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2021-2022 Astros Offseason Thread


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Marte makes a lot of sense. Dudes an absolute stud and can play center still. He is 33 so would hope it wouldnt be more than a three year deal. Would end the Correa discussion but should still leave enough for another shortstop addition (Chris Taylor? Simmons?)

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9 minutes ago, LCHorn said:

I don’t think it’s that, I think he was an unwilling scapegoat.  That and suing the club doomed him (although the latter was obviously deliberate and Luhnow too smart to not know it would blacklist him).  

AJ also sued the club to get his salary - which he did.

Lunhow was hung out by Manfred because the baseball establishment didn't like him and how he negotiated and how he built the team.  

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21 minutes ago, LCHorn said:

I don’t think it’s that, I think he was an unwilling scapegoat.  That and suing the club doomed him (although the latter was obviously deliberate and Luhnow too smart to not know it would blacklist him).  

Maybe.  I called a call in show once and he talked to me for about 5 minutes and was pretty nice and answered my question pretty thoughtfully and was nice- offered me a job in a joking way- was like yeah- that's how we think about things- here's a little further- this is the way we make decisions- can't really tell you anything more blah blah blah.  my buddy went to a meet and greet where he spoke for 60 minutes and said some similar type stuff- he liked him as well.  But, we had a huge exodus of guys over the years and he doesn't at all lack people out to get him- so who knows.  
agreed on the lawsuit- that was obvious that he surveyed the landscape and figured he had no way out at the time so might as well.  

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15 minutes ago, MAROON said:

AJ also sued the club to get his salary - which he did.

Lunhow was hung out by Manfred because the baseball establishment didn't like him and how he negotiated and how he built the team.  

I get that sentiment and there is probably some truth to that- but these guys are already owners and in the club- do they really need to ok a GM hire with Manfred?  I mean, maybe?  But that doesn't seem super plausible. If you are Pittsburg or Baltimore or someone else who sucks without any real resources or benefits you telling me that "Manfred won't like this" would stop you from hiring this guy?  Maybe, but that seems doubtful to me.  Then, you think of a job like the Mets and think- yeah- he'd probably kill it there.   

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21 hours ago, Gourmand said:

All that misplaced whining about JV not being in Houston to watch Astros games looks pretty damn silly right now.

WELCOME BACK TO HOUSTON, JUSTIN!!!

God, so many of our fans on the larger social media sites are so fucking dumb.

I know, I know, I've been hearing from this same mouthbreathing rabble since I was riding in the backseat of my grandfather's giant Buick heading home from the Dome and listening to the postgame show circa 1979, but it just astonishes me how so many people just stay so dumb for so long.

 

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3 hours ago, UTPhil2006 said:

Yep looks like the River Oaks location

West U.  Owner texted me this morning to tell me it was going down.  Almost walked over to see but that would have been too creepy..  Plus I would have had to question AJ about pulling Zach in game 7. 😆

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8 hours ago, TonyTexas said:

 

Signing Marte means they could potentially trade Brantley. Just like resigning Verlander means they are a little pitching rich and could trade Odorizzi, even though he had a pretty decent year. Say your trade those guys for prospects, that would free you up another $24M. If you are looking at maximizing the team Marte is a better player than Brantley now.

Dusty might actually shit himself having a close facsimile of a true leadoff hitter, i.e. one that steals a shit ton of bases.

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2 hours ago, HtownHorn said:

Signing Marte means they could potentially trade Brantley. Just like resigning Verlander means they are a little pitching rich and could trade Odorizzi, even though he had a pretty decent year. Say your trade those guys for prospects, that would free you up another $24M. If you are looking at maximizing the team Marte is a better player than Brantley now.

Dusty might actually shit himself having a close facsimile of a true leadoff hitter, i.e. one that steals a shit ton of bases.

I don't disagree about Marte being better, but it would be tough for me to see Brantley leave. 

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5 hours ago, HtownHorn said:

Signing Marte means they could potentially trade Brantley.

Como??

I don't agree with that at all. Brantley isn't getting traded, he does what the Astros organization covets: hits for contact, doesn't strike out a lot, and puts the ball in play. If the Astros signed Marte, it would make Chas or Siri expendable and allow Altuve to hit second or third in the batting order.

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I will be extremely surprised if they trade Brantley.  They might trade Odorizzi but for now I consider that unlikely.  They are not at the point where they are desperate to clear payroll.  Say they give Marte $18M/yr, they’d still have $10-15M to use to fill in the bullpen (and maybe a stopgap SS) before running up against the old tax threshold.

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The Rule 5 40-man roster has to be set today. I believe we are currently at 38. Pena is a lock to be added. What other moves are likely? Here’s who’s eligible. 

Jeremy Pena, SS (No. 4)
Joe Perez, 3B (No. 9)
Shawn Dubin, RHP (No. 11)
Yainer Diaz, C (No. 13)
Alex McKenna, OF (No. 17)
Scott Manea, C (No. 18)
Jose Alberto Rivera, RHP (No. 28)
Jojanse Torres, RHP (No. 29)

Edited by TonyTexas
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13 minutes ago, TonyTexas said:

The Rule 5 40-man roster has to be set today. I believe we are currently at 38. Pena is a lock to be added. What other moves are likely?

saw this in an article the other day about each teams hardest decision or some shit:

Astros: Alex McKenna, OF (No. 17)
If you saw McKenna at High-A, you might think he wouldn’t be on this list. The 2018 fourth-round pick was a power machine for Asheville, clubbing 13 homers while slugging .616 in 41 games. (Note: Asheville plays in a hitter-friendly park.) The story was a different one at Double-A Corpus Christi. McKenna finished with just a .206/.314/.305 slash line in 38 games there, calling into question what he could do against upper-level pitching. A lack of a true plus tool hurts his case as well, but the Astros might want to make sure he’s around to find his Tourists form again as a member of the 40-man.

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This is from a couple of days ago but I don't think it's been posted.  Kaplan lays out possible stopgap SSs until Pena is ready.  None of these excite me at all but I'm still in a combination of denial/mourning about losing Correa.

Spoiler
By Jake Kaplan Nov 16, 2021comment-icon@2x.png 29 save-icon@2x.png

For as long as Carlos Correa remains a free agent, the Astros probably will act as if there’s still a chance they will re-sign him.

But barring a sudden reversal in the team’s longstanding aversion to the sort of eight-to-10-year mega-contract Correa is positioned to get, Houston is likely to have a new shortstop in 2022.

And if the Astros aren’t willing to spend what it takes to retain Correa, it stands to reason they’re not going to be a serious player for Corey Seager, either. Trevor Story, Marcus Semien and Javier Báez figure to get fewer years in their respective free-agent contracts, which might leave them in play for the Astros. But even then, winning a bidding war on the free-agent market is not their M.O.

The Astros will probably Astro, meaning a free-agent signee on a low-risk, one- or two-year deal. They already have a great shortstop prospect, Jeremy Peña, who has positioned himself for a 2022 debut. Peña, a 2018 third-round draft pick from the University of Maine, doesn’t have the glow of a top overall pick like Correa. But he’s got a chance to be really good, and we know how much baseball front offices love minimum-salaried, pre-arbitration talent.

It’s possible the 24-year-old Peña will be ready for the majors as soon as Opening Day. But the Astros can’t rely on that occurring, especially not after Peña’s wrist injury cost him most of the 2021 season, which directly followed the 2020 minor-league season that was lost because of the pandemic.

Given everything we know about the Astros and how they operate, they appear to be a prime candidate to go after a veteran stopgap at shortstop to buy time for Peña. In this scenario, they would need a player good enough that he’s not a total liability if Peña struggles or gets hurt and the stopgap has to play the whole season. But they also would need someone flexible enough to play elsewhere if Peña establishes himself in the majors in 2022. Ideally, the stopgap could shift into a utility role when Peña is ready.

And while Astros general manager James Click last week touted utility man Aledmys Díaz as a possible internal candidate, the team can’t reasonably rely on Díaz to stay healthy after his injury-riddled last three seasons. Click poured cold water on the idea of moving third baseman Alex Bregman to shortstop (“I would highly doubt it,” he said), a switch that might’ve been more likely before Bregman’s soft-tissue leg injuries of the last two years.

So, who are the available players who could function as the Astros’ bridge to Peña? Let’s take a look at the options, both in free agency and via trade.

Free agents

Chris Taylor
Bats: Right
Age on Opening Day: 31

Even though he’s not great defensively at shortstop, the uber-versatile Taylor would be an excellent fit for the Astros. He could play short until Peña is ready to take over and then either play center field or be a super-utilityman who can be in the lineup at a different position every day of the week.

Unfortunately for the Astros, Taylor is also a great fit for many other teams, which will give him a strong market. He has a 114 OPS+ over the last five years with the Dodgers, and he had an above-average OPS in each season in that span. Signing him would mean the Astros relinquish their second-round draft pick in 2022, but that would be relatively easy to justify for a player of the caliber of Taylor, who might get a four-year deal.

Andrelton Simmons
Bats: Right
Age on Opening Day: 32

Simmons was abysmal offensively with the Twins in 2021 (57 OPS+ in 451 plate appearances), but the four-time Gold Glove Award winner still provides value with his elite defense. A 98 OPS+ between 2017 and 2020 gives reason for at least some hope that his bat could be closer to average next year. Simmons played 2021 on a one-year, $10.5 million deal, so he should get something less than that this offseason.

Jonathan Villar
Bats: Switch
Age on Opening Day: 30

The journeyman Villar had a 102 OPS+ in 505 plate appearances for the Mets last season while moving between third base, shortstop and second base. He’s nothing special defensively but his switch hitting ability is a perk and he has experience as a utilityman. He’s a candidate for a one-year deal, likely worth more than the $3.55 million he made last season.

José Iglesias
Bats: Right
Age on Opening Day: 32

Iglesias struggled with the Angels last season to the point they released him in September. The Red Sox saw enough to sign him a few days later even though he wouldn’t be eligible for postseason play. He chases a ton and rarely walks, so his value is tied to his defense. He’s long been one of the more fun defenders to watch, though the Defense Runs Saved metric absolutely hated his performance (minus-21) last year. His age and poor 2021 leave him in one-year contract territory.

Leury García
Bats: Switch
Age on Opening Day: 31

Though a super-utilityman for the White Sox, Garcia’s natural position is shortstop. He has an 81 OPS+ in his career but a 97 OPS+ in the last two seasons. If teams buy into him being an average hitter, his defensive versatility could make him an interesting under-the-radar free agent on a one- or two-year contract. He played six different positions for Chicago in 2021.

Freddy Galvis
Bats: Switch
Age on Opening Day: 32

Galvis would make more sense for the Astros as a straight-up utility infielder to supplement Díaz than as someone who would be relied upon to start games regularly. He’s a good defender but has never had a 100 OPS+ in a season and has an 82 OPS+ for his career. The one-year, $1.5 million deal he signed with the Orioles last winter is probably around what he will net in free agency this time around.

Trade candidates

Paul DeJong
Bats: Right
Age on Opening Day: 28

DeJong’s contract with the Cardinals calls for him to make about $6 million in 2022 and about $9 million in 2023 with a $2 million buyout of a $12.5 million team option for 2024. He had only an 86 OPS+ over the last two seasons, but 2020 was short and weird and he had broken ribs in 2021. It’s not hard to talk yourself into the idea of a bounce-back 2022 by DeJong, and the Cardinals have the combination of Edmundo Sosa and Tommy Edman to play shortstop.

Nick Ahmed
Bats: Right
Age on Opening Day: 32

Ahmed is great defensively but bad offensively (76 OPS+ for his career, 67 OPS+ in 2021). He’s also still owed $7.875 million in 2022 and $10.375 million in 2023. The Diamondbacks are a long way from contention, and the Astros can absorb salary. Maybe there’s a deal to be made, though Ahmed and catcher Martín Maldonado in the same lineup might be one too many spots in which Houston would be sacrificing offense for defense. However, the same could be said for a number of the aforementioned shortstops, and the Astros could help their offense by adding an outfielder and/or spelling Maldonado with Jason Castro more frequently in 2022 than they did in 2021.

 

Edited by WBT
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12 minutes ago, WBT said:

This is from a couple of days ago but I don't think it's been posted.  Kaplan lays out possible stopgap SSs until Pena is ready.  None of these excite me at all but I'm still in a combination of denial/mourning about losing Correa.

  Reveal hidden contents
By Jake Kaplan Nov 16, 2021comment-icon@2x.png 29 save-icon@2x.png

For as long as Carlos Correa remains a free agent, the Astros probably will act as if there’s still a chance they will re-sign him.

But barring a sudden reversal in the team’s longstanding aversion to the sort of eight-to-10-year mega-contract Correa is positioned to get, Houston is likely to have a new shortstop in 2022.

And if the Astros aren’t willing to spend what it takes to retain Correa, it stands to reason they’re not going to be a serious player for Corey Seager, either. Trevor Story, Marcus Semien and Javier Báez figure to get fewer years in their respective free-agent contracts, which might leave them in play for the Astros. But even then, winning a bidding war on the free-agent market is not their M.O.

The Astros will probably Astro, meaning a free-agent signee on a low-risk, one- or two-year deal. They already have a great shortstop prospect, Jeremy Peña, who has positioned himself for a 2022 debut. Peña, a 2018 third-round draft pick from the University of Maine, doesn’t have the glow of a top overall pick like Correa. But he’s got a chance to be really good, and we know how much baseball front offices love minimum-salaried, pre-arbitration talent.

It’s possible the 24-year-old Peña will be ready for the majors as soon as Opening Day. But the Astros can’t rely on that occurring, especially not after Peña’s wrist injury cost him most of the 2021 season, which directly followed the 2020 minor-league season that was lost because of the pandemic.

Given everything we know about the Astros and how they operate, they appear to be a prime candidate to go after a veteran stopgap at shortstop to buy time for Peña. In this scenario, they would need a player good enough that he’s not a total liability if Peña struggles or gets hurt and the stopgap has to play the whole season. But they also would need someone flexible enough to play elsewhere if Peña establishes himself in the majors in 2022. Ideally, the stopgap could shift into a utility role when Peña is ready.

And while Astros general manager James Click last week touted utility man Aledmys Díaz as a possible internal candidate, the team can’t reasonably rely on Díaz to stay healthy after his injury-riddled last three seasons. Click poured cold water on the idea of moving third baseman Alex Bregman to shortstop (“I would highly doubt it,” he said), a switch that might’ve been more likely before Bregman’s soft-tissue leg injuries of the last two years.

So, who are the available players who could function as the Astros’ bridge to Peña? Let’s take a look at the options, both in free agency and via trade.

Free agents

Chris Taylor
Bats: Right
Age on Opening Day: 31

Even though he’s not great defensively at shortstop, the uber-versatile Taylor would be an excellent fit for the Astros. He could play short until Peña is ready to take over and then either play center field or be a super-utilityman who can be in the lineup at a different position every day of the week.

Unfortunately for the Astros, Taylor is also a great fit for many other teams, which will give him a strong market. He has a 114 OPS+ over the last five years with the Dodgers, and he had an above-average OPS in each season in that span. Signing him would mean the Astros relinquish their second-round draft pick in 2022, but that would be relatively easy to justify for a player of the caliber of Taylor, who might get a four-year deal.

Andrelton Simmons
Bats: Right
Age on Opening Day: 32

Simmons was abysmal offensively with the Twins in 2021 (57 OPS+ in 451 plate appearances), but the four-time Gold Glove Award winner still provides value with his elite defense. A 98 OPS+ between 2017 and 2020 gives reason for at least some hope that his bat could be closer to average next year. Simmons played 2021 on a one-year, $10.5 million deal, so he should get something less than that this offseason.

Jonathan Villar
Bats: Switch
Age on Opening Day: 30

The journeyman Villar had a 102 OPS+ in 505 plate appearances for the Mets last season while moving between third base, shortstop and second base. He’s nothing special defensively but his switch hitting ability is a perk and he has experience as a utilityman. He’s a candidate for a one-year deal, likely worth more than the $3.55 million he made last season.

José Iglesias
Bats: Right
Age on Opening Day: 32

Iglesias struggled with the Angels last season to the point they released him in September. The Red Sox saw enough to sign him a few days later even though he wouldn’t be eligible for postseason play. He chases a ton and rarely walks, so his value is tied to his defense. He’s long been one of the more fun defenders to watch, though the Defense Runs Saved metric absolutely hated his performance (minus-21) last year. His age and poor 2021 leave him in one-year contract territory.

Leury García
Bats: Switch
Age on Opening Day: 31

Though a super-utilityman for the White Sox, Garcia’s natural position is shortstop. He has an 81 OPS+ in his career but a 97 OPS+ in the last two seasons. If teams buy into him being an average hitter, his defensive versatility could make him an interesting under-the-radar free agent on a one- or two-year contract. He played six different positions for Chicago in 2021.

Freddy Galvis
Bats: Switch
Age on Opening Day: 32

Galvis would make more sense for the Astros as a straight-up utility infielder to supplement Díaz than as someone who would be relied upon to start games regularly. He’s a good defender but has never had a 100 OPS+ in a season and has an 82 OPS+ for his career. The one-year, $1.5 million deal he signed with the Orioles last winter is probably around what he will net in free agency this time around.

Trade candidates

Paul DeJong
Bats: Right
Age on Opening Day: 28

DeJong’s contract with the Cardinals calls for him to make about $6 million in 2022 and about $9 million in 2023 with a $2 million buyout of a $12.5 million team option for 2024. He had only an 86 OPS+ over the last two seasons, but 2020 was short and weird and he had broken ribs in 2021. It’s not hard to talk yourself into the idea of a bounce-back 2022 by DeJong, and the Cardinals have the combination of Edmundo Sosa and Tommy Edman to play shortstop.

Nick Ahmed
Bats: Right
Age on Opening Day: 32

Ahmed is great defensively but bad offensively (76 OPS+ for his career, 67 OPS+ in 2021). He’s also still owed $7.875 million in 2022 and $10.375 million in 2023. The Diamondbacks are a long way from contention, and the Astros can absorb salary. Maybe there’s a deal to be made, though Ahmed and catcher Martín Maldonado in the same lineup might be one too many spots in which Houston would be sacrificing offense for defense. However, the same could be said for a number of the aforementioned shortstops, and the Astros could help their offense by adding an outfielder and/or spelling Maldonado with Jason Castro more frequently in 2022 than they did in 2021.

 

Dejong would be a cheap addition, still pretty young and maybe we unlock that 30 HR bat again.

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1 hour ago, TonyTexas said:

The Rule 5 40-man roster has to be set today. I believe we are currently at 38. Pena is a lock to be added. What other moves are likely? Here’s who’s eligible. 

Jeremy Pena, SS (No. 4)
Joe Perez, 3B (No. 9)
Shawn Dubin, RHP (No. 11)
Yainer Diaz, C (No. 13)
Alex McKenna, OF (No. 17)
Scott Manea, C (No. 18)
Jose Alberto Rivera, RHP (No. 28)
Jojanse Torres, RHP (No. 29)

Dubin is also a lock unless there’s an injury I don’t know about.  Perez and Diaz are pretty high risk so I would expect them to be protected.  I would be pretty surprised if McKenna, Manea, or any other eligible position players were protected.  There’s a big group of interesting international pitchers who carry some risk to be chosen: Torres, Robaina, Diosmerky Taveras, some others, but as in years past with guys like Yohan Ramirez and Elieser Hernandez, you can’t keep them all.

My guess is they add Pena, Dubin, Perez, and Diaz, while DFA’ing Rafael Montero and Seth Martinez.  They’ll have to cut another player once Verlander’s deal becomes official.  One thought I’ve had is that it’s possible teams expect there not to be a Rule 5 draft this year due to the CBA expiring and impending lockout, which would lead to teams not protecting any questionable prospects, in which case Houston would only protect Pena and Dubin.  I’m really surprised we haven’t seen more roster-cleanup trades this week.

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25 minutes ago, Scraps said:

We can always boot Stubbs if need be.....just sayin lol

If we put Diaz on the 40 man I would think that would have to be done (not numbers wise, but logically) 

There’s lots of guys who it wouldn’t shock me if they got exposed to waivers today: Stubbs, Jones, Nova, Scrubb, Emanuel, Solis.  But all of those guys have at least some value and normally would for sure be claimed.

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27 minutes ago, henrygandorf said:

i like emanuel.  i think.  maybe i'm thinking of somebody else.  soloman maybe?

this thread is the reason i don't concern myself with the day-to-day activities of the 40-man, rule 5, etc.

Emanuel was the lefty that came in and threw 8.2 in relief, then promptly blew out his elbow. I think he's got a shot in the bullpen. Taylor and Raley are LOOGYs in a baseball world where LOOGYs don't exist anymore.

The best part about Marte is no draft pick compensation. I think the Astros will stay out of that market due to the last 2 drafts being wiped out by trash cans.

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35 minutes ago, tx 3 putt said:

phillies must really suck to take a guy coming off tommy john and add him to the 40man

Well, it means he doesn’t have to stay on the active roster for very long because he we be disabled, right?

And yeah- the Phillies do suck. They are sort of like the angels. They have got some really top end talent but inexplicably can’t seem to figure out how to surround it with average players that aren’t turrrible. 

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36 minutes ago, Wulaw Horn said:

Well, it means he doesn’t have to stay on the active roster for very long because he we be disabled, right?

FYI: I think 3 putt was making a joke re: the Astros and Verlander  But to answer your question. There’s no IL in the off-season so he’ll have to stay on the 40 man until spring training when he can be put on the 60 day IL.

Edited by TonyTexas
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13 minutes ago, Snake Diggity said:

Looks like Garrett Stubbs was traded (possibly to the Phillies).

For centerfielder Logan Cerny, 10th round pick in 2021 draft. Makes room for Verlander. 
 

Baseball America prospect report

Logan Cerny, OF, Troy
BA Rank: 166

Why He Might Be Undervalued: When it comes to raw tool sets, Cerny has a similar package of tools that more acclaimed outfielders from the SEC also boast, like Florida’s Jud Fabian, Arkansas’ Christian Franklinand Vanderbilt’s Isaiah Thomas. Cerny is a legitimate plus-plus runner—likely the fastest of this group of players—he has above-average power and the potential for plus center field defense. He had a breakout season this spring in the Sun Belt Conference, with 15 home runs and 12 stolen bases, but also strikes out at a high rate. Like those other outfielders, if Cerny hits, he has exciting upside, but how much contact he’ll make is the big question.

Edited by TonyTexas
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