Mitch Hedberg

I like it. Chas would probably jump all over it. I know everyone wants Yuli for a backup 1B/Util/DH guy but I know we can get someone with a better bat and more versatility. But I won’t moan if that’s the way we go. As it stands the only 1B we have is Abreu and it will bring peace and harmony to the masses.

Sign Vazquez. 6 man rotation, 3 for Maldy, 3 for Vazquez. Profit. What I’d really like is a LF/1B/DH type to play left, backup Abreu and DH the times Yordan has to play left. I will never agree that it’s in the best interests of the Astros to have Yordan in the outfield 100-120 games

Counterpoint?

Not addressing the outfield and hoping Brantley comes back healthy would be front office malpractice. In the list of priorities it was always 1B, OF, C to me. I’ll be happy just resigning Vazquez.

Right. But between Houston, Texas, Seattle and Tampa Bay he played roughly 100+ games in tax free states with Houston. I think the Marlins are the only team in the National league without state tax. And Cali with 3 teams is at 13% and DC at 10% are even higher than NY 8.8% rate. I just generally used the NY figure for conversation purposes. Shits and giggles. But figuring real numbers out is way more than I want to know or need to know lol

That injury he had at the end of the year bouncing off the mound or whatever he did just proved how fragile a 40 year old pitcher can be. Holding breath every time he sprinted to cover first after that. I just can’t fault anyone for letting him go at even $35 much less $43. Wish we would have had the two years he missed but it was a historic run. Let’s do it again.

At the end of the day, contracts are dick measuring contests, especially for the top echelon guys. All the talk about chemistry, family, winning blah blah is still second to the numbers. Can never have too many hundreds of millions.

2/78 no state tax equivalent, give or take few thousand. For the Astros, still not needed or necessary. I think Verlander may have contributed some mental toughness in the dugout but I think Bregs and McCullers and other guys can be even bigger leaders. I hope we see them in the WS.

Arizona GM on MLB network just said major need is bullpen and right handed bat, have too many left handed OF. Go get Varsho.

Neris is also a free agent after next year I believe.

Exactly. That’s why I would look to move Stanek if not going to sign him again or if he has moved down the pecking order. I mean I’d love to run it back with all of them but if we have to give something to get something, he might be one guy to consider. I actually said the same thing about Yuli before last year that the smart move, strictly on paper, would have been to see what his value was coming off a batting title and gold glove. At his age he had nowhere to but down. And there were a couple of good first basemen available last year. Of course Yuli was basically untradeable from PR standpoint and baseball people I’m sure thought the same about age but you never know what someone will offer. During the Patriots evil empire days, or the Walsh 49ers days, they were very good at trading guys a year early rather than a year late.

If Astros go the trade route, I’m wondering if Stanek would figure into the picture. Doubtful he will ever be better statistically thus value potentially at a premium. He is a free agent after this year and the 7-9 seems to be Montero, Abreu, Pressly now. Martinez is waiting for a spot if he isn’t traded also. Maybe one of the 6 starters moves to pen if we use 5 man rotation. Reliever market seems to have a premium. I haven’t seen it hinted anywhere but just something that occurred to me. Without a “GM” this week will be interesting. Usually a week for creating roster space or trading blocked guys, etc. Let the swap meet begin!

That room is going to look A LOT different by August.

Varsho>Reynolds especially if the Astros sign Contreras with ideas of him spending half the time at DH.

Maybe we should let the UIL run college football. They do it in 6 classes with 2 divisions every year. I can remember reading sometime in the 80s or so, when college teams played 10 games, that the reason for no playoff was kids vacations and tests, etc. and it would be too many games. Now they play 12-15 anyway. It could have been done long ago but the bowls were too powerful. It has never made sense how every division of football known to man has a win and in playoff system except for division one college football.

That Whitley kid is an up and comer.

Wow. TCU screwed themselves.

We should go all in on Reynolds. There are no OF free agents in ‘24 worth pursing except maybe Ian Happ from what I remember. Plugging Brantley in for a year just delays the inevitable. We hope one of our young guys is the next Peña from our system or we go get a guy for the next 3-5 years.

Sorry. On my phone and didn’t realize I’d typed so much. That’s too damn long lol

I’m not sure why we keep trying to put these square pegs in round holes in the outfield. If Contreras isn’t going to be the everyday catcher for the most part then I don’t see the point. We can’t keep getting more unathletic in the outfield. We can’t hide them all in Minute Maids left field. Yordan made some decent plays and throws but he’s probably not going to make the diving athletic catch to save a run or game and neither will Contreras. And I don’t want Yordan out there diving or crashing into walls anyway. And with potentially more ground balls getting through the infield without the shift, being able to run, scoop and throw to keep runners from scoring or taking the extra base will be even more important. Listen, I’m as much of a fantasy baseball GM as anyone and I like having a lineup of 9 guys hitting bombs but defense does matter in real life. Go get a real outfielder if Maldy is going to play everyday. If Contreras is going to DH then we probably will have to carry a third catcher which makes us even more unathletic or give less lineup versatility. Contreras is a great hitting catcher but as an outfielder I’d rather get same production from a guy who can play it. My only other thought is this is some chess/checkers big picture move and Crane sees Contreras the catcher after one more year of Maldy and we’re stocking up for the long run. Maybe that makes sense. We get by this year and we still have Meyers and Leon as young guys than play OF. This stuff is fun on a computer but it’s got to be a rush in real life playing this game. Next week should be a lot of fun at the winter meetings.

Well it was a win.

Finally!

Let him go. Someone show me the difference he made this year. He regressed, got fat and happy or just quit. He is easily replaced.

Gay

Take a fucking shot!