Playing time helps WAR... If you like WAR, please note that Hayes' WAR decreased last year as he is heading into his prime. Pena is younger, cheaper, and a more premium position. He produced a WAR of 3.8 last year and was considered a disappointment. Hayes does 4.0 and you act like he's a top 5 player at his position. Would Pena fetch a controllable 4/5 starters and a mid-tier outfield prospect? Maybe... I would think it's close. But he's not guaranteed 50 million over 7 years. Hayes' dWar dropped from 3.0 to 2.4. Still good but do you really prefer that over a 3B who is not quite as good defensively but produces better than a .729 ops and misses a lot of games? Ob% hasn't been higher than .316 since his rookie season. He's not a star level player. Prime Arenado had WAR 6 or higher 4 times. He added a 5th in 2022. Hayes career high is 4.3. He's a solid major league player making ok money. I just am not seeing a top 5 3B.
Even tho my comments have been pro-Soler, I agree with you. I also think people are sleeping on Joey Loperfido as a potential mid-season difference-making addition. I loved seeing the comment that he is in Houston working out with the big leaguers. Loperfido could very reasonably be a McCormick-level player. He’d be plus defensively in LF, would balance the lineup, and has game-changing power.
Easily, and yes...by a lot. Hayes has proven to be a bit injury prone this is true. That's part of the reason he's being underpaid. It's apparent you think elite defense isn't really important, and being an average offensive player is more valuable, but we're just gonna have to disagree on that
The Dodgers have been NL west champions 10 out of the last 11 years. In that span they’ve exceeded 100 win seasons 4 times, with a 111 win season being their high win point. They are perennial one of the highest payrolls, with no shortage of elite players scattered all over their team. And this offseason, they added more MVP level players like drunken sailors. They are making money hand over fist, and they spend like it; disproportionately to their competition. Neither the Dodgers or Yankees can buy a championship (most folks don’t count the Dodgers no fan theater of Covid 19). So they are doubling down on outspending the rest of the league, because the league desperately wants them to win. Baseball fans of any particular team are fatigued by their own teams 162 game season. Unless, their team is in the playoffs, they won’t watch even in the World Series. That is unless they have a villain or a hero to root for. I remember the Astros/National series was one of the lowest viewed World Series. It’s because nobody (outside die hard fans or fans of the teams) was invested to root for or against either team. Hence why I think this whole cheating scandal of 2017 has helped the Astros, in the sense that they live rent free in baseball fans minds. And a lot of folks watch the Astros games just to root for them to lose, much like the Yankees, Dodgers, and Red Sox. But it’s ridiculous how exorbitantly high the Yankees and Dodgers can pay to field all-Starr teams.
Josh Lowe is someone that the Astros have tried to trade for a few times. When Brown says speed, I don't know if he wants stolen bases, or an outfielder that can cover a good amount of ground in the outfield. If he wants someone that can cover ground, I would add Joey Gallo to that list. The issue with Joey Gallo is that he is a bit of a head case, he is extremely sensitive to negative press and booing from his own fans.
This is true - and the fact that Click got Crane to be patient, and rely on Javier and Valdez and Urquidy and Garcia is the BIGGEST reason the Astros window opened up another 5 years. Cole leaves as a free agent, Verlander blows out his arm.... and the Astros respond by trotting out a bunch of non elite prospects that go on to be VERY good. The key is being able to trade for a replacement if a player doesn't work out, and that has what has poisoned the Astros in the past. Soler have played hurt a lot, and I am sure that is part of it. He is a really poor fielder.
I can’t see how Houston could afford Josh Lowe considering the season he just had (20 HR 32 SB). But we are in big time unknown territory because of Crane is spending freely then that opens up a lot of options. They could sign Snell or Montgomery which would make trading Hunter Brown possible. Melton and Brown is probably most of the way there to being enough for Lowe. Lowe could play CF for 2 years then replace Tucker. It would be a good trade if they think he will be a 3-5 win player each year. One can dream: CF Lowe 2B Altuve 3B Bregman DH Alvarez 1B Abreu RF Tucker C Diaz LF McCormick SS Pena Bench: Dubon, Meyers, Caratini, Singleton SP: Verlander, Snell, Framber, Javier, Urquidy, France RP: Hader, Pressly, Abreu, Montero, Whitley, Bielak/McCullers, Blanco/Garcia
I don't know either, I just know they wanted him and have tried to get him. Then again, just about every team would want an outfielder that is productive and under long term team control. I guess the Astros could decide to gut the top of their system even more or maybe, as you point out, they move a young MLB player like Brown.
Assuming the brewers a nice portion of his salary I’d be into Christian Yelich. Left handed, a little pop, and has speed.
IF the salary is off your books at the end of the year it's off your books, right? Not too much of a prospect I wouldn't think. 2M is a rounding error for most teams- unless it's specifically to get under the cap. I already went over what the salary shed moves that make sense are to me- Urquidy and montero (with Graveman for cap relief) or Garcia and LMJ. Either way- positive value contract with a negative value contract and the other club has someone that they can also hope they get lucky on (i.e. if LMJ comes back and pitches 120 innings in 25 or 26 that contract isn't underwater anymore- and you get Garcia for 2 more years cheap. If the 2M is needed then Graveman is sent along for the ride/
