From what I have heard, inferred, and pieced together from various stories, tweets, and interviews: The roster may be what it is. They will continue to look at high upside low low low downside garbage picking, but they expect the players currently in the organization to be the ones they take to West Palm Beach. On the position side: Diaz will start aa many games as the team feels he can and Caratini will be the backup. The 4 infield positions are set, but Brown has said he wants to keep Abreu fresh, so expect him to be more of an 80% starter than every day guy. In the outfield: Yordan wants to play more and will be given the opportunity. I expect him to play closer to 55 games than 40. McCormick has been designated an "every day guy" who will play both LF and CF. Meyers has been given some faith and will have a chance to be the starting CF when Chas is in LF and Yordan DHing. Along w/ Tucker, Brown has said these are "our 4 outfielders" He then threw Dubon in as an afterthought calling him a "super utility" and indicating he will play much more infield than outfield. Furthermore he has stated that he wants to "keep everyone fresh" indicating that using the DH as a spot for guys like Abreu and Altuve to play when Yordan is in LF will be in play. I want to focus on Meyers for a bit because he may be the key to the Astros as a good or great offensive team. He was terrible in the 2nd half last year, after Dusty took his spot away and gave it to Dubon (Dubon did not play a single game in CF until 7/31) and truth is he was slumping before that. Meyers has a Chas-like breakout in there. I know it. He has always hit LHP very well and played exceptional defense. All he needs to do is manage to be league average vs RHP and he would be a 3+ WAR player and huge asset. Actually, over 45 games and 140 PA from 4/1/23-6/10/23 he had a 114 wRC+ vs RHP (117 in 173 PA overall) so he has the ability. I want this to be the year
By replacing Maldy with Diaz, the worst hitter in the lineup becomes Meyers or Pena which isn't bad at all. They just need to get on base so Altuve and company can bring them in. Dusty left 2 all star quality bats on the bench for below average hitters. One being the worst in the league. That's baseball malpractice.
I'm hoping one of the guys in the minors will light it up and is able to replace Meyers around the middle of May. I've got little faith in Meyers. I dont understand Crane/Brown's faith in a weak arme/weak bat CF. Other than Crane's just flat out being cheap.
He's not cheap. He just spent his money early on JV. Just think of JV as his off season acquisition which he got early.
Are you telling me he cant afford to give Hicks an extra year. Bottonm line is the Rangers spent the money, Crane didn't and if this trend continues the window will be closing soon. All of the work Luhnow did is about to be finished and it's ultimately Crane's decision if he wants to continue what Luhnow left for him, or cash out on what Luhnow built for him. This offseason has me leaning to he's going to cash out and I hope I'm wrong.
Which isn't saying much. When's the last time you've seen Meyers throw somebody out at any base? At least Chas can hit.
Jake has a slightly better arm and more range than Chas but worst instincts after fielding the ball. Either by being too lackadaisical or throwing to the wrong base. We gave up so many extra bases with his bad split second decision-making.
Astros position players totalled 31.8 bWAR in 2023. If nobody improves (or regresses) I see a 6.6 bWAR improvement just from the changes currently made. I'll save you from all the math, but I see ( I'm not predicting this, as I expect not everyone duplicates 2023 performance/PA) Diaz 4.8 Caratini 0.5 Abreu 0.0 Singleton -0.2 Altuve 5.0 Dubon 0.9 Bregman 4.7 Pena 3 6 Kessinger 0.0 Chas 4 6 Yordan 6.5 Meyers 2.3 Tucker 5 4 = 38.4
The Houston Astros almost made it to the WS with a 0.0 Abreu (if he returns to what he was before...) and Maldanado getting more AB's than Diaz. Not to mention half a season of JV with no LMJ & Salsa. Season could be fun.
This team is definitely a contender. I don't understand the fans who are doom and gloom. However 1) it's not perfect. More experienced bullpen depth and another bat woukd be helpful. 2) 2026 and even 2025 will be a big step back. This is the year to get ring #3.
In 2025, the Astros could literally field the same team if Bregman and Altuve make a pact in the form of deferred money. I think the window is at least two years and Crane could always swing a massive deal. Two more years for Dana Brown to load up the minors with talent.
MLB service time of Astros bullpen Pressly 10.039 Graveman 8.078 Montero 7.138 Abreu 3.022 Seth Martinez 1.108 Joel Kuhnel 1.097 Dylan Coleman 1.076 Oliver Ortefa 1.019 Parker Mushinski 1.016 Bennet Sousa 0.156 Ronel Blanco 0.101 Matt Gage 0.060 Shawn Dubin 0.015 Forest Whitley 0 A ton of inexperience behind the top 4.
But a typical fan thinks we don't want to win without spending a Godzillion dollars on 20 year contracts on every player with one good season. Thus, the owner is cheap. And don't DARE interfere with actual day to day operations.
If Crane would just bite the bullet and sign a back end bullpen guy and a legit LF (not a $20 million type of star) we would go into the year as the team to beat instead of one of several. Going with Meyers and signing 50 minor league guys who throw hard will likely lead to us having to most prospects during the season to fill those holes. No matter how good Brown ends up being acquiring young talent, our system is no longer strong enough to continue to move guys to fix our roster. I've resigned myself to realize that we will only have Alex one more year and Tuck two more because Crane isn't going to go long term on anyone. But damnit, if we have two more years as a truly top team, don't go into it with Jake freaking Meyers as an everyday player and a hole in the back end of the pen (the pen is greatly responsible for one of our two titles) This is what leads to guys like Julks and Singleton on our big league roster. I do feel like Espada will be much better with daily lineups, but when guys like that are on your roster they are going to find their way into games they really don't belong in
I get what you are saying and I am frustrated that Bregman would likely stay if Crane would be a bit lenient and less right in his long term contract philosophy. I think that Alex would prefer to be a lifelong Astro and 8yrs would certainly get it done, 6 yrs woukd likely as well. Part of that is Altuve. I think having 2 "lifelong Astros" on the back end of their careers together hurts the teams chances to compete (or at least the risk is there) so Crane wants to limit it to one. But that doesn't affect the chances for this team to win in 2024. What frustrates me is the lack of MLB quality on the bottom of the roster and the seemingly lackadaisical or defeated plan the front office has regarding it. I think this team has 11 MLB position players and 10 MLB pitchers (healthy) with no sense of urgency to fill thecremaining 5 spots with legitimate players. If this team loses an outfielder or corner infielder to an injury the season is done. I understand Singleton has talent and may still have some upside due to the time away from baseball. I also love his attitude and hope it happens for him, but hate to see the Astros betting on it. I understand having to see if prospects can make it once they have done all they can in AAA, but Kessinger and Hensley have a ceiling closer to Jack Mayfield than Correa or Pena.
