You can say that about almost every team that has spent money. The Yankees, Mets, Rangers, etc. Hell the Mariners have Polanco, Garver and Haniger on their roster making a combined $40M. Haniger’s .208 average is the best of the bunch.
Regardless of any outcome (win series, lose series, sweep them, get swept), still 2.3 months left in the season…. Which gives the Mariners plenty of more opportunities to get swept by teams like the Angels… My guess is it will still be the Rangers vs. Astros for the division. Of course the Mariners are about to desperately overpay for any/all trade deadline acquisitions. Hey, it worked for the Rangers last year (despite them losing Cole Ragans).
I’m cautiously optimistic as really impressed with the Stros run to get back in contention but they also laid two duds in series against the Rangers and Twins.
The Ringer Mid-Season Rankings: https://www.theringer.com/mlb/2024/7/19/24201658/2024-mlb-midseason-power-rankings 11. Houston Astros (50-46) Preseason Rank: 5 The Astros had a losing record every day of the season through June 25, but now they sit just one game behind the AL West leaders—despite a rash of pitching injuries, the spectacular collapse of José Abreu, and the worst season of Alex Bregman’s career. This feels all too familiar from the club that’s reached the ALCS seven years in a row. More specifically, the 2024 Astros resemble the 2020 version, which finished 29-31 in a shortened season, but qualified for the expanded playoff field and missed the World Series by one game. That group didn’t have a long enough regular season to turn things around before the playoffs, but the 2024 version does. Who would possibly pick against the Astros now?
Astros got screwed Game 2 with Dubon's replay call (potential 2-game swing for Arluckton). Astros also have one of the worst ball-strike call totals in all of MLB. If those two continue, plus half the roster continues being a M*A*S*H* unit, the yes, optimism will be questionable.
It was a bullpen session. They want to see how his arm responds, so have to start small. JV throwing 40 was more of a test to see if he can do a rehab assignment now or have yet another bullpen session in 3 days (of course, have to see how his arm responds also prior to that decision).
