I got Correa vibes reading this. CC was king of pulling his hands in and getting to those inside pitches. It's not fair at all to compare the guy to CC and Breggy but damn I can't help but get excited by the guy who might be our best position prospect in years.
Eventually Bregman won't get hot in the second part of the season and we will have someone with an OPS in the 600's all season long.
Dana Brown prides himself on being aggressive and rewarding prospects that play really well (except for Pedro Leon apparently)..... so I guess it is possible, but I would think the absolute quickest would be possibly opening the season with the Astros next season.
He will never be the freak athlete Correa was, but we should call him up as soon as possible to see if he can be a replacement for Bregman.
I remember how excited we were when we signed him. He's finally cutting down on his strikeouts and getting on base. I hope we give him a shot.
Different people have different opinions on his positional outlook. I have "heard" that the advanced decision makers believe that he can play a solid SS at the MLB level. He can certainly play 2nd and SS - and last year the belief was that he was best at CF. So I don't think they will have a hard time finding a spot for him if the bat is ready.
Matthews hasn't been in AA long, and is heating up - so it is very possible that the WRC+ goes up - but I agree with the wider point, Bregman was really a stud in the minors. Matthews is rawer as a hitter than Correa and Bregman. However - Matthews is similar to Correa when it comes to the ability to overwhelm pitchers with his talent. It really is going to come down to how well Matthews improves in other areas and if he can stay healthy. I wouldn't put Matthews in the same class as Correa and Bregman because he is a lot more volatile.... but there is a lot of upside.
Matthews is a really good athlete, the biggest difference is that Correa is a lot bigger than Matthews. Matthews is maybe 5'10" and around 185 lbs (my guess). He is strong and lean, but he is like half a foot and 50 lbs lighter than Correa.
I have no doubt he is a great athlete. I was just highlighting how freakish Correa was and still is to a degree. The ability to throw over 90 mph without a windup is pretty sick.
Oh for sure. Correa and Bregman were the #1 and #2 overall picks in the draft and Matthews was a borderline 1st rounder. They're in a completely different classes as prospects. Bregman is one of the more polished hitters to come out of college in the entire 2010's and I think top 5 in active position player WAR from a college draftee. Matthews' early career arc way more mirrors George Springer. We were praying Georgie's K rate in the high minors wouldn't be a big deal and it ultimately didn't end up being so. We would be so lucky to get another impact bat that way.
I am fine if Houston opens 2025 with Dubon as the everyday 3B with Whitcomb or Kessinger or Wagner (or Amaya or Bastidas) as the backup until Matthews or Dezenzo shows they are ready to take the job, especially if Houston adds an elite bat at 1B or LF by then.
I do not see a good reason to start Mathews clock first thing next season. There are plenty of options at third base to start the season. I have said all along that Mathews best fit is at second base and still believe that is where he belongs. Eventually we will be faced with the reality that Altuve and Alvarez are both limited to DH/bench bat roles but that is a problem for later.
Altuve shows no sign of slowing down. Realistically Bregman won't be around after next season. If he does extend, it will happen after this season so we will know what we need.
I don't really think Penas spot at SS should be unquestioned. He's still a solid starter, but his bat hasn't taken the next step we hoped and he's only got 2 years of team control after next season. I'm not trying to get rid of Pena, I just think you wanna keep your best pragmatic options open. If Matthews keeps on track and the team thinks he can stay at SS, he should get a chance at some point next season. Maybe they could split time while playing 3B/2B when they aren't at SS.
Nope too much money invested in Jose. Altuve at 2B, Jose Altuve still has speed, defense and batting average, power. Clutch Hits when motivated by boos is a skill Elite Players have. Brice Matthews must learn 3B in the off-season in his training. Taking over for Bregman most likely leaving.
Actually Altuve has the worst K rate, fly ball rate, and pull% of his career, along with the lowest BB% and HR per flyball he has had in at least 6 years.
Pena is a gold glove level SS. His bat isn't bad, it's just not 2022 playoffs level good. Anybody expecting that is just being unrealistic. IMHO
You do realize Bregman’s getting paid $30 million this year (and got $30 million last year). He won’t be making more than that/year on his next deal. He made the right decision to let the Astros buy out some FA years and as of now it seems that the Astros made the right decision to get those extra years… but even if his bat continues to regress, he still has at last 2 more years of being an elite 3B defensively (and this year has been one of the best defensive performances of his career). Would offer him a 3 year deal with a team option for the 4th… and he’ll likely get a longer offer elsewhere and take it, even if it’s for less $$/year.
No the fact that he wasn't a FA after 2022 at age 28 after a 4.6 WAR season probably cost him tens of millions. Trea Turner, Bogaerts, and Correa each got $200M+ that offseason. Even Swanson got $177M !! He's HOPING to get 6 years and $150M now.
They have a conundrum. If they bring him up and he doesn’t hit, it ruins his trade value. If they trade him and he immediately hits then the Astros more than likely loose the trade. I expect he will be brought up after the trade deadline, if we don’t get an outfielder via trade and he is still with the Astros.
