Speaking of the shift, I am curious as to why the Astros deploy the SS to the second base side and the third baseman to the SS position which essentially puts two players out of their normal spots. I have seen other teams deploy the third baseman to the second base side and leave the SS on the lest side of the infield.
THIS It's also about the ego's involved. One of the things that makes these guys who they are is their confidence and in part their ego. Take a guy like Correa, if he really wants a great career as a SS, you don't move him elsewhere. Not when teams like the Yankees and Red Sox and Dodgers will be coming at him one day with $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$. Heck we kept Fowler in CF last year when he certainly wasn't the best defensive option there....and some think they will just shift Correa over to 3B and all will be good....lol at these people
And in addition to that, it would keep the guy with the best range on the side of the field where he has to cover the most ground, and the one with less range covering a smaller area
Right...I think that is the first question I would ask Luhnow and Hinch if I had the opportunity. You would think with all of their advanced analytics, they have a reason for it.
Watching the Royals put the smack on the Blue Jays makes me feel really good about the 2015 Astros. We were really damn good.
Agreed. We had a huge leg up on every AL team in the playoffs when it came to starting pitching. Just gotta shore up that bullpen..add a bat or two and no reason we shouldn't make another run.
It's bittersweet though. We were a Will Harris flameout away from being the team smacking around the Blue Jays. And I have no fear of the Mets. I hate having that lingering thought in my mind that we could've won it all this year had we closed out Game 4.
We were so ****ing good. I'm gonna have those same thoughts until the season starts. The Astros were so loaded this year and it was showing in the playoffs.
Tyler White goes 2-3 with a walk and hits one of the longest home runs in stadium history. http://www.estrellasorientales.com....-white-dudo-sobre-jonron-frente-escogido.ashx
FYI The article also says that one of Tyler White's main objectives this fall in the Dominican Leaguue is working on his defense at Third Base. So maybe there is no intention of converting him to Catcher but, instead, replacing Valbuena.
Whoever gets him will overpay. Alex Gordon 2015 slashline: .271/ .377 / .432 / .809 These numbers are above his 2014 and career numbers. He is opting out of his $14 large contract. His current age is Age 31.254. I have no idea whatever he will get in FA. Guessing 5 years $90 - $100 large.
They weren't, by any means, an outlier. Since 2011, here are his OB and SLG %s: '11: .376/.502 '12: .368/.455 '13: .327/.422 '14: .351/.432 '15: .377/.432 His slugging has comfortably settled into the .420-.430 range and you can realistically expect him to get on base at a clip of .350+, which is what the Astros would be most focused on, frankly. They have enough guys who can mash.
Tyler White with another two run homer and a double. Batting third in the order, he's quickly becoming a fan favorite for Estrellas Orientales. On another note, Papa Grande Jose Valverde got the win last night in one inning of relief.