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2020 astros offseason

elfenix

By elfenix
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Eastwood
Eastwood

Here's the thing that makes me absolutely livid about this... Cheating happens all the time in baseball. At all levels. All levels. The MLB itself cheats the game by juicing the ball. Players juiced t

Asithappens
Asithappens

It's not the end, I agree. The Astros are still sacks of giant shit, though.  Shame on them.

Asithappens
Asithappens

Very sad to see that the Astros are basically dipshit cheaters from the top down. Hey, at least the Black Sox are happy that someone else is wearing their crown of infamy.    

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Beau Vine

Beau Vine 53,978

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I talked to Goldschmidt today.  I asked him about sign-stealing, specifically if players knew what was going on at the time and if they prepared for it.  He said that most everyone was aware of which teams were in the "grey area" and worked up extra sign sequencing when you were playing those teams (note plural).  He didn't tell me which teams he was talking about and I knew not to ask.  He seemed mystified by the reaction to all this -- "everyone is acting like they shot the _________."  I'll let y'all fill in the blanks so I don't trip the Secret Service screener.    

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Mez2

Mez2 4,020

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3 hours ago, Seasick Sailor said:

Got tickets to Opening Day during the pre-sale yesterday. Moved back to Houston about a month ago. Looking forward to seeing some of your surly assholes at MMP this season.

Whaddya think @Ldogg53 should we invite him to our  annual opening day tailgate tradition? 

We can trade him out for @UTPhil2006

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WBT

WBT 20,411

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9 hours ago, Beau Vine said:

I talked to Goldschmidt today.  I asked him about sign-stealing, specifically if players knew what was going on at the time and if they prepared for it.  He said that most everyone was aware of which teams were in the "grey area" and worked up extra sign sequencing when you were playing those teams (note plural).  He didn't tell me which teams he was talking about and I knew not to ask.  He seemed mystified by the reaction to all this -- "everyone is acting like they shot the _________."  I'll let y'all fill in the blanks so I don't trip the Secret Service screener.    

Seems like he'd fit in on this thread.  Don't post anywhere else though.  Wouldn't want hurt feelings.

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Mez2

Mez2 4,020

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42 minutes ago, tx 3 putt said:

Just a FYI between friends, Potente across from the gift shop might have the best latte in Houston 

Wanna get fucked up before a game, go drink screwballs at Osso and Kristalla. They'll fuck you up everytime

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UTexasFight

UTexasFight 9,375

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God Bless Dean Deetz
We’ll always have this:

“Dean Deetz is a little bit of a character, and talks a lot of smack. He was giving Reymin Guduan The Bidness about not being able to throw a strike. Guduan responded by throwing a shoe at Deetz and missed (badly, apparently), to which Deetz responded “See?” That is legitimately funny. What happened next is not. Guduan picked up a bat, swung it, and hit Deetz in the head. Guduan apparently didn’t get a great swing on it, but “it definitely dazed” Deetz.”

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Beau Vine

Beau Vine 53,978

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5 minutes ago, TonyTexas said:

AJ Reed is retiring. Quite the flameout. He was our #2 draft pick in 2014 and #4 prospect as recently as 2016. 

Can't believe it.  You think the guy would come back and try to get his career batting average over .150 before he hangs them up.  

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henrygandorf

henrygandorf 29,174

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https://www.mlb.com/astros/news/taylor-jones-making-big-impression-in-astros-camp

Late-blooming Jones standing tall in Astros camp

Athletic 6-7 infielder may be emerging as heir apparent at first base

By Brian McTaggart  @brianmctaggart

5:38 PM CST

 

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- The compliments have poured out of nearly every corner of the Astros' clubhouse this spring for Taylor Jones, the 6-foot-7 infielder who only recently became a power threat and has shown enough natural ability at first base to conclude that he could be the heir apparent at the position in Houston.

Jones is ranked 24th among Astros prospects by MLB Pipeline, but that’s mainly because he’s 26 years old and was drafted after playing four seasons at Gonzaga -- the first two as a pitcher. The Astros took him in the 19th round in the 2016 Draft and paid him a $2,500 bonus, and he is now knocking at the door of the big leagues.

The Astros added Jones to their 40-man roster this offseason after he hit .291 with 28 doubles, 22 homers, 84 RBIs and an .889 OPS in 125 games at Triple-A Round Rock.

“Being on the 40-man roster, you know that you’re getting close and you know they’ve got a plan for you and all that, so it’s reassuring coming into camp,” Jones said. “Once we got here and got rolling here, it’s a good environment with Dusty [Baker] being around. He provides a good players’ environment where you feel comfortable. The staff they’ve got is great, and obviously the guys around here are awesome. It’s just been a good spring so far.”

Jones, who has played some third base this spring, didn’t play first base full-time at Gonzaga until his senior year. He provides a big target but has a natural ability to pick balls out of the dirt, and he moves pretty well. He didn’t develop his power until he hit 18 homers between Double-A Corpus Christi and Triple-A Fresno in '18 and 22 more last year at Round Rock.

“I’m a big fan of Jones,” outfielder George Springer said. “I’ve seen him take a lot of BP. His swings in the game and the way he plays the field [are impressive]. Big dude. I think what gets lost about him is pretty much how athletic he is for being 6-7 or whatever he is. For being that big, to be able to move the way he does, I think it’s impressive.”

Jones’ athleticism shouldn’t be a surprise considering he was a forward on a state basketball championship team at Kentwood High in Kent, Wash., a suburb of Seattle. (It may not surprise you that he grew up idolizing Hall of Famer and long-time Mariners center fielder Ken Griffey Jr., either.) Jones moved to Las Vegas with his wife after the '18 season so he could work out in the winter outside. Jones was working out in the gym last winter when the Astros called him and told him he was being added to the 40-man roster.

“There’s a lot of pro guys who live out there during the offseason, and it’s a good baseball community in general,” Jones said. “I’m originally from Seattle. It’s kind of tough to be up there during the offseason just because of the weather. Not a whole lot of guys are still up in that area, at least in my area in Kent. Vegas is a good spot.”

Jones will begin the season as the starting first baseman at Round Rock once again. The Astros have a loaded infield, and veteran Yuli Gurriel will be a free agent following the '20 season. There could be a real opportunity for Jones in Houston next year, if not earlier.

“I feel like last year in Triple-A, I did some good things,” Jones said. “I think I’m at a point now that I’m ready for the next step. Obviously, the organization is the one who decides all the moves and all that. But I feel good, I feel like what we’ve been working on is starting to pay off, and I think I know what I need to focus on to get to the next level. Obviously, you’re always kind of pushing yourself to get to the next level and next set of challenges, and I think I’m ready for that.”

Brian McTaggart has covered the Astros since 2004, and for MLB.com since 2009. Follow @brianmctaggart on Twitter.

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Hank Chinaski

Hank Chinaski 6,310

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1 hour ago, Scraps said:
3 hours ago, TonyTexas said:
AJ Reed is retiring. Quite the flameout. He was our #2 draft pick in 2014 and #4 prospect as recently as 2016. 

Amazing stretch of shitty 1B there prior to signing 53 yr old Yuli

Astros' 1B WAR: 

2012: 0.8

2013: 0.3

2014: -2.1

So Astros 1B teamed up over a 3-year span to accumulate -1 total WAR. 

And before Reed there was Jon Singleton. Back-to-back 1B prospects who were both rated very highly, and they both utterly and completely bombed. 

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UTexasFight

UTexasFight 9,375

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Astros' 1B WAR: 
2012: 0.8
2013: 0.3
2014: -2.1
So Astros 1B teamed up over a 3-year span to accumulate -1 total WAR. 
And before Reed there was Jon Singleton. Back-to-back 1B prospects who were both rated very highly, and they both utterly and completely bombed. 

Weed followed by whataburger will do that to you
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runthebone

runthebone 7,931

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7 hours ago, Hank Chinaski said:

Astros' 1B WAR: 

2012: 0.8

2013: 0.3

2014: -2.1

So Astros 1B teamed up over a 3-year span to accumulate -1 total WAR. 

And before Reed there was Jon Singleton. Back-to-back 1B prospects who were both rated very highly, and they both utterly and completely bombed. 

One couldn't stop smoking.  One couldn't stop eating. 

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TonyTexas

TonyTexas 10,481

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Whitley is going to be a bust, isn’t he?

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — For four months now, Forrest Whitley has warmed up with a softball, the latest on a lengthy list of tweaks for the Astros’ top pitching prospect who can’t discover continuity.

On the days he’s scheduled to pitch, Whitley tosses the 7-ounce ball approximately 10 times before finally picking up a baseball. Other established Astros pitchers practice the pre-outing routine. Whitley would have continued it Saturday in Jupiter. A problem arose — he neglected to pack the softballs.

On Texas Sports Nation: Justin Verlander leaves spring game with triceps soreness

Whitley nonetheless threw his one inning. His velocity was concerning and his arsenal forgettable. Just one of his four-seam fastballs was harder than 95 mph. One did not crack 90 mph. He fell behind 2-1 or worse on each of the four Cardinals he faced. Two struck out and another was hit by a pitch.

“I wasn’t necessarily trying to throw all that hard,” Whitley said Sunday, ascribing all of his struggles the previous day to a softball-less warmup. “There was a couple I tried to let go, but I wasn’t feeling the ball correctly in my hand. I was like, ‘If I let this ball go, it’s either going to go behind him or in the dirt. I just have to find the (strike) zone.’

“Unfortunately, it was a small sample size. I feel like if I had gone out for the second inning, I would have corrected those mistakes, but unfortunately I only got one.”

Whitley had reached his limit, a puzzling governor on what once was the game’s best pitching prospect. Whitley never was a candidate to make the team’s opening day roster, but his diminished workload has made him something of a forgotten man.

Fifteen games into Grapefruit League play, Whitley’s thrown 3 2/3 innings. Auditions for the Astros’ fifth starter spot, coupled with the need for established major league starters to build up, make innings already scarce. Pitching coach Brent Strom lamented there aren’t “enough innings to go around.”

Each of Whitley’s last two appearances were prescheduled, one-inning stints. In his last outing, he followed fellow Class AAA starting pitching prospect Brandon Bielak, whom the organization is treating like a normal starter.

“No, (I’m) not frustrated, just being patient with it,” Whitley said. “I’m not super eager to get out there and blow it out for five innings but just kind of enjoying the process day to day and not necessarily really looking forward to one particular moment, but just kind of looking forward to day to day work.”

On Texas Sports Nation: Brandon Bielak trying to make an impression in spring

Asked about his one-inning workload Saturday, Whitley raised an eyebrow. “I’ve asked the same question as you,” Whitley said, without realizing the limit was a consequence of his own change.

“Whitley was not ready to come into camp physically and compete for a position, for whatever reason, in my opinion,” Strom said. “So we had to slow-walk him a little bit.”

Whitley does not dispute Strom’s assertion, however alarming it may seem.

After an array of injuries interrupted each of his last two minor league seasons, Whitley altered his training regimen this winter. He relocated to Phoenix after spending his prior offseasons in Texas. He trained at the Fischer Institute.

Whitley worked out only four days per week, often taking Wednesdays off to golf. He ate more. He did not begin throwing until December. After reporting to spring training in 2018 at 190 pounds, he weighed 230 this year.

“Compared to last year, it was definitely less prepared,” Whitley said Sunday. “I wouldn’t say I was completely unprepared for camp, so to say. I was definitely less prepared than last season, for sure, and that was just because (of) a little bit of foresight for some longevity this season rather than coming to spring training where stats don’t count.

“Impressing people right now isn’t really what I’m trying to do. I’m just trying to get my work in, stay healthy and do everything I can to have a successful season.”

After he watched Whitley’s unimpressive first live batting practice session of spring, Strom stepped forward for more individualized instruction. Strom, bullpen coach Josh Miller and minor league pitching coordinator Bill Murphy gathered with the other pitching coaches in camp for a sit-down to solve Whitley’s problem.

“We went in and looked at what made him successful to get drafted,” Strom said. “We opted to roll the dice and go back to what got him drafted in the first place. That’s the delivery he’s using now, which is very similar to when he was a high school kid in San Antonio.”

Strom urged Whitley to do what felt “natural.” He implemented an arm swing he hadn’t used since high school. While in the windup, Whitley now brings his hands over his head, something he acknowledges, “I’ve never really done that in the past, but it just feels right.”

Strom said there’s now a “stab” in Whitley’s delivery — a small punch toward the ground before he lifts his right arm to release the ball. Justin Verlander and CC Sabathia have similar releases.

“Looking at the numbers, he has greater extension, he seems to move better with it, a lot of different things,” Strom said. “I’m just hoping it rekindles who he was.”

For Whitley’s next appearance, Strom’s scheduled a more extended outing. Whitley welcomes the change. He’s aware the optics of his spring seem peculiar.

Strom reiterated he’s “very excited” for Whitley’s promise and future major league standing. He lamented the “media hype on this guy” and wondered if perhaps it affects Whitley, who had a 12.21 ERA in Class AAA Round Rock last season.

“It’s so hard to look at this and say, ‘I’m doing well,’” Whitley said. “But this was my plan coming into spring training. I knew there was going to be some questions, but I’m sticking to my plan, and I’m proud of myself for it, even though I’m not blowing it out out there.”

“I’m not … striking out everybody, but I’m getting my work in and I’m making steps in the right direction. It stinks that all the stuff has to come with it in the next couple weeks, but I think it’ll be better in the long run.”

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