The Braves are about to get back Mike Soroka and then Albies. Only weakness they have in the OF, but if Rosario bounces back, they are pretty well set there too.
major underdogs no. The only team that has better odds than the stros to win the WS is the Dodgers and it isn't by much. If they face the mets or braves, the series would be close to even odds with maybe the stros being slight favs in the overall series. but as far as major underdogs against those two, that wouldn't be the case
If Astros roll into playoffs hot they will go deep, if not they will be done in 4 games. This is true of most of the playoff teams.
Morton was dealing yesterday, man I miss him. A lot of talent has walked since 2017, but Morton is only one I think about as a guy that absolutely should've stayed here. He wanted to be here and the Astros moved on from him.
The stros wanted him back. They offered him a 1 year deal + vesting option. But the $ and convenience of being driving distance from home were opposing factors when he left for TB
But he’s not in the same category as missing out on Morton. Whichever medical person advised Luhnow that Morton shouldn’t get more than a 1 year deal should get to explain exactly what they were concerned about. It was as if he had some Aiken-like UCL injury ready to pop the way they made it sound… and hence all the speculation of him possibly retiring at that time. Now he’s had possibly the best run of health not only of his career, but better than the pitchers the Astros did decide to extend (JV, LMJ). They probably don’t end up trading for Greinke and Morton likely gives them just as much production without the prospect or salary cost that Zack got (not that those prospects amounted to much… but they could have been used to fill another need). Its the biggest “what if” in this golden era of Astros baseball.
Do we know for a fact that Morton would have stayed with the QO or if the Astros matched the Rays offer?
I honestly don't remember. I do know the Astros were wary of his shoulder injury and in 20/20 hindsight that was a miscalculation. But, I don't remember Morton bemoaning the fact he wasn't offered a deal by Houston.
He wanted to be in florida to finish his career. That was what was being said at that time. I guess he decided not to retire, maybe because the shoulder got better.
He absolutely did Im not saying he didn’t like pitching for the Astros. He was eyeing a 2-3 yr deal to go be with his family
The Astros said flat-out, if you can find a 2 year deal somewhere else, take it. The Astros weren’t willing to do more than one apparently. I think they really thought he wasn’t going to seek out a 2 year deal and would end up just settling…. He’s done well by not settling.
