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Post by Saint on Mar 11, 2019 15:48:07 GMT -6
Count me as one who isn’t totally sold on White being a consistent offensive threat. I like him more than Gattis, though. Also, I’m not sold on White’s defense at all. I guess it depends on what you mean by "totally sold". I'm not totally sold that he can maintain what he did last year (140 OPS+). I'm also not totally sold that Bregman can repeat or that Altuve can bounce back to his healthy MVP-level performance either though. But, based on how well he hit in AAA, and how well he has hit the last two seasons when called up, I see no reason to believe that he can't be a good offensive producer (115-130 OPS+). I agree on the defense though. He's likely a weak-to-mediocre defensive 1B or pure DH. And that's okay as long as he's cheap. P.S. For the record, I believe that Bregman and Altuve can, but there are certainly some question marks. |
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Post by ɮօʀȶǟʐ on Mar 11, 2019 15:53:55 GMT -6
Count me as one who isn’t totally sold on White being a consistent offensive threat. I like him more than Gattis, though. Also, I’m not sold on White’s defense at all. The player doesn't exist, and never has existed, that you've been totally sold on being a consistent offensive threat. |
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Post by unionstation82 on Mar 11, 2019 20:12:24 GMT -6
Count me as one who isn’t totally sold on White being a consistent offensive threat. I like him more than Gattis, though. Also, I’m not sold on White’s defense at all. The player doesn't exist, and never has existed, that you've been totally sold on being a consistent offensive threat. Harris is consistently offensive to me. |
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Post by unionstation82 on Mar 11, 2019 20:14:29 GMT -6
Count me as one who isn’t totally sold on White being a consistent offensive threat. I like him more than Gattis, though. Also, I’m not sold on White’s defense at all. I guess it depends on what you mean by "totally sold". I'm not totally sold that he can maintain what he did last year (140 OPS+). I'm also not totally sold that Bregman can repeat or that Altuve can bounce back to his healthy MVP-level performance either though. But, based on how well he hit in AAA, and how well he has hit the last two seasons when called up, I see no reason to believe that he can't be a good offensive producer (115-130 OPS+). I agree on the defense though. He's likely a weak-to-mediocre defensive 1B or pure DH. And that's okay as long as he's cheap. P.S. For the record, I believe that Bregman and Altuve can, but there are certainly some question marks. I pray to Jeebus that Altuve can bounce back from his injury sooner rather than later. Bregman has the best offensive skills, in my opinion, but the jury is out on whether or not is badass season is repeatable. |
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Post by blcoach8 on Mar 11, 2019 20:19:22 GMT -6
The player doesn't exist, and never has existed, that you've been totally sold on being a consistent offensive threat. Harris is consistently offensive to me. Me, too........I am also sick of the Devenski Strut. |
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Post by astrosdoug on Mar 11, 2019 23:15:50 GMT -6
People are down on Devenski because of his downward trend season to season. However, I agree with you that it’s just Spring Training. But again, he was great last year until his health issues. On pace for better than his all-star season. We can't let a limited sample size color our opinion so much. Devenski is not Wesley Wright or Josh Fields. Speaking of Josh Fields, I think he's just been put on waivers. I was pretty glad to see him go at the end of the 2015 season, but he's been surprisingly good for the Dodgers. His advanced stats suggest he probably can't continue repeating his good performance for LAD, but who knows, there might be something about his mentality or mechanics that allows him to keep beating his projections. I don't think Fields would be especially expensive this year (under $2M) so with all the questions marks cropping up in the bullpen, it might make sense to get him as a durable veteran reliever who has a history with the club. |
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Post by astrosdoug on Mar 11, 2019 23:17:06 GMT -6
On the plus side, Reddick is looking very strong in ST so far. If he returns closer to his 2017 form (which I think he can), we should have a very impressive all-around OF this year if they stay healthy. That's been a really positive development. |
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Post by astrosdoug on Mar 11, 2019 23:21:07 GMT -6
Tanielu is looking like a nice Marwin replacement (at least for the IF) if Diaz doesn't work out. He is making it difficult to send him down,but, my guess is he won't open the season with the Astros. Unlike Whitley/Tucker/Alvarez, most fans could live with Tanielu being traded. if some team out there is sufficiently impressed with Tanielu that they will give us a quality reliever or starter for him (Tony Watson, Will Smith, Craig Stammen, Bumgarner...), I say do it. On the other hand, having Tanielu as depth in AAA is good too. If Altuve's knee problem resurfaces, Tanielu would be a solid replacement at 2B. I wouldn't be too discouraged by Aledmys Diaz's slow start to the spring. His MLB record suggests he will do just fine as a bench player this season. Being new to the team, he is probably trying a little too hard to impress AJ. |
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Post by astrosdoug on Mar 11, 2019 23:24:17 GMT -6
I see AJ Reed is still not hitting. Leaving 5 on base today. I’m not shocked. I think the hype machine got us expecting more from Reed than he can give. At the height of his popularity as a prospect, Reed could have gotten a pretty good player back in a trade. |
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Post by astrosdoug on Mar 11, 2019 23:32:16 GMT -6
Count me as one who isn’t totally sold on White being a consistent offensive threat. I like him more than Gattis, though. Also, I’m not sold on White’s defense at all. I guess it depends on what you mean by "totally sold". I'm not totally sold that he can maintain what he did last year (140 OPS+). I'm also not totally sold that Bregman can repeat or that Altuve can bounce back to his healthy MVP-level performance either though. But, based on how well he hit in AAA, and how well he has hit the last two seasons when called up, I see no reason to believe that he can't be a good offensive producer (115-130 OPS+). I agree on the defense though. He's likely a weak-to-mediocre defensive 1B or pure DH. And that's okay as long as he's cheap. P.S. For the record, I believe that Bregman and Altuve can, but there are certainly some question marks. White's been getting BABIP'd to death the past couple weeks. Making a lot of good contact, but the ball just isn't finding open grass. I think Hinch would rather see quality contact than lucky bloopers or infield squibblers that happen to fall for a hit. Also, White seemed to be working on going oppo the first couple weeks and is only now starting to pull the ball. So the hitting coach might be asking him to try certain techniques rather than approach each AB with the idea of maximizing his chances for a hit. He will never be a defensive wizard, but I've seen him make at least 3 really solid defensive plays at 3B and 1B this spring. Impressive for a guy his size. Overall, I like how Yuli and Reddick seem to be responding positively to the pressure White and Tucker are putting on them to show their worth. |
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Post by astrosdoug on Mar 11, 2019 23:38:37 GMT -6
At this point, McHugh is only throwing 2 innings per start so I'm not very sure he will be able to give 100 pitches in his first scheduled regular season game.
Granted, McHugh is a bit ahead of Keuchel in terms of readiness but the difference is McHugh has a job and a salary whereas Keuchel doesn't.
At this point, McHugh ought to be able to go 5 innings. He has a lot of ground to make up if he wants to begin the season in the starting rotation.
Miley and Peacock should be locks for the rotation. The fifth guy could be McHugh if he's ready but Hinch should be open to considering others.
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Post by astrosdoug on Mar 12, 2019 4:34:54 GMT -6
a few more rule changes were announced for the independent Atlantic League this week, some of which I hadn't heard of before other than robo umps:
* No shifts - there must be two infielders on each side of 2B
* Intermission between innings will be 1:45 instead, about 20-30 seconds more than what we are accustomed to
* Bases will be 18x18 inches instead of the current 15x15
I don't mind the first rule and I applaud the second rule.
The third one sounds bizarre to me; can't see what's wrong with the current bases and also I'm not sure what the history on that is going back to the early days of baseball.
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Post by astrosdoug on Mar 12, 2019 4:42:23 GMT -6
An interesting history of the dimensions of the bases in baseball: "The first written mention of the dimensions of the bases was mentioned in the 1857 playing rules. It was specified that the bases were to cover one square foot, made of canvas, painted white and filled with sand or saw-dust. All bases were to be fastened to the field at each corner. Third and first base were to be turned so that a line from home would go through one of the corners and exit the other and the center of the base would be 30 yard from home base. " continues at www.19cbaseball.com/field-9.html |
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Post by astrosdoug on Mar 12, 2019 4:52:29 GMT -6
From the same website, another bit of trivia of interest to Houstonians: Galveston served as the site of the third baseball game ever played at night and lit by electrical lights -- 1897.
Two weeks later the same thing was done at a game in San Antonio.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 12, 2019 5:39:38 GMT -6
a few more rule changes were announced for the independent Atlantic League this week, some of which I hadn't heard of before other than robo umps: * No shifts - there must be two infielders on each side of 2B * Intermission between innings will be 1:45 instead, about 20-30 seconds more than what we are accustomed to * Bases will be 18x18 inches instead of the current 15x15 I don't mind the first rule and I applaud the second rule. The third one sounds bizarre to me; can't see what's wrong with the current bases and also I'm not sure what the history on that is going back to the early days of baseball. Am I hearing this right? In between innings will be 20-30 seonds longer? How is this a good thing?, unless the (obvious) intent is to get another radio or TV ad in. If baseball wants to speed this game up, they are sure showing a strange way to do it by adding by design another 8 1/2 more minutes to the game. (16 or 17 game breaks times 30 seconds/each) I also disagree about the mandate around employing the shift. How about players become more disciplined at the plate and adjust their swings to beat defensive placement like they did in the old days. I agree with your comment around the change in the size of the bag. Very strange It does give the offensive a tiny advantage by extending perimeter of the base about a inch and half. (i.e 1.5 inches less distance to get to the bag). But OTOH, it also helps the defense minutely by reducing the instances where the fielder misses the bag in a force situation, or at First base. Lastly, I absolutely am excited about the possibility in the future of getting robo-umping at the plate. There are a handful of AL umpires whose game calling is so god awful bad they their ineptness often changes the outcome of the game. Fernandez, Bucknor, and West are you listening? Thanks for sharing these MILB updates Doug. MLB always test cases these changes in the minors, so I think we can expect most of these at MLB games soon. |
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Post by unionstation82 on Mar 12, 2019 7:48:59 GMT -6
But again, he was great last year until his health issues. On pace for better than his all-star season. We can't let a limited sample size color our opinion so much. Devenski is not Wesley Wright or Josh Fields. Speaking of Josh Fields, I think he's just been put on waivers. I was pretty glad to see him go at the end of the 2015 season, but he's been surprisingly good for the Dodgers. His advanced stats suggest he probably can't continue repeating his good performance for LAD, but who knows, there might be something about his mentality or mechanics that allows him to keep beating his projections. I don't think Fields would be especially expensive this year (under $2M) so with all the questions marks cropping up in the bullpen, it might make sense to get him as a durable veteran reliever who has a history with the club. Sometimes, Fields came through for us in the clutch. |
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Post by ɮօʀȶǟʐ on Mar 12, 2019 8:11:02 GMT -6
Unfortunately, the Astros have already met their max allotment of players named Josh.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 12, 2019 8:37:28 GMT -6
Unfortunately, the Astros have already met their max allotment of players named Josh. Very true, and also players named Framber. |
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Post by blcoach8 on Mar 12, 2019 11:17:04 GMT -6
Just read an article where Bregman is mouthing off about being "unhappy" with the Astros position on a contract extension for him. Note to Bregman: Keep your damn shut, do your job, and you will be paid. Altuve worked dirt cheap before signing his extension and he kept his mouth shut and played. Bregman needs to do the same.
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Post by unionstation82 on Mar 12, 2019 12:55:33 GMT -6
Just read an article where Bregman is mouthing off about being "unhappy" with the Astros position on a contract extension for him. Note to Bregman: Keep your damn shut, do your job, and you will be paid. Altuve worked dirt cheap before signing his extension and he kept his mouth shut and played. Bregman needs to do the same. So, we’re all in a consensus about this being annoying? |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 12, 2019 14:13:36 GMT -6
Just read an article where Bregman is mouthing off about being "unhappy" with the Astros position on a contract extension for him. Note to Bregman: Keep your damn shut, do your job, and you will be paid. Altuve worked dirt cheap before signing his extension and he kept his mouth shut and played. Bregman needs to do the same. So, we’re all in a consensus about this being annoying? Yeah. He is such a great player, but he hasn't been in the league long enough to be criticizing these sorts of things. This is just the way the league works. Corch hit the nail on the head by stating if you model yourself after Altuve then you will be rewarded. |
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Post by marshall on Mar 12, 2019 14:24:28 GMT -6
I used to work with Real Estate Right of Way and it wasn't unusual to use options for the acquisition of properties which had little value unless the project could move forward. You would pay for an option which gave you the right to exercise it at an agreed upon price, usually within a certain time-frame. It was usually a fraction of the value of the property, but was paid immediately, whether the future option was ever exercised or not. Suppose you took out an option for Bregman in 2023 for $2M and it agreed to a payment of $20M if exercised. Bregman gets money up front, but the Astros are protected from a burdensome contract because of injury or performances which could fall off a cliff. This would be a little different than a contract extension since it doesn't cover the intervening years at all. Forgetting the actual numbers, could the concept be utilized for players who perform extremely well in their early pre-arbitration years?
If the option were not exercised, he would be a FA.
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Post by blcoach8 on Mar 12, 2019 15:11:05 GMT -6
So, we’re all in a consensus about this being annoying? Yeah. He is such a great player, but he hasn't been in the league long enough to be criticizing these sorts of things. This is just the way the league works. Corch hit the nail on the head by stating if you model yourself after Altuve then you will be rewarded. He has had one great season and thinks he should get paid like a guy......namely Altuve......who has paid his dues and done it over time. If he behaves himself and keeps producing, he will get his money, We have other contracts that need extended ahead of him |
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Post by ɮօʀȶǟʐ on Mar 12, 2019 15:59:21 GMT -6
Frankie Tuesday suspended 80games for failing a PED test. The Astros have a drug problem in their minor league camps.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 12, 2019 16:26:21 GMT -6
Frankie Tuesday suspended 80games for failing a PED test. The Astros have a drug problem in their minor league camps. Martes career was on the downslide. I am guessing he saw it as an acceptable risk. Good reason to cut him now and save the trouble from later. |
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Post by astrosdoug on Mar 12, 2019 16:33:06 GMT -6
a few more rule changes were announced for the independent Atlantic League this week, some of which I hadn't heard of before other than robo umps: * No shifts - there must be two infielders on each side of 2B * Intermission between innings will be 1:45 instead, about 20-30 seconds more than what we are accustomed to * Bases will be 18x18 inches instead of the current 15x15 I don't mind the first rule and I applaud the second rule. The third one sounds bizarre to me; can't see what's wrong with the current bases and also I'm not sure what the history on that is going back to the early days of baseball. Am I hearing this right? In between innings will be 20-30 seonds longer? How is this a good thing?, unless the (obvious) intent is to get another radio or TV ad in. If baseball wants to speed this game up, they are sure showing a strange way to do it by adding by design another 8 1/2 more minutes to the game. (16 or 17 game breaks times 30 seconds/each) I also disagree about the mandate around employing the shift. How about players become more disciplined at the plate and adjust their swings to beat defensive placement like they did in the old days. I agree with your comment around the change in the size of the bag. Very strange It does give the offensive a tiny advantage by extending perimeter of the base about a inch and half. (i.e 1.5 inches less distance to get to the bag). But OTOH, it also helps the defense minutely by reducing the instances where the fielder misses the bag in a force situation, or at First base. Lastly, I absolutely am excited about the possibility in the future of getting robo-umping at the plate. There are a handful of AL umpires whose game calling is so god awful bad they their ineptness often changes the outcome of the game. Fernandez, Bucknor, and West are you listening? Thanks for sharing these MILB updates Doug. MLB always test cases these changes in the minors, so I think we can expect most of these at MLB games soon. sorry, I got it ass-backwards. they are shortening the time between innings by 20-30 seconds. |
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Post by astrosdoug on Mar 12, 2019 16:38:10 GMT -6
I used to work with Real Estate Right of Way and it wasn't unusual to use options for the acquisition of properties which had little value unless the project could move forward. You would pay for an option which gave you the right to exercise it at an agreed upon price, usually within a certain time-frame. It was usually a fraction of the value of the property, but was paid immediately, whether the future option was ever exercised or not. Suppose you took out an option for Bregman in 2023 for $2M and it agreed to a payment of $20M if exercised. Bregman gets money up front, but the Astros are protected from a burdensome contract because of injury or performances which could fall off a cliff. This would be a little different than a contract extension since it doesn't cover the intervening years at all. Forgetting the actual numbers, could the concept be utilized for players who perform extremely well in their early pre-arbitration years?
If the option were not exercised, he would be a FA.
That sounds like something the Players Association could negotiate with MLB. And honestly, if Bregman is angry with anyone, it would be more productive to voice his concerns to the MLBPA rather than to the Chronicle or the Twitterverse. The MLBPA actually has the power to change the system he's unhappy with, and the MLBPA are the people who agreed to that system in the first place. |
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Post by astrosdoug on Mar 12, 2019 16:42:32 GMT -6
Frankie Tuesday suspended 80games for failing a PED test. The Astros have a drug problem in their minor league camps. Back on the old board, I mentioned how Martes was always hanging out with David Paulino in the dugout. They were obviously pals. After that, Paulino got busted for PEDs and I posted something to the effect of 'Well let's hope Paulino didn't give Martes any bright ideas about pharmacology and baseball'. Well, I guess we got our answer now didn't we. You'd think that after witnessing what happened to Paulino, Martes would have avoided that stuff like the plague. Or maybe Martes just fancies living in Canada like his buddy David. |
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Post by ɮօʀȶǟʐ on Mar 12, 2019 16:45:44 GMT -6
Astros optioned Armenteros, Tucker, Whitley, Martin, Bielak, Bukauskas, De Goti back to the minors
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Post by bearbryant on Mar 12, 2019 17:06:55 GMT -6
After last season, concerning injuries, we are definitely in our rights to be skeptical. I am always skeptical because i don't remember when we ever got the whole story about injuries. Correa's "day to day" last year turned into half the season and he never was right. |
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