<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>Jose Valverde designated for assignment by the Tigers <a href="http://t.co/HVYho8k96t">http://t.co/HVYho8k96t</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23mlb&src=hash">#mlb</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23hbt&src=hash">#hbt</a></p>— HardballTalk (@HardballTalk) <a href="https://twitter.com/HardballTalk/statuses/348164425544519680">June 21, 2013</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Solomon represents what is wrong with sports "journalism" at the Chronicle. A constant flow of pure, unadulterated, mindless drivel.
I can not believe how bad Solomon comes off in all this. Throwing Bud and sports fans in Houston (presumably the market he's supposed to be writing for) under the bus. Wow. I never got the sense that Solomon cared about baseball or the Astros to begin with.
What Solomon did just doesn't happen in good sports departments at good newspapers. I'm living in the St. Louis area now and they have a fantastic sports department and a great paper overall. I'm not just saying that, either. They have the awards to back it up. I just can't imagine Bernie Miklasz or Bryan Burwell (their two top columnists) writing something like Solomon wrote about Bud.
The Milwaukee paper is another paper with a great sports department and top reporters. Houston certainly has the resources to create "good" sports journalism, but they've chosen to go the troll route for as many clicks and "comments" as possible.
Richard Justice was an amazing chron troll. It still pops up from time to time on his twitter, but it is incredible how much his writing improved once he went to MLB.com.
Not anything too new or exciting Bud Norris: Astros GM Jeff Luhnow has the go-ahead from ownership to deal just about anyone, although local cult hero fave Jose Altuve and catcher Jason Castro will probably be priced too high to move. But of all the items in the Astros' showroom, no one is a better bet to get traded than Norris. He's 28. He's under control for 2½ more seasons. He's making $3 million a year. And while teams have noticed his strikeout rate is down and his WHIP is up, he remains an attractive commodity for clubs willing to give up multiple prospects. The Astros, said one NL exec, are looking for "volume" in any deal they make.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>Or Luhnow is turning it up to 11 RT <a href="https://twitter.com/webberoo11">@webberoo11</a>: Stark says the Astros are targeting volume for Norris. To me, that means quantity</p>— Astros County (@AstrosCounty) <a href="https://twitter.com/AstrosCounty/statuses/349606286469513216">June 25, 2013</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
If quantity means several B to B- players instead of 1 or 2 B+ or A- players, I dont understand or agree with the strategy here.
Don't like it either. Made more sense when our prospect pool was thin. Then again, quantity like the Blue Jays trade last year would be good.
Especially since our minor league system appears pretty deep now. I would like to see a high end OF, 3B, or lefty pitching prospect. I feel good with Woj, Folty, Cosart, and Appel as our upcoming pitching prospects.
I suppose it depends on what kind of quantity were talking about. If the choice were 4-5 B- players vs 1 B+, I could kinda see that. But it does seem that we have a plethora of B- players in the minors already.
Luhnow understands the hit rate on players. I'm guessing he's run analysis that confirms the probability of a B prospect vs an A prospect developing into a quality MLB player, and he likes his chances with a number of B prospects rather than a focused bet on a few A prospects.
I'd take 5 B- over 1 B+. What I don't want is 4 C+ instead of an A-. Avoid deals like the Wandy trade (Grossman/Owens/Cain).
There are too many to list (You have to think that is a 100 guys total). I'd say our Top 20 is all C+ and above even before the draft.
