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Post by Saint on Nov 9, 2022 13:05:59 GMT -6
To me, if they want Yordan to play some more LF, signing Brantley makes even more sense.
Split Yordan between LF/DH. Split Brantley between LF/DH/Bench. Get a power 1B who plays 1B/DH. (If they can fill-in at LF sometimes if needed, even better.) Sign Yuli to backup 1B, 2B, and maybe DH a little. Altuve, Bregman, and Pena do their thing. Hensley backs up 3B and SS. Trade for a CFer if you get JV back. Chas to be 4th OFer. If you don't get JV back, have Meyers and Chas cover CF/4th OFer. Korey Lee to split C duties. Yainer Diaz maybe starts the year in AAA but will for sure see time during the year with injuries. Sign a veteran set-up man to replace Montero (or get Montero back).
Done.
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Post by unionstation82 on Nov 9, 2022 13:08:04 GMT -6
I don’t see Click agreeing to a one-year deal to play second fiddle to Dusty while Crane waits for Stearns to be free from his contract with the Brewers. He could embrace that role like Joe Espada does.
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Post by nathangarza29 on Nov 9, 2022 13:58:29 GMT -6
The way Crane is talking we r in on a big bat and depth. They want Montero back and JV. Contreras might be an Astro soon? Idk but he sounds like he is gonna spend that cash to try and win again
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Post by unionstation82 on Nov 9, 2022 14:05:08 GMT -6
The way Crane is talking we r in on a big bat and depth. They want Montero back and JV. Contreras might be an Astro soon? Idk but he sounds like he is gonna spend that cash to try and win again I don’t understand Contreras so much. Will Maldy be the backup?
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Post by Saint on Nov 9, 2022 14:14:01 GMT -6
The way Crane is talking we r in on a big bat and depth. They want Montero back and JV. Contreras might be an Astro soon? Idk but he sounds like he is gonna spend that cash to try and win again I don’t understand Contreras so much. Will Maldy be the backup? I wouldn't be upset if we got Contreras since he can DH if they keep letting Maldonado catch, but I don't think that should be our primary area of focus. We've proven for years now that we don't need a high offense catcher (provided we can get offense somewhere else). A tandem of Maldonado/Lee/Diaz will be fine unless we're giving up on Lee and Diaz. Outside of a few stars (Judge, Contreras, Abreu, Nimmo) it's really kind of a weak free agent market unless you need a shortstop. I wonder if Contreras could play some 1B?
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Ashitaka
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Post by Ashitaka on Nov 9, 2022 15:22:56 GMT -6
Whatever his methods or style are, we've seen an unprecedented amount of success for the franchise (and the city) under his ownership. If it was up to me I'd give Click a 3-year deal. But, no matter who is influencing him or not, the results Crane has gotten have been excellent. I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. Besides, Jackson, Bagwell, and others are consultants for a reason; they're supposed to give their opinions. Crane is obviously a capable guy who knows baseball, so I'm not going to lose sleep over him being at the helm. He's done everything necessary to get us from where we were to where we are. When guys who "know baseball" have power, things can get ugly mlb.nbcsports.com/2016/08/18/dave-stewart-tony-la-russa-and-the-laughingstock-that-is-the-diamondbacks-front-office/That's not enough in the modern game. You need a guy like Luhnow or Click or you'll always be three steps behind. Mark my words; if the Astros franchise starts to crumble down the line, we'll probably be looking back to right now when Crane got handsy, fired the smart guy, and listened to much to the former players. I can't be the only one who shudders at the thought of someone like Bagwell, who spends half his time in the booth saying that launch angle is meaningless, actually having a real say in or affect on front office affairs.
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Post by Saint on Nov 9, 2022 15:33:56 GMT -6
Whatever his methods or style are, we've seen an unprecedented amount of success for the franchise (and the city) under his ownership. If it was up to me I'd give Click a 3-year deal. But, no matter who is influencing him or not, the results Crane has gotten have been excellent. I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. Besides, Jackson, Bagwell, and others are consultants for a reason; they're supposed to give their opinions. Crane is obviously a capable guy who knows baseball, so I'm not going to lose sleep over him being at the helm. He's done everything necessary to get us from where we were to where we are. When guys who "know baseball" have power, things can get ugly mlb.nbcsports.com/2016/08/18/dave-stewart-tony-la-russa-and-the-laughingstock-that-is-the-diamondbacks-front-office/That's not enough in the modern game. You need a guy like Luhnow or Click or you'll always be three steps behind. Mark my words; if the Astros franchise starts to crumble down the line, we'll probably be looking back to right now when Crane got handsy, fired the smart guy, and listened to much to the former players. I can't be the only one who shudders at the thought of someone like Bagwell, who spends half his time in the booth saying that launch angle is meaningless, actually having a real say in or affect on front office affairs. But you don't really know how much he's actually listening to Bagwell and Jackson, or to what he's listening to them about. It could be things like team dynamics, coachability, workout habits, thoughts on other teams, etc. It doesn't mean he's necessarily listening to them on major business or team decisions. And I don't know why anybody would think he's suddenly going to do something drastically different from what he has always done since buying the team. He's always picked up analytical guys and he's seen the success that is has led to. As for Bagwell, he's already been working with the guys for years now and it hasn't hurt anything. It sounds like him and Click just have very different approaches, and he may be looking for someone more like him. No reason to be alarmed at this point.
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Post by nathangarza29 on Nov 9, 2022 15:36:25 GMT -6
Didn't Rizzo and Dusty have a great chemistry?
I wonder if that's it?
Or is Crane gonna shoot shoot moon for Judge.
Crane sounds like he wants yo go back yo back
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Post by Saint on Nov 9, 2022 15:40:38 GMT -6
I don't know why people think we'd go after Judge.
Rizzo is certainly plausible and could be a good fit.
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Post by olpapa on Nov 9, 2022 16:36:37 GMT -6
What position does yo go back yo back play? LF? 1B? Can he hit?
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Post by olpapa on Nov 9, 2022 16:45:40 GMT -6
I don't know why people think we'd go after Judge. Rizzo is certainly plausible and could be a good fit. We don’t need Judge. He will be way too expensive. We need to wait until yo go back yo back is posted by KBO……., or is it NPB? Either way, who knows? He might be another Ohtani!
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Post by unionstation82 on Nov 9, 2022 17:50:36 GMT -6
Judge would be cool here, but it would be overkill like when the Yanks got Stanton.
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Post by Saint on Nov 9, 2022 18:21:58 GMT -6
Judge would be cool here, but it would be overkill like when the Yanks got Stanton. I feel like we've beaten Judge too often to really want him for that kind of money.
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Post by thomasj13 on Nov 9, 2022 18:47:29 GMT -6
Judge would be cool here, but it would be overkill like when the Yanks got Stanton. I feel like we've beaten Judge too often to really want him for that kind of money. I like the fact that the Astros are in the driver's seat for 2023....They are deep. Have few needs. Have some cap space to spend. Have a player's coach....To FA thinking about signing somewhere: Wanna ring? Wanna have fun? Wanna pay less income taxes? Wanna play in a roof covered stadium, to combat heat/bad weather? Wanna be in a HEB commercial?
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Ashitaka
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Post by Ashitaka on Nov 9, 2022 19:00:01 GMT -6
Odorizzi traded to the Rangers. From our team just in time to miss the WS run, to the Braves who choked, and now to Arlington LOL.
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Post by thomasj13 on Nov 9, 2022 19:07:50 GMT -6
Odorizzi traded to the Rangers. From our team just in time to miss the WS run, to the Braves who choked, and now to Arlington LOL. Fiers 2.0....
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Post by abregmanfan on Nov 9, 2022 19:44:36 GMT -6
What position does yo go back yo back play? LF? 1B? Can he hit? He is saying you need to go to a yoga class.
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Post by unionstation82 on Nov 9, 2022 19:47:24 GMT -6
Odorizzi traded to the Rangers. From our team just in time to miss the WS run, to the Braves who choked, and now to Arlington LOL. Fiers 2.0.... I’d only say that if he gave away secrets.
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Post by Saint on Nov 9, 2022 21:26:06 GMT -6
I feel like we've beaten Judge too often to really want him for that kind of money. I like the fact that the Astros are in the driver's seat for 2023....They are deep. Have few needs. Have some cap space to spend. Have a player's coach....To FA thinking about signing somewhere: Wanna ring? Wanna have fun? Wanna pay less income taxes? Wanna play in a roof covered stadium, to combat heat/bad weather? Wanna be in a HEB commercial? Yeah, but I think there is still a good amount of players that hold ill will still.
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Post by bearbryant on Nov 10, 2022 1:48:48 GMT -6
I agree when it comes to pro sports, the best owners are the ones who hire the competent personnel who know how to identify and acquire the talent, and let them do their jobs without getting in the way. And that that formula served Crane well when Luhnow and the win-at-all-cost gang was in charge
On the other hand, I can't blame him for becoming more like Drayton in the years since. First of all it's his baseball team, he can do with it what he wants. Second if I was an owner, and I kept getting chewed out by the commissioner over news reports attributing crude conduct to the personnel in my front office, I'd probably make changes to the way I managed things as well
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Post by unionstation82 on Nov 10, 2022 7:02:25 GMT -6
I agree when it comes to pro sports, the best owners are the ones who hire the competent personnel who know how to identify and acquire the talent, and let them do their jobs without getting in the way. And that that formula served Crane well when Luhnow and the win-at-all-cost gang was in charge
On the other hand, I can't blame him for becoming more like Drayton in the years since. First of all it's his baseball team, he can do with it what he wants. Second if I was an owner, and I kept getting chewed out by the commissioner over news reports attributing crude conduct to the personnel in my front office, I'd probably make changes to the way I managed things as well
I don’t buy that Crane didn’t know what was going on, but I also don’t blame him for wanting to make sure the PR hits stopped happening. However, Click wasn’t a part of that mess. Offering a geriatric manager a short term contract is one thing, but it’s just insulting to do that to a GM who inherited a mess albeit a solid major league roster. He drafted two straight years without two rounds of picks right after the big Greinke trade with a farm in shambles. Despite all that, he still turned things around and quickly. Taking a chance on a not-so-young Jeremy Peña after letting a franchise icon go took tremendous balls and it paid off. The kid was our best postseason hitter in terms of relentless consistency on both sides of the ball. Doing that despite McCullers’s overall lack of a clutch gene helped lead the team to (almost) three straight World Series and a championship. Click could do much better than a 1-year deal. I wish him well. He’s earned our respect, and it’ll be a big loss if Crane doesn’t wake up.
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Post by kyledriver1980 on Nov 10, 2022 8:21:27 GMT -6
No surprise here. Still think the chances of him being an Astro next season is greater than 60%.
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Post by bearbryant on Nov 10, 2022 8:22:56 GMT -6
I agree when it comes to pro sports, the best owners are the ones who hire the competent personnel who know how to identify and acquire the talent, and let them do their jobs without getting in the way. And that that formula served Crane well when Luhnow and the win-at-all-cost gang was in charge
On the other hand, I can't blame him for becoming more like Drayton in the years since. First of all it's his baseball team, he can do with it what he wants. Second if I was an owner, and I kept getting chewed out by the commissioner over news reports attributing crude conduct to the personnel in my front office, I'd probably make changes to the way I managed things as well
I don’t buy that Crane didn’t know what was going on, but I also don’t blame him for wanting to make sure the PR hits stopped happening. However, Click wasn’t a part of that mess. Offering a geriatric manager a short term contract is one thing, but it’s just insulting to do that to a GM who inherited a mess albeit a solid major league roster. He drafted two straight years without two rounds of picks right after the big Greinke trade with a farm in shambles. Despite all that, he still turned things around and quickly. Taking a chance on a not-so-young Jeremy Peña after letting a franchise icon go took tremendous balls and it paid off. The kid was our best postseason hitter in terms of relentless consistency on both sides of the ball. Doing that despite McCullers’s overall lack of a clutch gene helped lead the team to (almost) three straight World Series and a championship. Click could do much better than a 1-year deal. I wish him well. He’s earned our respect, and it’ll be a big loss if Crane doesn’t wake up. I said a few days ago, I'm concerned Crane could be one of those owners who thinks we have two titles because of the buttons he pushed, and if he just pushes a few more he can get us a third. That coupled with a manager in his seventies who's accomplished everything wanting to hang on cause he loves hearing how awesome he is is a worrisome future for how things will be managed. If you were to pit that future versus one where Mr. Click ran the joint, I've already said which one I'm rooting for
Also, we can't say Crane was great with Luhnow cause he was hands-off, but he knew about the cheating and kept it a secret like Nixon and the Watergate break-in. That isn't very consistent
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Post by thomasj13 on Nov 10, 2022 8:29:12 GMT -6
No surprise here. Still think the chances of him being an Astro next season is greater than 60%. If Verlander re-signs with the Astros, great. If goes elsewhere and Crane uses that $40-$45M in FA, great. If the above "ifs" happen, either way the Astros win.
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Post by kyledriver1980 on Nov 10, 2022 8:51:23 GMT -6
No surprise here. Still think the chances of him being an Astro next season is greater than 60%. If Verlander re-signs with the Astros, great. If goes elsewhere and Crane uses that $40-$45M in FA, great. If the above "ifs" happen, either way the Astros win. My sentiment exactly. If he returns great, if we save the money and spend it elsewhere great!
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Post by Saint on Nov 10, 2022 8:57:58 GMT -6
I don’t buy that Crane didn’t know what was going on, but I also don’t blame him for wanting to make sure the PR hits stopped happening. However, Click wasn’t a part of that mess. Offering a geriatric manager a short term contract is one thing, but it’s just insulting to do that to a GM who inherited a mess albeit a solid major league roster. He drafted two straight years without two rounds of picks right after the big Greinke trade with a farm in shambles. Despite all that, he still turned things around and quickly. Taking a chance on a not-so-young Jeremy Peña after letting a franchise icon go took tremendous balls and it paid off. The kid was our best postseason hitter in terms of relentless consistency on both sides of the ball. Doing that despite McCullers’s overall lack of a clutch gene helped lead the team to (almost) three straight World Series and a championship. Click could do much better than a 1-year deal. I wish him well. He’s earned our respect, and it’ll be a big loss if Crane doesn’t wake up. I said a few days ago, I'm concerned Crane could be one of those owners who thinks we have two titles because of the buttons he pushed, and if he just pushes a few more he can get us a third. That coupled with a manager in his seventies who's accomplished everything wanting to hang on cause he loves hearing how awesome he is is a worrisome future for how things will be managed. If you were to pit that future versus one where Mr. Click ran the joint, I've already said which one I'm rooting for
Also, we can't say Crane was great with Luhnow cause he was hands-off, but he knew about the cheating and kept it a secret like Nixon and the Watergate break-in. That isn't very consistent
Until the team starts to show negative effects from Crane being more involved, I'm not going to worry about it. It's hard to complain too much about the current state of things. But that being said, nobody stays on top of the mountain forever. (And we've been dominating this mountain top pretty well for quite a while now.)
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Post by m240 on Nov 10, 2022 9:03:10 GMT -6
Houston has been able to keep this train moving down the tracks successfully because they managed prospects and payroll well. Leon, Lee, and Diaz are not going to get very much benefit from sitting down on the farm so, just like with Pena, it is time to see what we have with these young men.
If we are intent on bringing back Maldonado one more time then fine, Lee and Diaz can pick up any slack time left over invest the rest of their time working with the staff as they work on their stuff throughout the year. Diaz has always hit and I feel certain that he will hit with Houston next year so also giving him time at first is a strong possibility.
Leon is strong defensively and seems to be developing a little more patience so he gives up options at both center and short to provide breaks and late inning defensive substitutions.
Lee seemed to me to not be overwhelmed with his time up last year and seemed to be able to handle the role of back up catcher so no real need there.
In this whole scenario the guy who seems to be left out is Myer. So he better hope his shoulder is healed and he regains his plate discipline if he intends to compete with Leon for a roster spot.
In the final analysis my opinion is that we need to sign a free agent first baseman that can hold down the 5 or 6 hole in the line up. Sign Brantley to a team friendly deal, Add a solid bullpen arm, Come to terms with the fact that Verlander is this year's Cole, Springer, and Correa. If he signs a deal that does not bust the bank then the team will bring him back. If Crane decides that the money could be better put to use extending Valdez, Javier, or Tucker then that is what will happen. I sincerely doubt that both will occur as that would be out of character.
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Post by olpapa on Nov 10, 2022 11:29:10 GMT -6
Effective at 4 PM CDT today free agents can sign with any team they want to. I am seeing the rumors about Contreras possibly signing with Houston, but will be surprised if that happens. If Contreras signs with the Astros, I think Lee will be traded.... possibly to the D’backs in a deal for one of their lefty hitting outfielders.
I believe that Jose Abreu or Josh Bell will sign with the Astros. Maybe Nimmo. Maybe Seth Lugo.
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Ashitaka
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Post by Ashitaka on Nov 10, 2022 11:41:29 GMT -6
Effective at 4 PM CDT today free agents can sign with any team they want to. I am seeing the rumors about Contreras possibly signing with Houston, but will be surprised if that happens. If Contreras signs with the Astros, I think Lee will be traded.... possibly to the D’backs in a deal for one of their lefty hitting outfielders. I believe that Jose Abreu or Josh Bell will sign with the Astros. Maybe Nimmo. Maybe Seth Lugo. I don't think Contreras would necessarily lead to a Lee trade, nor should it. Lee is on the 40-man and hasn't really hit his stride with the stick at AAA yet. Aside from that, Contreras isn't a well-regarded backstop, and has experience at 1B and LF. Honestly they could both be on the 26-man roster and it wouldn't be strange. Ultimately I don't think they're that interested in Contreras. As a rental, maybe. But he'll like get something like 4 years, $20-25 million, and I doubt they want to do that for a catcher who isn't a great catcher. I do think Abreu and Bell should be (and maybe are) the key targets though. Abreu just seems like he would be such a perfect fit given the whole Cuban thing, his age limiting the years he'll get, still hitting very well, the fact that he's already made a ton of money but never had a deep playoff run...just seems like it would be the perfect union.
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Post by thomasj13 on Nov 10, 2022 11:45:02 GMT -6
Effective at 4 PM CDT today free agents can sign with any team they want to. I am seeing the rumors about Contreras possibly signing with Houston, but will be surprised if that happens. If Contreras signs with the Astros, I think Lee will be traded.... possibly to the D’backs in a deal for one of their lefty hitting outfielders. I believe that Jose Abreu or Josh Bell will sign with the Astros. Maybe Nimmo. Maybe Seth Lugo. Which of these three would you rather have happen $60M worth of annual commitment spending 1. Short term contracts Verlander $37.5M (2 years), Yuli $5M (1 year), Brantley $7.5 M (1 year) + $10M to be spent on bullpen 2. One Long Contract + Short Contracts Judge $42.5M (6 years), Yuli $5M ( 1 year), Brantley $7.5 M (1 year) + $10 M to be spent on bullpen 3. Longer Contact Commitments Nimmo $20M (5 Years), Bell $15M ( 4 years) or Rizzo $18 M (3 years), Brantley $7.5M (1 year) + $15M to $17.5M to spend on bullpen 4. Longer Contract Commitments Contreras $20M ( 4 years), Nimmo $20M ( 5 years), Brantley $7.5M (1 year), Yuli $5 M (1 year) + $7.5M for bullpen
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