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Houston Astros off-season thread

Wulaw Horn

By Wulaw Horn
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Txslnghrns
Txslnghrns

Hey. Fuk you and fuk the astros.

Txslnghrns
Txslnghrns

Nope. Need help finding your pennant?

Txslnghrns
Txslnghrns

No. I think I’m on the right thread. Your off-season begins……now

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Gut Wagon

Gut Wagon 8071

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8 minutes ago, UTPhil2006 said:

Dodgers are set for a bit and have shed payroll for some big moves. The Yankees are in several bad contracts and a division that has passed them by. They’re gonna be down for a while 

Yeah, my reference to raising the trophy was for 2023. Based strictly on their resources, I never expect the Dodgers or even the Yankees to remain out of the title picture for too long a stretch. From our perspective, the good news is that both have significant trouble with in-game management. 

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Napoleon

Napoleon 8679

Posted
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The replies to this article about Dusty likely stepping down are universally filled with love.

Everyone writes about what a great guy he is and how he’ll be missed.

IMG_9242.thumb.jpeg.20f6b54b69a99ebdd8d897bade0183c0.jpeg
 

Click the COMMENTS.

https://www.yahoo.com/sports/dusty-baker-reportedly-ready-to-step-down-as-houston-astros-manager-after-alcs-loss-041420480.html

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UTPhil2006

UTPhil2006 3807

Posted
Posted
8 minutes ago, Napoleon said:

The replies to this article about Dusty likely stepping down are universally filled with love.

Everyone writes about what a great guy he is and how he’ll be missed.

IMG_9242.thumb.jpeg.20f6b54b69a99ebdd8d897bade0183c0.jpeg
 

Click the COMMENTS.

https://www.yahoo.com/sports/dusty-baker-reportedly-ready-to-step-down-as-houston-astros-manager-after-alcs-loss-041420480.html

Dusty having 673 burner accounts makes Helo look sane 

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Dutchrudder

Dutchrudder 11139

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SI had an article about Who could be the Giants next manager. Some interesting background on these guys that could be interviewed by the Astros.

Quote

10 early potential candidates to be the SF Giants next manager

The SF Giants fired manager Gabe Kapler, here are ten names that seem like early potential candidates.

In this story:

 

San Francisco Giants

SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS

As the SF Giants season sputters to a close, manager Gabe Kapler became a casualty of the team's disappointing year when he was fired on Friday. From the Giants' late-season swoon in the standings to a pair of pair of reports from Giants beat writers that raised questions about the team's clubhouse. Here are ten possible replacements:

1. Bob Melvin

The San Diego Padres are reportedly planning to cut over $50 million in next season's payroll. They're also having a meeting Monday to deal with the rift between general manager A.J. Preller and manager Bob Melvin. With the organizational fracture between the two so severe that one Padres employee called it a "Civil War," it wouldn't be a surprise if one or both men got fired.

If so, Melvin becomes one of the most appealing managers on the market. He's a former Giants catcher who has won Manager of the Year three times, in 2007 with the Arizona Diamondbacks and in 2012 and 2018 with the Oakland A's. Melvin is a native of Palo Alto who also attended UC Berkeley, meaning he has the kind of background the Giants look for in veteran corner outfielders at least. Plus, he worked for the A's for a decade, so he'll never be disappointed when the team doesn't sign a free agent.

2. Mark Hallberg

Third base coach Mark Hallberg roomed with Giants  minority owner and principal partner Buster Posey at Florida State. Posey, one of the Giants' six principal partners, just happens to be relocating to the Bay Area, where he's likely to take on a more active role with the team.

Hallberg played shortstop at Florida State and indirectly started Posey's career at catcher, as Posey moved from short to accommodate Hallberg. He's known as a good communicator, with Kapler saying this his "life experiences independent of baseball give him the perspective to be able to listen, read, react and be a good coach and teacher."

His hiring would also be a gift to SportsCenter, who could throw in no end of references to Boogie Nights, The Departed, and the Funky Bunch during Giants highlights.

3. Kai Correa

Correa has been the Giants' bench coach through all four years of the Gabe Kapler era. His rise to the major leagues was meteoric, going from University of Northern Colorado assistant coach in 2017 to Giants bench/infield coach in 2020. As a third-generation baseball coach, the 35-year-old Correa is known for "combining old-school ideas with more analytical thinking."

The knock on Correa? With years of sitting next to Kapler and even wearing similar glasses to the skipper, choosing Correa might feel like perpetutating the Kapler era rather than a fresh start.

4. Ron Wotus

Longtime Giants bench coach Wotus spent 34 years in the Giants organization, the last 32 as a third-base coach, bench coach, and special assistant. Along the way, he coached under four different big league managers, managed at Single-A, Double-A and Triple-A, winning Pacific Coast League Manager of the Year in 1997, while coaching the Giants infielders and determining defensive shifts. He also sold cheese steaks.

Wotus will be 63 years old next season, and might feel like a placeholder manager. With Zaidi going into the last year of his contract, hiring Wotus might feel like a wait-and-see move by owenrship, in case a new team president wants to choose his own field general.

5. Rodney Linares

Linares is in his fifth year with the Tampa Bay Rays and his first year as their bench coach. Before that, he managed for 12 years in the Houston Astros system, winning Manager of the Year at both Single-A and Double-A. He also coached many of the members of Houston's championship teams, like Jose Altuve, George Springer, and Never Giant Carlos Correa. Linares managed his native Dominican Republic's team at the 2023 World Baseball Classic.

Though he's only 46, Linares has been coaching since age 21 and started managing at 29. We can't speak to specifics of his managerial approach, but Tampa and Houston are both analytics-forward organizations, one of which also doesn't sign high-priced free agents! Plus he speaks Spanish, an underrated quality for a modern manager.

6. Joe Espada

The last time the Giants were looking for a manager, the three finalists were Kapler, former Rays bench coach and current Kansas City Royals manager Matt Quatraro (Linares replaced him as bench coach this year), and Joe Espada. Espada was the Astros bench coach back then, and he's still Houston's bench coach now. But now he has a World Series ring.

Espada was a third base coach for the Yankees and Marlins, as well as a special assistant to Yankees GM Brian Cashman. He's also married to the sister of Baltimore Orioles manager Brandon Hyde. If the Giants liked Espada in 2019, they should like him now, as he's only become more accomplished and experienced since then.

7. Will Venable

Venable's dad Max was an SF Giant for five years, and Venable himself was an oft-rumored Giants target during his eight seasons with the San Diego Padres. He's currently the associate manager for the Texas Rangers alongside future Hall of Famer Bruce Bochy, after two years as bench coach for the Boston Red Sox and three years coaching for the Chicago Cubs.

In college, Venable was first team All-Ivy League at Princeton in both baseball and basketball. The only thing analytics-oriented GMs love more than positional flexibility is people who went to Ivy League schools, so Venable should be a dream for Zaidi. 

8. Buster Posey

There's no indication that Posey would even want the job, but if there's one hire that could win back the Giants' jaded fanbase, it's Gerald Dempsey "Buster" Posey. In Andrew Baggarly's recent piece about the Giants' dysfunctional clubhouse, he wrote "They didn’t have a Buster Posey, who could keep everyone in line without saying a word."

Obviously there are some impediments. Posey might not be interested. The commissioner has to approve it any time a team's owner becomes the manager. Even if Posey would want the job, he might want to start in a situation where there's a little more offensive talent or a corner outfielder who is faster than him.

But the fans would love it. Whether they'd come to the ballpark to just see a manager is another question.

9. Danny Lehmann

Lehmann is the bench coach for the Los Angeles Dodgers, which automatically makes him a candidate for any role where Farhan Zaidi is hiring. He was a "Game Planning and Communications" coach for the Dodgers for four years, and honestly, I didn't know what was an actual job before two minutes ago. This year he became the Dodgers bench coach, and honestly? Enough with the old Dodgers already.

10. Matt Williams

Williams is a Giants legend with managerial experience with the Washington Nationals for two years. He's currently the bench coach for the San Diego Padres, but as the Bob Melvin administration may be ending soon, Williams could be a popular candidate.

He's fought off colon cancer and overcame a hip replacement, something that should endear him to all the Giants players who have had major surgery recently. While Giants baseball is, as they say, torture, Williams might provide the fan base with less dramatic and frustrating decisions, as he needs to protect his own health, as well as theirs.

11. Jarnathan McNamara, Portland Sea Dogs

I for one believe Mr. McNamara is just the guy to turn this organization around.

https://www.si.com/mlb/giants/news/sf-giants-candidates-replace-gabe-kapler-manager-bob-melvin-joe-espada

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tx 3 putt

tx 3 putt 76958

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Just now, Dutchrudder said:

SI had an article about Who could be the Giants next manager. Some interesting background on these guys that could be interviewed by the Astros.

https://www.si.com/mlb/giants/news/sf-giants-candidates-replace-gabe-kapler-manager-bob-melvin-joe-espada


they hired the padres manager I believe 

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Dutchrudder

Dutchrudder 11139

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The Guardians are supposedly leaning towards hiring Stephen Vogt from the Mariners as their new manager.  They did also want to interview the Astros hitting coach Troy Snitker too.  

If Terry Francona isn't actually retiring from managing, the Astros should really push to sign him. He's a vet with tons of experience, well respected, and would be a great leader for a veteran clubhouse for a few years. He's 64 right now, and has had some health issues recently that caused him to miss the 2020 season with Cleveland, but he would be a good fit. I think this club needs a vet to finish off this championship window for the next few years, rather than going with a brand new guy who has never run a team before. It's not the time to give a guy a chance to learn it on the job, get someone smart and well respected to right the ship and win one more ring. 

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UTPhil2006

UTPhil2006 3807

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28 minutes ago, Dutchrudder said:

The Guardians are supposedly leaning towards hiring Stephen Vogt from the Mariners as their new manager.  They did also want to interview the Astros hitting coach Troy Snitker too.  

If Terry Francona isn't actually retiring from managing, the Astros should really push to sign him. He's a vet with tons of experience, well respected, and would be a great leader for a veteran clubhouse for a few years. He's 64 right now, and has had some health issues recently that caused him to miss the 2020 season with Cleveland, but he would be a good fit. I think this club needs a vet to finish off this championship window for the next few years, rather than going with a brand new guy who has never run a team before. It's not the time to give a guy a chance to learn it on the job, get someone smart and well respected to right the ship and win one more ring. 

Link? I wanna read the rest 

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Dutchrudder

Dutchrudder 11139

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16 minutes ago, UTPhil2006 said:

Link? I wanna read the rest 

I don't have an article about it, I just follow Cleveland and have been seeing what they are doing. They did a second round interview with Vogt today, who was also considered for the Giants job, but that was just filled by the Padres manager Bob Melvin.  

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Storm the Field

Storm the Field 5294

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One thing I learned at Game 6 on Sunday: The Butcher stall in Sec. 224 is one of the best dining values in the stadium. 

2 meat plate with 2 sides was only something like $27 and actually pretty damn decent BBQ for being at a concession stand. Generous serving of brisket and half a chicken, roasted brussels sprout/potato mix and mac and cheese was more than enough food for wife and I to split.

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cabowabo

cabowabo 4484

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3 minutes ago, Storm the Field said:

One thing I learned at Game 6 on Sunday: The Butcher stall in Sec. 224 is one of the best dining values in the stadium. 

2 meat plate with 2 sides was only something like $27 and actually pretty damn decent BBQ for being at a concession stand. Generous serving of brisket and half a chicken, roasted brussels sprout/potato mix and mac and cheese was more than enough food for wife and I to split.

Fuck MMP and all of its various food and drink options.

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Guest

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I don't think I could ever hate Dusty or Maldy either one.

They just need to not be part of the equation for 2024, and since their absence would be a benefit to the Astros, I fully expect them to return.

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Gut Wagon

Gut Wagon 8071

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3 minutes ago, Seasick Sailor said:

You know who would know that?

The guy I mentioned, maybe?

I live an hour from the Braves' park but honestly don't keep up with them closely at all. For all I know, they could have a bunch of good prospects stonewalled in the minors. All I know for sure is that their historically good offense couldn't even get them to the LCS. They might now be eager to add someone who's had success against the Phils. 

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Snake Diggity

Snake Diggity 4624

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To me it would show a lot of dysfunction if Crane hired a POBO to be Brown’s boss, since it’s pretty clear Brown took the job thinking he’d be the top baseball guy.

Linares or Espada would be great Managers.  I can’t think of any other good candidates.  Jason Castro might be a decent pick if he wants to manage but he also would be a good fit in the front office.  I wouldn’t complain about Maldy as the bench coach but I’ll burn down MMP if he’s back as a player.

I sure wish Crane would be a bully in free agency since Montgomery, Garver, Pham, and Hader would solve a shitload of problems and none of them are likely to get more than 5 years.

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TonyTexas

TonyTexas 10513

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I read an article about potential Baker replacements a few weeks back. It mentioned Atlanta bench coach, Walt Weiss and 1st base coach Eric Young. Neither is very inspiring, especially Young. I think the only reason he was listed is that he and Dana played on the same high school team. 

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Seasick Sailor

Seasick Sailor 3747

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5 minutes ago, TonyTexas said:

I read an article about potential Baker replacements a few weeks back. It mentioned Atlanta bench coach, Walt Weiss and 1st base coach Eric Young. Neither is very inspiring, especially Young. I think the only reason he was listed is that he and Dana played on the same high school team. 

Fuck Walt Weiss. 

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closetojumping

closetojumping 62725

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My friend involved with the org has been saying for a few months that they're going to do another round of layoffs/not renewing contracts of many in the analytics roles. Not sure if it is discussed here or known, but if it isn't, it's something to look for as Crane and Bagwell seem determined to backslide the organization into also-ran status. Hoping that's all incorrect.

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BERT

BERT 4358

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1 hour ago, TexArcher said:

I love how the Rangers are heading to the World Series and our offseason thread is getting more traffic than their season thread.  Buncha fake ass fans.

You're not new here. You should damn well know that any thread on any board on Surly where bitching and moaning is involved is going to move faster than the other threads 

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TexArcher

TexArcher 37774

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3 minutes ago, BERT said:

You're not new here. You should damn well know that any thread on any board on Surly where bitching and moaning is involved is going to move faster than the other threads 

It's not just that.  This is the best season they've had in over a decade, and our season thread is still more than 3 times as long as theirs.  And, their season thread last year, with plenty of things to bitch about, per your premise, was a ghost town.

The Rangers just don't have a whole lot of actual fans.

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BERT

BERT 4358

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1 minute ago, TexArcher said:

It's not just that.  This is the best season they've had in over a decade, and our season thread is still more than 3 times as long as theirs.  And, their season thread last year, with plenty of things to bitch about, per your premise, was a ghost town.

The Rangers just don't have a whole lot of actual fans.

congrats?? 

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