If there is no balance between maintaining players and turnover the window to contend ends. Any team hoping to remain competitive for 10+ years must let players walk as they become older and/or more expensive and replace them with younger controllable pieces. This team has done that since the window opened 2017- Castro, Valbuena 2018- Beltran, Fiers, Gregorson 2019- Marwin, Gattis, McCann, Keuchel, Morton 2020- Cole, Harris, McHugh, Miley, Marisnick, Chirinos 2021- Springer, Reddick, Peacock, Devenski, Osuna. 2022- Correa, Grienke Let the veterans walk and trust player development to have young guys ready to step up. This is extremely important because unlike most organizations who can trade away stars in their free agency year, a team can't do that in a year they hope to win. So far so good. This year it will be Gurriel, Brantley, Diaz, Montero, and Castro. *Hopefully Verlander does not join them but if he does it's the cost of extending the window. For every rule there us an exception and this one is that occassionally you should extend a veteran if it benefits the team, even if he becomes very expensive. JV is an example of this. He helps and mentors young players, still plays at a high level, can be an Astro during MLB milestones, and by name alone benefits the organization.
I also would like Montero to return but with Pressly and Neris already on higher than RP arb salaries and Stanek ( and Maton?) On arb 3 level salaries I just don't see the budget to make it happen. Early 2022: Closer: Pressly Leverage: Stanek, Neris, Montero Abreu added himself to that list and makes Montero expendable. A 7 man bullpen ( 6 man rotation) of: Pressly, Stanek, Abreu, Martinez and some combination of Maton, Dubin, Taylor, Paredes, Mushinski, Blanco, James, Bielak will work just fine. Reinforce at the trade deadline if necessary.
Here's hoping that Paredes is next year's version of Abreu. Lord knows he has the stuff. Just needs to find the strike zone. I don't think we should ever extend any middle reliever set up types. Closers perhaps. Guys like Graveman and Montero are world beaters one year and stink the next. No thanks.
You don’t have Neris in the bullpen. He’s under contract but I’d personally trade him- 8.5M is not at all messed with the other strength of the bullpen. I assume Maton will be back. I’d trade or non tender him myself before I gabe him $4M but Click has a bullpen fetish so that’s not at all likely to happen, obviously.
I heard local Houston news is reporting friction between Crane Click and Dusty since their contracts are up. Anyone hear anything on this? I assumed if we win it perfect way for Dusty to go out if he wanted to. Just kinda sucks if this stuff is coming out right now
Play along for just a second, but let’s say Click doesn’t return - any ideas as to legit Candidates for GM? Assuming we’d never bring Lunhow back
It was kind of talked about after the trade deadline. Click failed to add another bat after Mancini and Vazquez so Crane was mad. Also kind of known that Baker and Click didn't see eye to eye from last year. Different opinion of Straw, Meyers McCormick?? It was reported that Baker and Click getting an offer was based on what they did in the playoffs. Last week, it was reported that Baker was asked to come back but no official contract offer. Baker said he wants to keep managing whether they win or not. Nothing was reported on Click. But is getting to the World Series good enough or do they have to win it for Click to get an extension? Nook also said simething like Click wants to stay but wouldn't mind leaving if another team offered him a job. Crane is apparently heavily involved. Click prefers a team where the owner isn't heavily involved and he could just do his thing.
It's only coming up because they are both on expiring contracts. This does not normally happen with either, much less both in the last 40 years.
Rosenthal said contract offers could be based on playoffs performance. Sounds like maybe it was opinion but Nightengale reported the same. Asking Baker to come back next season was from Heyman who reported it last week. But looking back at the reports, Crane told both Rosenthal and Heyman that they'll address both after the season ends.
With Yuli looking done…I am signing one of Abreu/Bell/Rizzo and resigning Verlander. nothing else is crucial and we repeat. We can let montero walk if he commands too much. We need something at catcher so if we bring maldy and run with home Korey Lee…maybe Vazquez wants one more…we have the best team in baseball going into next year
Yuli was the best hitter they had in the playoffs other than Pena. With this team that's all that really counts. You keep Yuli and train up a guy like Yanier to replace him. JV and Vazquez is where the money needs to be spent.
Can chas play left field? Because I'm still believe in jake meyers at center. We saw how good he was at the end of 2021 and beginning part of the 2021 postseason. If Chas can play LF and jake meyers can get back to where he was in 2021, I think this roster is set. Of course you have pedro leon if he's ready to be called up. In terms of 1B. Idk. They can definitely bring yuli back for 1 maybe 2 years. If they're moving forward with the young guns, you have jj or hensley. If they're not ready, you can always go get Jose Abreu or Anthony Rizzo. Both are in their 30s thou.
Sign: Jose Abreu 3 years / 70 million Justin Verlander 3 years / 100 million* *partial guarantee on third year - takes top 10 cy young or 150 IP in either year prior Michael Brantley 2 years / 25 million Yuli Gurriel 1 year / 8 million Let Walk: Montero Diaz Vazquez Maton J James Taylor Lineup 2B Altuve SS Pena LF Alvarez 3B Bregman RF Tucker DH Abreu 1B Gurriel CF McCormick C Maldonado Bench Brantley Dubon Lee Hensley Meyers Rotation Verlander Valdez Javier Mccullers Garcia Bullpen Pressly Stanek Abreu Neris Urquidy Brown Martinez That's 215 million on active 26... figure 225 for 40 man. Luxury tax level in 2022 was 230 so Crane still isn't paying into tax. We can then rotate LF/1B/DH between Abreu, Yordan, Brantley, and Gurriel with Yordan/Abreu getting more time and Brantley/Gurriel effectively platooned. Gurriel, Hensley, and Dubon provide depth at multiple positions.
Resign Verlander and trade for Trout and Ohtani. That should shore up all their needs right there. No one winning against that team.
I agree with everything but we need someone to split time with Maldy. The fact that he played with a hernia and injured hand this season shows how important that is. Would love to bring back Vazquez.
