If we can get a Price or Hamels, that would be incredible. I just wasn't sure if the cost to get those guys makes sense. I would think the price would be similar, but Price and Hamels are rentals, whereas Lind would at least be on our team for an additional year. Therefore, it makes sense for this season and next (until AJ Reed is ready to take over full time in 2017).
There's been plenty of great lineups that go cold in the playoffs (1998 Houston Astros), and plenty of weak lineups that end up doing enough in the playoffs (2005 Houston Astros). Pitching is the most likely aspect to stay "consistent" when you reduce the sample size to a handful of games. I think they should try and bolster the lineup more to ensure they get a playoff spot (or just ensure they win the division) more-so than just simply having another bat for the playoffs. I don't think this team can withstand another 6-8 game losing streak (of which both of those streaks have featured some awful hitting).
I like that Marwin is getting some time at 1B today. If he can work out at the position, it would be a nice solution if trades don't provide a better one.
And people tend to downplay how important throwing out baserunners is I've mentioned this a couple of times in the past couple of weeks. Conger gives us better at bats than Castro, but if you are on first base against him and want to get to second, it's pretty easy. Cost us a game last night. 22 of 23 baserunners have been successful on him. I know pitching plays a part in that, but Castro has thrown out 19 of 50. Baltimore is apparently listening on selling. Not sure what Wieters contract situation is, and I know he isn't having a great year and was out most of the first half, but I would at least ask about him. Much more upside than either of our guys, still just 29 years old and is adequate behind the plate. Baltimore has Joseph waiting in the wings too Milwaukee is apparently sellers also, Lucroy also 29 with a lot of upside offensively.
Hamels is signed for 4 more years including his option I don't think the price on Price would be incredible. I might be wrong, and if I am then yea I would probably stay away. Thing is, you are never guaranteed another chance to win the whole thing, if we are in position to make ourselves the team to beat this year, i'd like to see us go for it
I like Marwin quite a bit But if he is an everyday 1B, we would still have one of the worst everyday 1B in baseball. Sucks that there really aren't many 1B upgrades available. Lind is the only one, and now has back issues
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Marwin Gonzalez starts at first today for <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Astros?src=hash">#Astros</a>, and A.J. Hinch says he could get more time there as Carter, Singleton struggle at plate.</p>— David Barron (@dfbarron) <a href="https://twitter.com/dfbarron/status/625343499014029312">July 26, 2015</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Another SP is sort of superfluous at this point. The playoff rotation is Keuchel, Kazmir, and McCullers, with McHugh as a really good #4 the few times a #4 is used. Adding another SP just isn't going to add much relative value. If you add Price, you're just bumping McHugh, and one of the big 3 is going to be mostly unused. A SP could be helpful in the regular season (bumping Feldman), but really adds little value in the postseason. We already have a great back end of the bullpen, so throwing McHugh (or worse, McCullers) into that mix after you've already moved VV into it is sort of pointless. The only way they'd all pitch is if our SP implodes, in which case you've probably already lost the game anyway.
I expect the asking pieces for Price to be just a slightly bit higher than what was asked for Cueto.... who would be higher than what the A's got for Kazmir. Will need to see what the Reds ultimately got from KC... given word that one of the pieces yesterday had possible health issues, we need to see if the revised trade resulted in an "upgrade" or a "downgrade" in terms of quality of player received (my guess is KC did not want the deal to go away, so they may have had to give up a little more).
True, not sure why that slipped my mind. I guess Ive just been wary of his situation because of that contract, so I haven't really had him in mind for a trade. Not that I would be opposed to it, Im just not sure how Crane feels about big money until he actually comes through with big money contracts.
I think there are likely just as many examples of great pitching staffs that implode and mediocre pitching staffs that get hot.
I don't think there are many examples of teams with mediocre pitching staffs that even make the playoffs to warrant an analysis. Also just as unlikely that every single "great" starting pitcher on a great starting pitching staff struggles. Yes, short series/small sample sizes can allow for anything... but great starting pitching has the chance to be far more consistent over a short series than "great hitting" (that usually is dictated by how good the starting pitching is).
Yea i'll have to respectfully disagree McCullers has been really good, great at times. He is extremely young, and struggles with command at times. No matter how they use him from here on, by the playoffs he will be in unchartered territory for him innings wise. Maybe he will handle that fine, maybe not. Maybe he would handle a bigtime playoff game fine at his age, maybe not. I do agree that our rotation, as is, would give us a good chance to win playoff series. I'll take David Price over Lance in the playoffs right now though, and wouldn't think twice about it
If Marwin can even play the position to the level of Carter - who I think it a better fielder right now than Singleton at this point - it's an upgrade in the daily lineup until we can bring along something out of the farm or pick up a better option. Not ideal, but we have too many holes in the starting lineup. We pitched well enough to win last night. I actually like our rotation right now, for the most part.
Only in weak divisions, I'd imagine. Late '90's Rangers, some of the NL West teams like the Rockies/Padres. This is just off the top of my head, though.
Yep, i'd agree that on those three Price "should" get a little more than Cueto or Kazmir The one thing i'd say though, is when gauging "how much" someone got, it's all in the eyes of the team trading for the prospects. Baseball America or Law or MLB.com or anyone else that provides rankings of prospects always is the gauge that most of us use to see "how much" someone got. How the teams making the deal views these prospects is usually a lot different from how those ranking guys view them. Heck, our own situation with Luhnow should tell us that. I bet if we knew how our own front office actually viewed our own prospects, and those on other teams, it would look quite differently than what those sites publish
Sure, if you want to diminish the sample size even further. But, in looking at a playoffs as a whole... typically good starting pitchers end up doing well.... and in 2005, Oswalt was great, Pettite was good (including the WS)... and Clemens actually had the "worst" post-season of the 3, but was somewhat redeemed by coning in relief for the 18 inning game. Meanwhile, guys like Biggio and Bagwell need almost 5 post-season chances to get enough AB's to start putting up numbers closer to their career ones (again, influenced plenty by the starting pitching they had to go up against).
You would think that this is Luhnow's top priority, but if nothing's available he has secondary deals in the works to compensate, even if it's strenghening an already strong area. As to whoever mentioned catcher, Lucroy would be by far my #1 offseason trade target if I'm the Astros. Great on defense, solid bat, ridiculously cheap contract. He's probably the only guy I would consider trading for now, also. Brewers allegedly want a ton for him.
