i don't. I don't think he's anything special just like how I never thought Rodon was anything special. Another one folks were talking about the stros should go after last year. Thanks goodness they didn't. maybe it's just the white sox thing. but it's stay away for me
I don't know how good he will be in his mid 30's but I do think the improvement at the plate is permanent. He's only had 1 month this season where his OPS was less than .850 and that was the month he got injured. I also think he's a worker like Bregman.
https://blogs.fangraphs.com/2023-trade-deadline-winners-and-losers/ Three former Astros in the top 10. When was the last time they parted with that much prospect value at the deadline? 2019?
For a team with a terrible system, it's gotta be surprising to other people/teams that the Stros traded 3 of the top 10 best prospects at the deadline and got Graveman and freaking JV back.
https://blogs.fangraphs.com/ranking-the-prospects-traded-during-the-2023-deadline/ The Astros gave up the 2nd, 6th, and 10th best prospects per FanGraphs. The JV trade is the only one that I think was mostly even in surplus value involving FV50 prospects per FanGraphs. I get that Manzardo is having a rough year in AAA, but the Rays basically gave up on him for the expensive years of J.P. France. The Rays are smart so there might be something really wrong with Manzardo. Scherzer deal looks like a really good deal for the Mets with the Rangers putting a lot of hope on a bounce back. Giolito rental deal was only a slightly smaller prospect packas than the JV deal even with the headliner having a down year. Lee and Graveman both look to be having down years. I'm guessing Lee will drop a lot in prospect luster by next ranking.
The only way to see this is that we cashed in some of our future for a better shot right now. Questions remain, how much future, how much did we help the present? We will know the later at the end of the season, the former will take more time (maybe those 3 guys don't amount to anything?).
I know this is an old post I'm just now replying to. The strategy you mention here sounds good but has it ever worked for anyone ever? The Angels could still make a run at the playoffs, especially at current playoff teams that have a minor leaguer leading off in the bottom 9th inning down by a run. Kevin McHale, Billy O and Dusty B..... what happens in life when you don't call in sick...... you just keep moving up until you're the head coach/manager.
The Astros are discussing changing their strategy slightly this winter. They are going to target weaknesses in their system and target in free agency and trade players that they believe have been underutilized or are capable of breakouts if they are worked with. This will act as a bridge from now to the time the younger players are ready to contribute - it also will allow the Astros to pursue in the draft riskier but higher ceiling type players. Also look for some changes in the player development/analytical department - with the Astros bringing in a couple younger voices to an already young players development department - including some possibly from outside the USA.
Great idea, since our player development has so obviously been sucking hind tit. I really like Dana less with every move he makes.
Unless I misunderstood - they are not firing anyone, they are bringing in some outsiders to try and find more competitive advantages, Luhnow did something similar. I have no idea how Brown will do long term as GM, but him bringing in more voices seems smart to me. The goal is to hire smart people and stay ahead of the curve.
You're so weird. Where did Nook say they were changing player development? They are looking for some gems from other teams that they think they can unleash like Yainer through trade and free agency.
I think the Angels took a shot and lost. Who knows, we may have as well. I still think I would have done the same thing in their shoes just to take a shot at re-signing what could end up being the best baseball player of all time. I hope the Verlander trade doesn’t bite us in the butt. I cringed when they included Clifford, but they felt the gamble was worth it and I really trust the Astros’ prospect evaluation.
Nook said: "Also look for some changes in the player development/analytical department - with the Astros bringing in a couple younger voices to an already young players development department - including some possibly from outside the USA." I believe the player development/analytical department is the Astros greatest strength. Watering it down by bringing in new voices is the last thing I would like to see. We could use a new manager. Training staff changes to avoid injury to our pitchers might be nice. There are lots of things that need improvement more than the player development/analytical department.
I have wondered if this strategy had already started with the relatively high number of waiver claims of optionable players (Bannon, Madris, Kuhnel, Watkins, Gage, Cousins, etc.), or if those guys were just claimed because the existing AAA roster hadn’t risen to meet the need. But I’ve long thought a competitive advantage contending/mature orgs could have is to use their relatively empty upper levels to try and find new life for busted prospects or underdeveloped AAAA players. I am probably overly optimistic but I think the upper levels will be fine in terms of depth but just lack star level prospects. Current projected 2024 opening day upper level rosters look plenty deep to me: AA: C: Berryhill, Salazar, Stubbs IF: Hensley, Leon, Whitcomb, Dezenzo, Arias OF: Julks, Hamilton, Barber, Dirden, Matijevic SP: Arrighetti, Gordon, Dubin, Blanco, Kouba, Macuare, Solis, Robaina RP: Tamarez, Hansen, Gage, Mushinski, Martinez AA: C: Palma, Price, Correa IF: Brewer, Gonzalez, Wagner, Borden, Stevens OF: Melton, Loperfido, Corona, Daniels, Sandle SP: Melendez, Knorr, Gusto, Ullola, A Brown, Chaidez, Blubaugh, Bellozo, Henley, Plumlee RP: Taveras, VanWey, McDonald
But trading away prospects and leaving the organization with less overall talent was never going to help them resign Ohtani I have heard this argument from so many, and it really assumes that Ohtani is stupid. Ohtani wants to win. The Angels spend big on superstar players and fill in the roster with negative war players. The only way keeping Ohtani was going to help them keep him long term was to win the World Series, and no one with a sane mind could have thought they had a legit chance to do that Their best chance to keep Ohtani was to trade him for a huge haul of prospects, then they could go to him and show him how much more young talent would be around him and legitimately have a better chance to win Personally, I love it. The Angels are very likely to be one of the worst teams in baseball from now until 2030
A hypothetical Astros offseason trade proposal for each team: Nats: OF Pedro Leon and RP Seth Martinez for RP Hunter Harvey Mets: CF Jake Meyers and RHP Forrest Whitley for RP Brooks Raley, OF Starling Marte, and $15M Phillies: RHP Brandon Bielak for RHP Hans Crouse (PHI #32 prospect) Marlins: OF/2B Pedro Leon for SS Nasim Nunez (MIA #11 prospect) and C Will Banfield (MIA #24 prospect) Braves: OF Chas McCormick for RHP JR Ritchie (ATL #3 prospect), RHP Owen Murphy (ATL #5 prospect), and RHP Cole Phillips (ATL #26 prospect) Brewers: SP Hunter Brown and OF/IF Joey Loperfido for SP Corbin Burnes and SS Freddy Zamora (MIL #19 prospect) Pirates: OF Corey Julks for OF Connor Joe Cardinals: SP Hunter Brown, OF Joey Loperfido, and RHP Brandon Bielak for RHP Tink Hence (STL #1 prospect) and OF Tyler O’Neill Cubs: SP JP France for OF Owen Caissie (CHC #8 prospect), LHP Jackson Ferris (CHC #16 prospect), and RHP Nazier Mule (CHC #22 prospect) Reds: SP Hunter Brown, RHP Forrest Whitley, and OF Corey Julks for IF Christian Encarnacion-Strand, 3B Cam Collier (CIN #2 prospect), and C Matheu Nelson (CIN #28 prospect) Diamondbacks: SP Jose Urquidy and RHP Forrest Whitley for IF Gino Groover (ARI #8 prospect) Giants: OF Jake Meyers for LHP Reggie Crawford (SFG #13 prospect) and RHP Eric Silva (SFG #36 prospect) Rockies: RHP Brandon Bielak and C Cesar Salazar for C Elias Diaz Padres: SP Hunter Brown, CF Jake Meyers, and RHP Forrest Whitley for LF Juan Soto Dodgers: SS Jeremy Pena, SP Hunter Brown, and RHP Spencer Arrighetti for SS Gavin Lux, C Diego Cartaya (LAD #1 prospect), OF Andy Pages (LAD #3 prospect), and LHP Maddux Bruns (LAD #8 prospect) Rays: SP Hunter Brown, SS Jeremy Pena, and CF Jake Meyers for LF Randy Arozarena, SP Shane McClanahan, and CF Manuel Margot Orioles: SP Jose Urquidy for OF Jud Fabian (BAL #10 prospect) and IF Carter Young (BAL #25 prospect) Yankees: RF Kyle Tucker for OF Everson Pereira (NYY #2 prospect), IF Trey Sweeney (NYY #3 prospect), RHP Drew Thorpe (NYY #5 prospect), and RHP Justin Lange (NYY #37 prospect) Blue Jays: CF Jake Meyers for 3B John Kasevich (TOR #5 prospect) Red Sox: SP Jose Urquidy and OF Corey Julks for LF Alex Verdugo and SS Cutter Coffey (BOS #34 prospect) Guardians: SS Jeremy Pena, CF Jake Meyers, and SP JP France for SP Shane Bieber, RHP Daniel Espino (CLE #3 prospect), OF Chase DeLauter (CLE #6 prospect), LHP Doug Nikhazy (CLE #43 prospect), and RP James Karinchak Tigers: RP Enoli Paredes for SS Trei Cruz (DET #35 prospect) Royals: SP JP France, RHP Brandon Bielak, and RHP Spencer Arrighetti for C Salvador Perez, RP Carlos Hernandez, and $12M Twins: CF Jake Meyers for LF Trevor Larnach White Sox: SP Hunter Brown, CF Jake Meyers, RHP Spencer Arrighetti, OF Joey Loperfido, OF Kenedy Corona, and OF/2B Pedro Leon for CF Luis Robert Jr. A’s: RHP Brandon Bielak for OF Clark Elliot (OAK #21 prospect) Angels: SP JP France and OF/2B Pedro Leon for OF Nelson Rada (LAA #2 prospect) Mariners: RP Enoli Paredes for cash considerations Rangers: “**** yall”
