On Straw, I don't think Astros expect him to be a good outfielder. I think they expect Brantley to hit well enough that it made more sense getting him and starting Straw than dividing Brantley's money up into a CF and a LF for what was available at time of Brantley's signing. Based on how things changed quickly rumors for Brantley from Blue Jays to Astros, I'm not sure Brantley was the Astros first choice. My guess is the first choice turned the Astros down (i.e., was waiting for a better offer), and Astros had to make a decision on Brantley when they did. They choose Brantley at a good price instead of possibly getting nothing. If Straw hits, he'll remain as the CF. If not, Astros will replace him at some point. I don't expect that Straw will make or break the Astros season. On Javier to the pen, I think Astros believe that pitchers have some influence over quality of contact such that they suspect he's worth 2.5-3 wins as a starter instead of the 1 win most projections have him at. It would be much cheaper to get a great bullpen arm than a 2.5-3 win starting pitcher. Astros may try to get another starter, but Javier would only be in the pen until someone got hurt (not counting playoffs) or he just plays poorly as a starter.
Entering the offseason I targeted 7 additions Click needed to make: 1. CF: they added Steven Souza and Jose Siri on minor league deals. They also signed Pedro Leon. Jackie Bradley, Kevin Pillar, and Jake Marisnick are still available. If Souza is back to his peak, or if Leon is ready much faster than expected, then job well done; otherwise, CF remains the weakest spot on the roster. 2. LF: they added the 2nd best LF on the market in Brantley. Mission accomplished. 3. RP: they added Pedro Baez and Ryne Stanek. Not the kind of experienced elite closer most fans were hoping for, but Click seems to be prioritizing pitch mix over roles. For now I'd give this a C grade but take a wait-and-see approach. 4. backup C: Castro was probably the best catcher on the market after Realmuto and McCann, and his bat complements Maldy. Good add. 5. SP: the Astros have done nothing here. THere are still a dozen or so arms available in free agency who could help shore up the back of Houston's rotation, but if Click is a strong believer in the in-house options, it makes sense to stand pat. Another wait-and-see item. 6-7. Elite Prospects: This would have been extremely difficult to do without downgrading the big league roster, but Houston's lack of elite prospects and low-ranked farm is their biggest weakness when evaluating their long term outlook. They did add Leon, and while he isn't listed on any of the recent Top 100 lists, the fact that Houston gave him the largest int'l signing bonus of any prospect speaks pretty loudly. Click also added 3 young players who are not top prospects by any stretch in Luke Berryhill, CJ Hinojosa, and Jose Siri, but adding young players is better than subtracting them. Houston's best hope for addressing this issue is to outstrip their draft position and have some of their lesser prospects break out. If they really are done making moves, I would give this offseason a C- with a "pending results" asterisk.
No pitcher limit for 2021 in the Health and Safety Plan. I think Astros will be strongly tempted to carry 14 pitchers after the short year. If they do, Toro may get the squeeze if Diaz is healthy.
Marlins signed Duvall (on a great deal, too). They’ve got a plethora of solid outfielders now. I’d love Marte in HOU but not sure how realistic that type of trade would be. He’s due to make 11.5 and 12.5 before becoming a UFA in 2022, and will be 31 next season...but that could fit right under the tax line. Marlins would probably require a good haul given their 2020 playoff campaign, but they’ve gotta be receptive on Marte I would assume.
He's a free agent after this season not next season. Don't see that being a move the Astros could make until the deadline when he only has 4-5 million left for the last 2 months of the season.
Good minor league deal on Cishek. Most experienced closer on the ST roster. Pressly, Smith, Paredes, Taylor, Baez, Stanek, Raley, Pruitt, Abreu, Garcia, Scrubb, Cishek, James. 13 bullpen arms vying for 9 spots. I dig it. SUCKAAHHHH
I absolutely adore her. If she ever gets tired of Collin, I’m sure she could have a very unsatisfying life with me.
I would, but I am a homer. None of the National publications seem to think Leon is an elite prospect, as he hasn’t been on any of their Top 100 lists.
https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2021...he-largest-change-in-performance-in-2021.html 4 Astros on the list of position players expected to improve most over 2020. 2 Astros on list of pitchers expected to have declines from 2020.
