Yeah - the interest is supposedly high on the part of the Astros. He operates as a perfect fit for the two areas where there have been concerns for the Astros the last few years - first base and centerfield. The only real concern is that he turns into a pumpkin again like he did in 2021-2022.
Bellinger could likely be had without giving up any of Houston’s 10 best prospects. A package like Andrew Taylor and Grae Kessinger might work.
I may be way off base here because I don't know the guy from Adam but he strikes me as an Uber talented guy who achieved success very quickly. Then he got hurt and had to deal with some adversity. Then the Dodgers non tendered him and it was an eye opener. Then he got a prove it contract and had to work. He may not fit into the culture but he has $$$$$ reasons to perform and may be fine as a rental that no one expects to resign. Or he could come in here and have his eyes opened. Doubtful, but people change all the time. There is no doubt he is a Supremely talented player in all aspects of the game and fits the Astros on field needs like a glove.
He destroys lefties which gives Dusty a perfect opportunity to bench him (along with Chas) when we face lefties.
There have been a lot of things that have swirled around him over the years. I had heard rumors of him cheating and jumping pitches - just like Christian Yelich did. I also have heard some comments about his off the field life style choices. I am pretty sure there is some real truth to the cheating part of it (I don't judge him for cheating, literally 90% of players will if they can) I am not so sure about the lifestyle part of it. What I can say is that for as awesome as he was very early in his career - he has always had a massive hole in his swing, but he was so good it didn't matter. Then it suddenly mattered -and mattered a lot. This season he has looked a lot better. I don't think he will ever put up cartoon numbers again after the league cracked down on relaying signs, but I do think he can be solid. If he came to the Astros and had an .800 OPS between 1st and CF - then he would be a massive improvement. Also an outfield of Bellinger-Meyers-Tucker would be a nightmare for fly-ball hitters.
Yeah - well Julks overall isn't good enough. You cannot have a corner outfielder with an OBP of under .300 Still, Dusty I am sure will point to the 750 OPS the last month to justify playing him. If Abreu had an .800 OPS and Diaz was playing every other day, then the Julks experiment could likely continue for awhile. The problem right now is that the Astros are trotting out guys with the following OBP: Abreu 275, Julks 277, Maldonado 283 Even Chas 315, Dubon 325 and Meyers 325 are not great. Dubon has been on fire, and I don't have an issue with him in the line up .... but too man slugs in the line up. Replace Julks with an outfielder with an OBP of at least 340........ replace Abreu if he isn't playing better by the break with someone that has an OBP around 340 and the line up will look a lot better.
Forget where I heard it but some podcast did a deep dive on him. Apparently the guy was the definition of stretchy. Just super limber and was able to generate incredible bat speed and power early in his career. Once the injuries took their toll, he had a tough time adjusting to diminished athleticism. Some people think he'll never reach his prior heights. Obviously not a big deal, as he's shown this season he can still be an above average player.
Agreed there must be a balance of OBP and SLG. The guys who provide both are extremely valuable and can allow the team to carry a guy who is extreme one or the other. The problem is 3 of the 5 players expected to do that are struggling ( Bregman and Tucker aren't slugging and Abreu is not doing either) which magnifies those holes. Not to mention Altuve has missed most of the year and Brantley, all of it. Yordan is the only player who has done as expected. As it sits now, low OBP guys who slug are hitting too many HRs that are solo and doubles that end up not driving in runs and stranded on base.
Potential & ceiling is more than likely better than J Abreu's at this point... ...not gonna be a Julks Coog-homer, but I'll follow the upward trend... FTFY friend. As I stated in another thread, Dubon has been the MVP of this team* since the beginning of the season... pumped to see what he's doing / how he's stepping in & being "that guy"... hope he makes the All-Star team... kid deserves it. *Yordan is an outlier... not counting his production.
wRC+'s for Chas, Meyers, and Bellinger ordered from highest to lowest and not in the order I just listed their names (unless by accident). Vs. RHPs 105 98 95 Vs LHPs 176 165 144 Maybe Bellinger is back to being a better hitter, but he seems like an Chas/Meyers clone at the plate this season except he bats lefthanded, gets on base against LHPs at an insane clip this year, and sees a lot more LHPs. Getting a Chas/Meyers clone that plays 1B would be nice over what the Astros are currently getting, but regarding OF play, I think the Astros already have comparable options.
244 players have gotten 140 PA this season. Corey Julks is dead last in K/BB% and 240th in xOBP. He does rank a respectable 206/244 in xSLG, so that totally justifies his free swinging. I can't see why people think we need an upgrade over there when Dusty has identified a stud for us.
Dana Brown when he sees that France, Bielak and Blanco all have FIPs over .500... while Stanek, Martinez and Montero have FIPs over 4.50
I'd assume Brown thinks he can a reliever or 2 at the deadline, and isn't overly concerned with Stanek, Martinez, and Montero. Regarding starters, I'm not super confident there is much he can do about except maybe get an Urquidy type of starter at the deadline. I'd guess the Astros will spend most of their time getting a bat (prefereably one that balances lineup).
I wonder how aggressive they will be with Arrighetti this season as it looks like he could potentially play a role similar to LMJ in 2015.
I was told like two weeks ago that a bat is certainly a top priority, and I think they will get at least one bat that is a clear starter - and possibly another bat as well. However they seem to really want a starter too, I do think Beiber is very possible. The market will largely rely on what the White Sox and Phillies do.
If they think he will help, he will be up. They have never held back since they have been good. If he is really impressive they will say it before he is even called up - did it with Chas, Meyers, Javier, Pena and Blanco.
