top 10 prospect in addition to Walker to clear 8-10 mil off of the books. I think I would trade Ullola if I could clear enough money to get an above avg OF bat to add to the line up. ( Nootbar level player.)
Getting rid of Yordan is like the Mavs getting rid of Luka in a way. With him you have a chance, even though it's slim and he could be injury prone. But without him you are not seeing the playoffs.
