If dejong gets you 30 homers, he also gives you 150Ks, a sub .220 BA, average defense and more fan complaints than you can imagine. He would fit well with the 2014 Kris Karter Astros. if we want to reconfigure to add power, it would be better to deal for contreras at C or boost the offense by getting sterling marte
He technically didn’t re-sign. The Astros’ had an $8M team option for next season. Picking that up was a no brainer.
I haven’t looked at the most recent defensive numbers, but if Correa doesn’t stay, one cheap, short-term option could be Andrelton Simmons. It would depend on whether he can still be the defensive wizard he once was.
Simmons is awful with the bat now. He is still a very good defender although not as good as he used to be. Only way signing him makes sense is if they upgrade offensively at C and CF and trade Pena along the way, which is possible but pretty unlikely.
The Astros would be crazy to try to spend on a shortstop or a center fielder with Peña and Meyers on the team. They are the exact players you need to have to sustain a dynasty like they have going. Average to above average production for pre-arbitestion prices. I'd be in favor of keeping Correa but if not, you have to let Peña play. Had he not been injured, he'd be coming into this season as a too 50 prospect in baseball. I'd look to trade Brantley and upgrade and spend at pitcher, but it has to be a huge upgrade. I mean who was better last year, Gerrit Cole or Luis García? and for what price difference?
The problem with standing pat on offense is the risk of injury or underperformance from one of the 6 remaining established stud hitters leaving the Astros with a suddenly average lineup overall and poor bottom half of the lineup. Maldonado’s presence as an empty bat tying up an everyday slot makes it a lot riskier to commit to 2 rookies playing everyday, especially since both players profile as defense-first players (although both have plenty of upside in their bats).
That's operating under the very optimistic assumption that Meyers and Pena will both be great players. I'm not saying don't let them play, but for a team trying to win now you have to be prepared for them to not give you much because it's a realistic possibility, more likely than not actually. Suddenly you've got a few aging players and multiple underproductive spots in your lineup. I'm actually very high on both of them, but they're still prospects. Meyers had a flash, then struggled, then got hurt so not much long term can be taken from it.
I know Simmons is dreadful with the bat, but I was viewing him as a short-term, temporary placeholder until Pena gets his call up midseason. I think someone like Chris Taylor (or on a cheaper scale, a Jonathan Villar type) is the most likely choice if they can’t strike a deal with Correa because they can play all over the diamond, providing more flexibility.
If Correa leaves, I don’t see them simply handing the job to Pena to start the season unless he forces their hand in Spring Training. He only has 30 games (122 at bats) above AA. It could be they make Aledmys Diaz the everyday shortstop to begin the season, but I would not expect Pena to start from day one.
Astros: we are seeing a quick rise from Jeremy Peña https://climbingtalshill.com/2021/09/22/astros-seeing-quick-rise-jeremy-pena/ Are we bringing him up next year at SS?
I strongly doubt he starts the year with the Astros, but a midseason call up is likely. With only 30 games (122 at bats) above the Double A level, he would need a great spring training to make the opening day roster.
On the optimistic side of the coin, it would be a game changer for the Astros if he works out. another young team controlled player with money to spend on free agents to surround the home grown talent.
How do people feel about Chas and Diaz playing every day in that case and get a cheaper option as your utility guy?
Chas is probably OK in CF if the rest of the team is good enough. He's a pretty meh option, but probably not a liability. Diaz offensively is solid, but as your everyday SS defensively...likely a major liability and prone to getting hurt, so no bueno for me.
Either one is fine in the 8 or 9 hole everyday. Don’t want to count on them hitting higher than that.
There is a very real possibility that Jeremy Pena is the SS of the future for this organization for many years to come. He has put in the work and by all accounts is amazing with the glove. His swing, approach, and ability to barrel up baseballs has dramatically improved since he was drafted. It’s a testament to how hard he has worked to put himself in this position. Winter ball may be a very important opportunity to build on what he was able to do after his injury. I also believe that there is the possibility that Pena IS the guy of the future, but that he may not quite be ready for big league pitching. That will be up to Click and the Front office to decide. This is why I also suggested Story as an option(contingent on his willingness to potentially make a move to the OF once Pena is ready). The SS market holds all the cards and will ultimately dictate how free agency unfolds. Correa and Seager are the gems in this class and it will be interesting to see how much teams are willing to spend on these guys vs the next tier of middle infielders- such as Story, Baez, and Semien. (I put semien in the second tier due to his age and that potentially having an impact on length of contract).
Pena could be our SS for the next decade, or he could be a AAAA type. It’s probably time to find out though. There’s nothing about his game that causes concern, but he’s nowhere on the same planet as a Carlos Correa either. My guess is they sign another SS and give him a little more AAA time and see how he does before calling him up. He’s 24 years old already, so I’m sure they have plans for him sooner rather than later. It will be interesting to see how they handle him.
