2023 Official Astros World Champs Offseason Thread

[HtownHorn 14684]

6 hours ago, henrygandorf said:

i think people are underestimating abreu's potential with us.  yuli was a black hole offensively for basically the whole season.  abreu started off horrendously slow and ended up hitting .304 (mashed in june/july/august).  that cws lineup was held together by duct tape and jose abreu.

he already seems to be fitting in great, although i feel like we say this about every new addition.  it's almost like we have a great clubhouse, but who knows.  there's a dodger fan on twitter that told me it's "toxic".

in houston he gets to be one of many and will have rbi situations in every direction.  i'm expecting big things.  and also i don't give a shit how old he is.  he's 6 months older than goldschmidt and those cubans seem to age a little differently.  though he might be 45 years old, who knows.

i don't know what they're going to do about the lineup order, though i'm sure we're quibble over it here for the next 6-35 weeks.  hard not to hit brantley 2, because he just moves the order with singles, especially now with a reduced shift.  i know he has little power left, but this lineup is all about not making outs and getting to yordan/bregs/tuck to wreck shit, and brantley helps with that.

does pena ride his playoff momentum and hit 2nd?  if not, then 7th?  9th?  i hate machete hitting 9th.  i only mentioned it about 600x last season.

Brantley gets the two hole, because he also walks. Pena still needs to figure it out. 

Altuve, Brantley, Bregman, Alvarez, Abreu, Tucker, Pena, McCormick, Maldonado. Of course, for game 2, half that lineup will be different, and we will all be bitching about it.

[Spaceman Spiff 402]

7 hours ago, tx 3 putt said:

 

I didn’t watch the video. Did Maldy get circumcised this offseason?

[runthebone 7983]

7 hours ago, tx 3 putt said:

 

Well, Dubon is skinny as fuck, and that didn't help him.

[tx 3 putt 76965]

1 hour ago, Spaceman Spiff said:

I didn’t watch the video. Did Maldy get circumcised this offseason?

15 lb hernia 

[tx 3 putt 76965]

Very cool, love Whataburger field ….

 

[Frank Drebin 5638]

Was at an MD Anderson fundraiser tonight.  They had Dusty Baker interviewed about his life and career for an hour by Kalas.  Baker is awesome.  Such an interesting life.  

[Gourmand 7774]

26 minutes ago, tx 3 putt said:

Very cool, love Whataburger field ….

 

Really chaps me that this stuff isn't painted outside Dell Diamond. 

[UTexasFight 9454]

Why would a Rangers affiliate have names on a wall celebrating a championship for another team?

[Seasick Sailor 3747]

 

[Wulaw Horn 19070]

11 hours ago, Gourmand said:

Really chaps me that this stuff isn't painted outside Dell Diamond. 

14 of the 26 guys played for our AA team. Pretty cool. 

[henrygandorf 29191]

32 minutes ago, Seasick Sailor said:

 

these pitches were all from the stretch.  aren't we concerned about his windup?

[Mez2 4023]

yeah, why is he practicing outta the stretch, ain't nobody gonna get on base against him

[CycleTex87 2970]

I hope he doesn't just pitch from the stretch all the time. 

[Seasick Sailor 3747]

 

[TonyTexas 10515]

This shit is getting old. 

 

[tx 3 putt 76965]

Who’s going to be the first here to buy and wear a big hat ?

 

[UTexasFight 9454]

22 minutes ago, TonyTexas said:

This shit is getting old. 

 

I lost my Astros front office/Dusty translation chart.

if I remember correctly, “nothing to be alarmed about” = 2 year hiatus instead of arm amputation but I’ll wait for one of y’all to confirm 

[Seasick Sailor 3747]

19 minutes ago, tx 3 putt said:

Who’s going to be the first here to buy and wear a big hat ?

The first thing I think of every time I see one of those:

[CycleTex87 2970]

When he's really good, he's unhittable, and then there's game 3.

[Guadaloopy 10972]

2 hours ago, Seasick Sailor said:

 

Not sure how that little bounce with his foot when he first comes set is going to play.  From what I've read, that is going to be part of the crackdown as well.   That shit has bothered me for years.  How can you make multiple moves with your front foot in the stretch and have it not be a balk?  Every time that foot moves, it simulates the start of a pitching motion.

And while we are at it, can MLB crack down on the Johnny Cueto mid wind-up bullshit?

[kevwun 15790]

Yeah, that looks like it could be called a balk also.

[runthebone 7983]

2 hours ago, Seasick Sailor said:

 

 

2 hours ago, henrygandorf said:

these pitches were all from the stretch.  aren't we concerned about his windup?

My main takeaway is that Abreu throws hard.

[tx 3 putt 76965]

Hell be fine and honestly, he’ll be better 

Edited February 17, 2023 by tx 3 putt

[Snake Diggity 4625]

There are 3 moves I wish the Astros had made this offseaon that they didn’t make: sign Omar Narvaez, sign Andrew Heaney, and trade Luis Garcia for 1-2 elite prospects to restock the farm system.  That would have made their offseason an A+.  As it is, they made a very good signing in Abreu, a fine signing in Brantley, extended one of the highest upside young SP in the league, and are entering the season as the odds on favorite to return to the ALCS, with no glaring roster holes, an improving farm system, and a good amount of payroll flexibility.  That can’t be worse than a B grade.

[tx 3 putt 76965]

Baseball writers place zero value on payroll flexibility.

 

[tx 3 putt 76965]

Under on the dodgers 

over on the Astros 

Over on the M’s 

 

[tx 3 putt 76965]

 

 

 

[tx 3 putt 76965]

First spring training controversy !!!!!

 

[billfromlaketravis 11485]

18 minutes ago, tx 3 putt said:

 

 

 

Holy moly. 

[formermav43 4606]

"As you know, I'll play everybody." Baker elaborated, "I'm going to run Dubon out there at least 50 times in CF, so it really doesn't matter who the 'starter' is."

[Wulaw Horn 19070]

1 hour ago, tx 3 putt said:

Under on the dodgers 

over on the Astros 

Over on the M’s 

 

Who the fuck posted that garbage?  May they go bankrupt for setting such a horrible line. 

[kevwun 15790]

I think bookmakers are counting on no one having paid attentions to the Dodgers' offseason.

[TonyTexas 10515]

Chas must be a real asshole. Not only does he have to compete with Meyers and Dubon, , who both suck, but now has to look over his shoulder at a player who has a whopping 32 ABs in the minors. It’s ridiculous. 

Edited February 18, 2023 by TonyTexas

[Snake Diggity 4625]

4 hours ago, tx 3 putt said:

Under on the dodgers 

over on the Astros 

Over on the M’s 

 

Over on the Rays and Orioles.

[tx 3 putt 76965]

I want to go make a bet in lake Charles @Scraps

[runthebone 7983]

Yankees only 94.5?  Seems like they should be at least 116.

[tx 3 putt 76965]

5 minutes ago, runthebone said:

Yankees only 94.5?  Seems like they should be at least 116.

by June 

[Wulaw Horn 19070]

47 minutes ago, TonyTexas said:

Chas must be a real asshole. Not only does he have to compete with Meyers and Dubon, , who both suck, but now has to look over his shoulder at a player who has a whopping 32 ABs in the minors. It’s ridiculous. 

Reading between the lines I think he’s the dumbest motherfucker to ever lace ‘Em up. 

Twins, rays and stros to win the division. Bet $50 to win 2800 or something like that. 

[henrygandorf 29191]

 

[Rimbo 25939]

12 hours ago, TonyTexas said:

This shit is getting old. 

 

"There is no cause for alarm! ... but there probably will be." --Brain

[uoftorange 1386]

7 hours ago, henrygandorf said:

 

I have a very strong feeling that was just Crane making Bagwell happy to say that.  I really can't imagine in reality that it was close at all.

[Hank Chinaski 6315]

12 hours ago, Wulaw Horn said:

Reading between the lines I think he’s the dumbest motherfucker to ever lace ‘Em up. 

I’ve heard that Chas is a weirdo (more so than an asshole). That he struggled to read the room when he came up to the big club (did some things rookies shouldn’t be doing). Not sure if that has corrected itself at this point (you’d think it would have), but that was the word early on. 

[Gourmand 7774]

 

“I’ve been in the game many years. It’s something, for me, that motivates me moving forward,” Maldonado said. “It’s funny because you see the comments of the fans, all that stuff. We had just won the World Series. I know they weren’t happy about my batting average, I understand that, but I hit 15 homers — a career-high — a career high in RBIs. I was a little disappointed in some fans that they were a little more against me than happy we were after Contreras.”

 

Spoiler

After offseason affront, Astros' Martín Maldonado finds added motivation for 2023

Chandler Rome, Staff writer

Feb. 18, 2023

 

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — It hurt to run and swing, but maybe more problematic, to throw. So much of Martín Maldonado’s career has revolved around his right arm, the cannon that cuts down base-stealers and coined the Machete nickname teammates still use. He caught 16 of the 62 baserunners who tried to steal against him last season: a 26 percent clip one point above league average.

Fifteen of the successful steals arrived after Aug. 28, when Baltimore Orioles reliever John Krehbiel broke Maldonado’s right hand with an errant, 94.6 mph fastball. Maldonado made his way to first base, but even that simple task took its toll. Two months earlier, during Houston’s home series against the Chicago White Sox, Maldonado suffered a sports hernia that he knew would require surgery.

“The team needed me. It’s a catcher’s mentality. I had to be out there for my team,” Maldonado said this week. “I know everybody knew we had a good chance to win. There was a no quit, no surgery mentality at that time.”

Maldonado delayed the operation for more than five months. His fractured hand only compounded an already excruciating experience after the All-Star break. Maldonado caught 93 of Houston’s 126 postseason innings while battling both injuries. Only afterward did he publicly disclose the pain he played through to guide Houston’s pitching staff to the greatest season in franchise history.

When it ended, the Astros tried to replace him. Owner Jim Crane, acting as the team’s general manager after parting ways with James Click, said “we have to look at catching” while discussing the team’s winter needs during a November news conference. The team had strong interest in free-agent Willson Contreras, so much so that manager Dusty Baker publicly disclosed it during the winter meetings. 

“I felt a little sad. That’s probably the right word,” Maldonado told the Chronicle on Friday. 

“We just won the World Series and I felt like I sacrificed my whole body playing through injuries for the team. I was a little sad. But I understand the business. I know as an owner, as a front office, they’re going to try to always get the best position players available and help the team get better. Willson was the best free-agent catcher out there. I understand the business.”

The St. Louis Cardinals signed Contreras to a five-year, $87.5 million contract in early December, but Houston maintained at least some interest in other catchers. Asked Friday whether he would have accepted a backup role if the Astros signed another catcher, Maldonado replied “probably not.” Signing Contreras — or any other established catcher — could have portended a trade of Maldonado,  the clubhouse cornerstone who has one year remaining on his contract.

“(Maldonado) is the professor back there,” Baker said Friday. “The guys love throwing to him. He’s here to teach the young guys and hone their skills, hopefully, in an advanced way. He means a lot. These guys follow him.”

Maldonado’s presence in Houston’s clubhouse cannot be overstated. On a team filled with veterans, he is the unquestioned leader. Cristian Javier mentioned him, without prompt, during the news conference Thursday to announce his five-year, $64 million contract extension. Asked whether the new deal arrived with any extra pressure, Javier said it did not and that he’d continue listening to “my teammates and my catcher Martín Maldonado.”

“I try to be a good teammate and take care of everybody,” Maldonado said. “We’re the only players in the game that have to deal with pitchers and position players. You have to have that balance. The good thing is they know me. I know what they like and they know what I like, so it’s about being a good teammate and good friend.”

 

 

Leadership is essential. Quantifying it like a projectable statistic is impossible — and modern baseball is sometimes betrothed to doing that. The sport is, above all else, a results-based business. Maldonado turns 37 in August and offers next to nothing offensively. Wonder whether he can maintain his workload at his age is a legitimate concern. It is understandable, and even wise, that the Astros explored the position this winter. 

Maldonado himself acknowledged it, crediting Crane on Friday for “trying to get the best position players available for what we need.” The owner’s latest attempt did invigorate the man he tried to replace.

“I’ve been in the game many years. It’s something, for me, that motivates me moving forward,” Maldonado said. “It’s funny because you see the comments of the fans, all that stuff. We had just won the World Series. I know they weren’t happy about my batting average, I understand that, but I hit 15 homers — a career-high — a career high in RBIs. I was a little disappointed in some fans that they were a little more against me than happy we were after Contreras.”

Criticizing Maldonado for his miserable offense is misplaced ire. Throughout Maldonado’s tenure, the Astros have constructed rosters with the understanding he will not hit. He is a frequent target for taunts when the lineup underperforms, but more anger should be directed toward those Houston pays to hit. 

Maldonado’s career 72 OPS+ is 28 points below league average. Expecting him to provide offensive firepower is unrealistic. Still, last July, he posted a .908 OPS and struck 12 of his 24 hits for extra bases. Maldonado entered August carrying the torrid streak. His fractured hand that month derailed it.

Maldonado’s hand healed without surgery. His hernia did not. Ten days after Houston won the World Series, Maldonado underwent the procedure he put off for so long. He shed 17 pounds afterward, eliminating sugary drinks and snacks. He spent the winter working on his hitting. After he finished, he found his way to West Palm Beach, into a clubhouse captivated by his leadership — the same one he nearly exited this winter.

“Same goal,” he said on the first day of camp, “just to win another championship.”

 

[Gourmand 7774]

The haters can suck it. I love Machete. 

[Dutchrudder 11139]

I got nothing against Maldonado, but betting on him to start 100+ games this year is dicey. They need at least a backup catcher for him, he needs to be able to take time off for injuries or to load manage. Even if they signed Contreras, I don't think the team would have moved him. It's not a lack of loyalty, it's a matter of roster management. 

[Wulaw Horn 19070]

1 hour ago, Hank Chinaski said:

I’ve heard that Chas is a weirdo (more so than an asshole). That he struggled to read the room when he came up to the big club (did some things rookies shouldn’t be doing). Not sure if that has corrected itself at this point (you’d think it would have), but that was the word early on. 

That tracks with how people talk about him. What I assumed was dumb could have been really weird. But yeah- didn’t seem like he’s an asshole- more like a two guys shaking their heads and pointing and saying- wtf is that dude doing. 

[Wulaw Horn 19070]

16 minutes ago, Dutchrudder said:

I got nothing against Maldonado, but betting on him to start 100+ games this year is dicey. They need at least a backup catcher for him, he needs to be able to take time off for injuries or to load manage. Even if they signed Contreras, I don't think the team would have moved him. It's not a lack of loyalty, it's a matter of roster management. 

Yep. And the thing is Maldy is like a perfect backup. Come in, call a decent game, probably go 0-4 with 3k’s but occasionally draw a walk or run into one. At his age he should appreciate playing 60 games. The money spends the same either way. 

[Mez2 4023]

#TeamMachete

[formermav43 4606]

Maldonado is in the conversation for the worst-hitting everyday player of the postwar era (of players with at least 3,000 PA, he has the second lowest batting average to Jeff Mathis, but Mathis never caught more than 100 games in a season; he is tied for 25th in lowest wOBA; the one thing that maybe elevates him from absolute worst is that when he happens to make contact, he hits with more power than most of the other guys in the basement).

Anyway, anyone expecting him to make any contribution at all with his bat is missing the point. That's not why he's there. From an outsider's perspective, it looks like it's an easy position to upgrade, but I think this is an area where you just have to roll with how the team values him, especially given that a catcher's defensive contributions are still difficult to quantify.

I also don't think that there's any point in adding another catcher at this late stage, even if Maldonado can't catch 100 games. They need to see what Lee and/or Diaz can do, and no one available today is likely to offer an upgrade over them even if they aren't very good. If it's a real problem as the season goes on, they can add a catcher at the deadline like they did last year.

[Dutchrudder 11139]

Machete is making 4 million this year, and it's the last year of his deal. If injuries flare up and seem chronic, he could retire next year. Is there a succession plan? Do the Astros have a promising catcher in Triple A ready to get called up? Because if they don't, then they need to find 2024 and beyonds catcher this season via trade. You definitely want some overlap between whoever that is and Maldonado, because that's one of those positions where the group can really help each other get better as a unit. 

I know the Braves have a few extra catchers on the roster since trading for Sean Murphy, and a couple coming up through the minors, so maybe Dana reaches out to his old organization and works a deal to swap one of our pitchers for a catcher. It would be great if they could get a guy with long term club control to grow with the team, and hopefully save some money down the road while they extend the core All-stars.