Selling at this deadline without trading Tucker or Valdez is essentially just running back the 2024 roster without Bregman and with all the aging players being a year older; that’s not a proactive strategy and is destructive to their longer term outlook. One point that is likely missed when thinking of trading away Tucker/Valdez is that there is an offseason (where they will have new-found financial flexibility) to address replacing them. A summary of a set of hypothetical moves between now and April 2025: Traded: Tucker, Valdez, Bregman, Verlander Added via trade: 7 MLB Top 100 prospects, 2 Org Top 20 prospects Signed via free agency: Michael Conforto, JD Davis, Luis Severino DFA/Released: J Abreu, Singleton, Urquidy, Ort, Mushinski, Sousa, Ortega, Hensley, Hernandez Free agents: Graveman 2025 opening day roster: 2B Altuve SS Pena DH Alvarez 3B Davis RF Conforto C Diaz 1B Loperfido CF Meyers LF McCormick Bench: Dubon, Caratini, Cabbage, Kessinger Rotation: Garcia, McCullers, Blanco, Brown, Severino Bullpen: Hader, Pressly, Abreu, Montero, Martinez, Scott, Dubin, Whitley IL: Javier Optioned to minors: Arrighetti, France, Henley, Gordon, Ullola, Robaina, Coleman, Speas, Murfee, Corona, Leon, Amaya, Whitcomb, Wagner That’s a roster that probably projects for 80-90 wins, which would be backed by a top 5 farm system (with a pending top 10 pick in the 2025 draft) and excellent long term payroll flexibility.
I am not saying this is what I prefer. I simply don't see Jim Crane trading Tucker or Framber. He simply won't punt on a season before it's even started and trading them would be punting.
You harp on luck a lot. The Astros are just not a very ****ing good baseball team. There's no bad luck. They just suck.
Hoping Valdez avoids a similar meltdown to what he had the last time he faced the Angels a couple of starts ago. That was the game we were up 6-1 and Framer gave up seven runs on three gopher balls in the 5th inning and left with us trailing 8-6. All three of the guys that took him deep are in the line up tonight for the Angels. Framer has not given up a HR since that game. But when he gets into that bad Framer mode you never know what you are going to get. We really need to sweep this series. It would show leadership on his part and definitely be helpful to the team if he would start the road trip off with a strong performance. No more Framer meltdowns please.
Astros have a -3 run-diff this season. They don't suck, they're mediocre as of now. Once the luck pendulum swings in a balanced direction, they will win 90+ games. Jesus loves you.
I think we should push Hader to 8th inning duty set-up and move Pressly back to 9th inning closer. Pressly has, for the most part, failed to make the transition to set-up man. I think if Hader gets them first then facing Pressly next is going to be difficult. He's probably going to be more comfortable there. I dunno...just a thought. We could try it and see how it goes. The old switch-a-reeno. Or, not.
Absolutely has to be a sweep, and an emphatic one at that. Anything less and this team may never see .500 this year.
That is a bold prediction given the hole they have dug for themselves. To win 90 plus games for the year a lot is going to have to go right including Abreu discovering the fountain of youth or being DFA'd.
He even hurts on defense. Loperfido (or whomever) will be seeing time at 1B with the Astros sooner than later. He's been playing there 50% of games in Sugarland since he rejoined. .
Tucker on IL we gonna keep sticking Abreu in there F this man We ain’t winnin **** And it’s on Crane or Brown or Espada or whoever is making the decisions
