2023 Houston Astros Thread

[Guadaloopy 10960]

Hopefully this is the low point of the season.  

[David Dennison 18854]

1 minute ago, HtownHorn said:

3rd place Astros. Great effort Dusty and Crane.

We are spoiled rotten.

[HtownHorn 14677]

3 minutes ago, Guadaloopy said:

Hopefully this is the low point of the season.  

It's not. This team is full of shitty players and pitchers who are overperforming. Any regression by the pitching staff will send this team into a tailspin. We have started to witness the regression with Bielak and Blanco as they join Montero and Stanek.

[Chuckie Finster 22694]

That's silly.

We should definitely trade Drew Gilbert and Jacob Melton for Shane Bieber and then still miss the playoffs!

[Wulaw Horn 19069]

14 minutes ago, HtownHorn said:

3rd place Astros. Great effort Dusty and Crane.

Dusty really is a mouth-breathing, paint chip eating moron. 
Jeff Luhnow should get a HOF plaque that’s says- such a genius he built a team that even Dusty Baker couldn’t fuck up for 3 years after he left. 

[perfectchaos007 6634]

Dusty is going to continue giving players rest even though we’ll miss the playoffs. Stubborn old man

[Wulaw Horn 19069]

4 minutes ago, Chuckie Finster said:

We should definitely trade Drew Gilbert and Jacob Melton for Shane Bieber and then still miss the playoffs!

I’ve been saying extend or trade Tucker all year. It should be one or the other. We will take a stupid middle approach that ends up being worst of both worlds. 

Just now, perfectchaos007 said:

Dusty is going to continue giving players rest even though we’ll miss the playoffs. Stubborn old man

But not Maldy. He will lead the league in games caught. 

[Jshep34 2308]

With all the rest players are getting, they'll be ready in 2024.

[Make em eat Taco Bell 1549]

Rest in Peace

[Rockethorn1978 6077]

I mean we just won the WS. When’s the last time there was a repeat champion? Like 03 yankoffs? It’s been 20 years for a reason. We’re still in it until we aren’t in the standings and I’m hopeful we will make aggressive moves and get lucky with injuries.

[HtownHorn 14677]

3 minutes ago, Rockethorn1978 said:

I mean we just won the WS. When’s the last time there was a repeat champion? Like 03 yankoffs? It’s been 20 years for a reason. We’re still in it until we aren’t in the standings and I’m hopeful we will make aggressive moves and get lucky with injuries.

We are currently out of the playoffs.

[tx 3 putt 76905]

Glad I dozed off during the 9th

bring on the Mets 

[Hank Chinaski 6314]

1 hour ago, David Dennison said:

We are spoiled rotten.

Meh. People are frustrated because of all the unforced errors that have contributed to this shitty season. It didn’t and doesn’t have to be this way. But Crane fucked up the off-season and Dusty creatively fucks up the actual season in new and imaginative ways pretty much every day by stubbornly refusing to play his best players.

If Crane had taken the GM thing seriously in the winter and if Dusty actually tries to assemble the lineup in ways conducive to, you know, winning games, and it still isn’t good enough, that’s ok, no team is going to be dominant forever. But this feels (and has felt, for months) like self-sabotage via simple incompetency.

[tx 3 putt 76905]

[David Dennison 18854]

1 hour ago, HtownHorn said:

We are currently out of the playoffs.

It's June 18th. 

[Mo Horn 8832]

Didn't have a chance to watch any of the series... and I'm not mad about that. Not playing very well right now. 

[tx 3 putt 76905]

37 minutes ago, David Dennison said:

It's June 18th. 

[tx 3 putt 76905]

6 minutes ago, Mo Horn said:

Didn't have a chance to watch any of the series... and I'm not mad about that. Not playing very well right now. 

I envy you 

[WBT 20561]

1 hour ago, Hank Chinaski said:

Meh. People are frustrated because of all the unforced errors that have contributed to this shitty season. It didn’t and doesn’t have to be this way. But Crane fucked up the off-season and Dusty creatively fucks up the actual season in new and imaginative ways pretty much every day by stubbornly refusing to play his best players.

If Crane had taken the GM thing seriously in the winter and if Dusty actually tries to assemble the lineup in ways conducive to, you know, winning games, and it still isn’t good enough, that’s ok, no team is going to be dominant forever. But this feels (and has felt, for months) like self-sabotage via simple incompetency. 

Yeah, this feels like a shitty way for the window to close/the LCS streak to end, if it does happen.  The chances of winning the WS again were always going to be remote.  But maybe it will be similar to 2020 where we sneak into the playoffs and then finally get it together.  Or I'm still not convinced the Rangers don't have a collapse in them.

Edited June 19, 2023 by WBT

[Hank Chinaski 6314]

15 minutes ago, tx 3 putt said:

 

Lol “very doable.” 

[tx 3 putt 76905]

[Wulaw Horn 19069]

1 hour ago, WBT said:

Yeah, this feels like a shitty way for the window to close/the LCS streak to end, if it does happen.  The chances of winning the WS again were always going to be remote.  But maybe it will be similar to 2020 where we sneak into the playoffs and then finally get it together.  Or I'm still not convinced the Rangers don't have a collapse in them.

Don’t think this is the end of the window. If we miss the playoffs so be it- Dusty is gone and we will stop actively self-sabotaging ourselves. This roster is pretty good next year:

Diaz, Lee, Abreu, Altuve, Pena, Bregman, Dubon, Yordan, Chas, Jake, Tucker, Gilbert 

half seasons from LMJ and Garcia, plus our big 3, France and Urquidy with a decent bullpen should still be a 95-100 win team. We’d also have 50M we can spend with Maldy and Brantley and Stanek moving on plus the other 25M crane didn’t bother to spend this year. 

[Hank Chinaski 6314]

9 minutes ago, Wulaw Horn said:

half seasons from LMJ 

lulz. 

[tx 3 putt 76905]

[UTexasFight 9431]

44 minutes ago, Wulaw Horn said:

Don’t think this is the end of the window. If we miss the playoffs so be it- Dusty is gone and we will stop actively self-sabotaging ourselves. This roster is pretty good next year:

Diaz, Lee, Abreu, Altuve, Pena, Bregman, Dubon, Yordan, Chas, Jake, Tucker, Gilbert 

half seasons from LMJ and Garcia, plus our big 3, France and Urquidy with a decent bullpen should still be a 95-100 win team. We’d also have 50M we can spend with Maldy and Brantley and Stanek moving on plus the other 25M crane didn’t bother to spend this year. 

Lol looking ahead to ‘24.

[HtownHorn 14677]

43 minutes ago, Wulaw Horn said:

Don’t think this is the end of the window. If we miss the playoffs so be it- Dusty is gone and we will stop actively self-sabotaging ourselves. This roster is pretty good next year:

Diaz, Lee, Abreu, Altuve, Pena, Bregman, Dubon, Yordan, Chas, Jake, Tucker, Gilbert 

half seasons from LMJ and Garcia, plus our big 3, France and Urquidy with a decent bullpen should still be a 95-100 win team. We’d also have 50M we can spend with Maldy and Brantley and Stanek moving on plus the other 25M crane didn’t bother to spend this year. 

Going to need to rebuild the bullpen as Maton is a FA as well. I also wouldn't include Abreu, Dubon, and Meyers on any good roster notes. They suck. We both know it.

The team is Altuve, Bregman, Alvarez, Pena, Tucker(unless he's traded), Diaz, Chas, and Gilbert. That is a solid starting nucleus to build around it. You have a starting OF with McCormick, Gilbert, and Tucker. You have 4/5 of the infield set with Bregman, Pena, Altuve, and Diaz. Of course, DH is ready to go with Alvarez. Finally need to stop fucking around at 1B and find a guy that hits HRs. Meyers should be shopped for bullpen help, and I would also try to sell high on Dubon.

[UTexasFight 9431]

June 16-18, 2019 got swept by a .500 Reds team. That season turned out ok.

 

this sucks right now, but they’ll be alright.

Would be nice to play .500 the rest of June with the schedule we have coming up and then turn it on in July when we get healthier and schedule lightens up a bit 

[Hank Chinaski 6314]

10 minutes ago, UTexasFight said:

June 16-18, 2019 got swept by a .500 Reds team. That season turned out ok.

I admire your optimism, but take a quick gander at that 2019 roster. This team is not in the same galaxy as that one.

The offense will probably get a little better, the pitching will probably get a little worse. Add it all together and you’re still nothing more than a mediocre team. It’s what they’ve been all season and there’s no real reason to believe that they’re anything more than that.

 

[tx 3 putt 76905]

bregman and abreu have to pick it up. we need urquidy back, asap. he'll eat innings and be quality. if brantley can come back and be brantley, that's a huge boost to this line up

that's a lot that has to go right 

[David Dennison 18854]

58 minutes ago, Hank Chinaski said:

I admire your optimism, but take a quick gander at that 2019 roster. This team is not in the same galaxy as that one.

The offense will probably get a little better, the pitching will probably get a little worse. Add it all together and you’re still nothing more than a mediocre team. It’s what they’ve been all season and there’s no real reason to believe that they’re anything more than that.

 

I admire your dedication to the bit.

[Wulaw Horn 19069]

9 hours ago, UTexasFight said:

Lol looking ahead to ‘24.

I was just responding to someone who said end of window. I think we make the playoffs. 

[Wulaw Horn 19069]

9 hours ago, HtownHorn said:

Going to need to rebuild the bullpen as Maton is a FA as well. I also wouldn't include Abreu, Dubon, and Meyers on any good roster notes. They suck. We both know it.

The team is Altuve, Bregman, Alvarez, Pena, Tucker(unless he's traded), Diaz, Chas, and Gilbert. That is a solid starting nucleus to build around it. You have a starting OF with McCormick, Gilbert, and Tucker. You have 4/5 of the infield set with Bregman, Pena, Altuve, and Diaz. Of course, DH is ready to go with Alvarez. Finally need to stop fucking around at 1B and find a guy that hits HRs. Meyers should be shopped for bullpen help, and I would also try to sell high on Dubon.

Agree with all that. I was just talking about no changes, and people coming back from current injuries. Stuff will happen and I’d be happy yonder everything you spoke about come to fruition. 
I actually don’t think we need to trade for bullpen help though. If guys come back that we currently have Blanco, France, guys like that become your bullpen guys. Presley, Abreu and Nerris are fine next year as leverage relievers. I hate trading anything worthwhile for mid level bullpen shit. Jake, with his defense and occasional pop is at worst a 4th OF. That’s more valuable than a 60 inning middle reliever to me, but YMMV. I won’t be heartbroken if it happens that way. 

[Seasick Sailor 3747]

I don' think we need to make any significant trades before the deadline. The bottom line is our stars need to start producing. If they do, we don't need anything more than minimal help, e.g. a Mancini/Vasquez type trade. If they don't, no one we could reasonably expect to get will make a difference. 

[tx 3 putt 76905]

RF is the only ‘open’ position. I’d expect Julks to get sent down, then less at bats for Chas / Jake. With brantley and Yordan back, chas or Jake goes down ? Salazar stays so Diaz can have more flexibility in the line up. Grae stays to have more flexibility with dubon ?
 

Lot of teams will still be chasing a playoff spot the end of July 

[HtownHorn 14677]

13 minutes ago, Seasick Sailor said:

I don' think we need to make any significant trades before the deadline. The bottom line is our stars need to start producing. If they do, we don't need anything more than minimal help, e.g. a Mancini/Vasquez type trade. If they don't, no one we could reasonably expect to get will make a difference. 

We don't have the prospect depth to make any significant trades, but this team is likely just not getting it done this season. Too many holes in the 26-man roster, even when everyone is healthy you still have a lineup that will include Abreu, Maldonado, and TBD Brantley. You could have had Belt and Drury for Abreu and Brantley and this team would be much better.

[tx 3 putt 76905]

Belt signed early on. He wasn’t in bagwell’s radar is my guess 

[Ojo Rojo 1963]

Because of the injuries, we need a SP.  Because of the suckitude, we need "the answer" at 1B or CF.  Core of the lineup is good; bullpen is good.  Probably would be giving up way too much future capital to get those two pieces to make a legit run this year.  So, likely scenario - we're going to need our stars to be the stars they have been (looking at you Abreu and Bregman) and we're going to need some luck/overperformance on the starting pitching side.

[Hank Chinaski 6314]

34 minutes ago, tx 3 putt said:

RF is the only ‘open’ position. I’d expect Julks to get sent down, then less at bats for Chas / Jake. With brantley and Yordan back, chas or Jake goes down ? Salazar stays so Diaz can have more flexibility in the line up. Grae stays to have more flexibility with dubon ?

Chas sent down? I feel like I’m taking crazy pills. He has a 120 wRC+. He’s been one of the better performers on the team. He’s been an above average offensive player every year he’s been in MLB and he’s good defensively. Sent down? He should be starting in CF every damn day. He may be the most underappreciated Astro I can recall. 

Grae stays? He’s not a major league player. He wasn’t good offensively in the minors. He adds nothing to the roster. Dubon is the utility guy. That is the flexibility. 

[Scraps 13561]

Belt signed early on. He wasn’t in bagwell’s radar is my guess 

Wut

Abreu signed in Nov, Belt signed in Jan

[tx 3 putt 76905]

20 minutes ago, Scraps said:

Wut

Abreu signed in Nov, Belt signed in Jan

damn bagwell snatched him up before he got away !

[tx 3 putt 76905]

[Pablo 494]

this team feels much shittier than it has been, especially during this stretch.

those percentages seem pretty spot on

[perfectchaos007 6634]

28 minutes ago, tx 3 putt said:

Looks like we should continue to give the starters plenty of rest. 
-Dusty

[UTexasFight 9431]

Looks just like 2016 which a few of us have been saying this season feels like for a while now 

[tx 3 putt 76905]

Astros, Dodgers, Yankees … Who misses the playoffs ?

[Scraps 13561]

After the first week i said 89 wins and I still feel that being the case with this team.

In the past every time a big situation came up you (well at least I) felt like they would come through and deliver.

This team I have absolutely zero feeling like that unless Yordan is up.

This team is just failing to execute. I don't even know how we are 6 games over .500. Feels like we should be about 6 games under

[texashorne 1177]

I feel like Bregman is getting a free pass this season.. he has been terrible when we've needed him most. The blame cant fall on Dusty alone. 

 

[tx 3 putt 76905]

[TonyTexas 10510]

53 minutes ago, tx 3 putt said:

Astros, Dodgers, Yankees … Who misses the playoffs ?

You’d have to say the Yankees. They’re 10.5 games back of the Rays so their only road is probably as a wild card. At least the Astros and Dodgers have a somewhat decent chance of winning the division. 

[Seasick Sailor 3747]