I looked at everything including a post from someone who thought the clip was clear and couldn't tell either way. I think people are seeing what they want to see or fear seeing. The angles I saw just does not show the ball making contact with either the arm of the receiver or the shoulder of the gunner. Like it or not, officials who may not have seen it clearly are influenced by the players AND calling a questionable play a turnover BECAUSE it will be reviewed is considered the preferable treatment these days.
Though signed by the Dodgers, he never played for them. They had nothing but the scouting report. They were relieved we weren't asking for the better known Alvarez at the time.
Of course... but whenever you're going to be trading prospects for established players while your team is in win-now mode, you run this risk. The more often you trade, the more likely you'll let somebody slip through the cracks that was never thought of to go on to greatness.
The Astros were built to be in win every year mode. That was what that long rebuild was about. You can rebuild much more quickly to get a win now team but a team that is in always win mode requires more effort and time. It also requires that free agency be avoided as much as possible. If you miscalculate and are forced to shop for a free agent make short contracts and shed those players as soon as possible. A roster dependent upon free agency is not sustainable.
My point was to say the Astros should never be in "win now" mode. Win now presupposes lose later and should be avoided whenever possible.
ok... but we were talking about the Dodgers, not the Astros. As far as whether teams should or shouldn't be in win-now mode... this past season/off-season the Astros re-acquired JV for prospects, signed FA Abreu, and are likely looking to make more signings vs. trades to optimize the window of Altuve/Bregman/Tucker/Yordan/Abreu/JV. If that's not win-now, what do you call it? Also it can always be looked at slightly differently when this team is literally going on 10 years of having a window of competing (as are the Dodgers). Teams that go all-out for 1-2 years (Padres?) are definitely more what you're describing. Additionally, all runs have to come to an end... no matter what the management strategy.
Astros philosophy under Luhnow was not really about free agency, trades, or homegrown talent. It's about maximizing talent at below market value salary and limiting the time commitment to players who are higher priced. Identify talent and then identify the current and future value and avoid contracts that cross that line. Sometimes even a FA can be had well below the value assigned by the team. Yuli Gurriel is a great example of this - 5 yrs / $47.5M. The Astros viewed his value to be way over that, so they signed him and it worked out beautifully. No way they do that if they are "anti FA" or "anti spending" it's all about the individual and the value and they come at several different levels
I would describe it in one word. VALUE. Whether it be individual players or undervalued markets like older Latin players or in Altuve's case, atypical stature. They also found gold with struggling pitchers they thought we could make better. We didn't hit on all, but enough to give us an edge on roster depth.
I would make a subtle clarification. If win now means getting layers now which hinder or prevent future success, I would disagree. But winning now is always part of sustained excellence. It is not necessary to cycle through boom and bust cycles.
Maximizing talent at below market value salary (aka best bang for buck, most talent within team means) was the philosophy. Acquiring players via draft, IFA, trades prior to player being a major leaguer, and trading homegrown talent in consolidation trades were the primary means of executing that philosophy.
Looking at where the Astros are, I cant help also think of the Rockets, in a completely opposite way. The Astros, having been at the top, trying to find a way to stay there. The Rockets, having been at the bottom, trying to find way to not be. The Astros, looking at their veterans moving on. The Rockets, looking to add more veterans. The Astros, short on high ceiling youth to replace their vets. The Rockets have a plethora of high ceiling youth. The Astros are looking at their window to compete at the highest level beginning to close. The Rockets are looking at their window to compete at the highest level just beginning to open.
