Houston Astros off-season thread

[Pantone 16-1448 29]

I know he's 75, but Brent Strom knows pitching.  The pitching staff dropped off this year and he's doing well in Arizona.  He may have no interest in being a head coach and would likely be a short-term fix.  

[Nice Guy Eddie 13512]

2 hours ago, tx 3 putt said:

 

Are the Astros on the hook for JV's entire 2024 and potential 2025 salary? Or will the Mets owe some of that?

Edited October 26, 2023 by Nice Guy Eddie

[The Dog 44051]

1 minute ago, Nice Guy Eddie said:

Are the Astros on the hook for JV's entire 2024 and potential 2025 salary? Or will the Mets owe some of that?

Mets paying like half IIRC.

[UTPhil2006 3807]

4 minutes ago, Nice Guy Eddie said:

Are the Astros on the hook for JV's entire 2024 and potential 2025 salary? Or will the Mets owe some of that?

Mets paid 35 mil for 23/24

Mets will pay 17.5 mil if 2025 vests (130 IP iirc)

I think Astros are roughly on the hook for ~29 mil all things considered for 2 1/3 seasons of JV

Edited October 26, 2023 by UTPhil2006

[Macklemore 2872]

 

[tx 3 putt 76958]

28 minutes ago, Pantone 16-1448 said:

I know he's 75, but Brent Strom knows pitching.  The pitching staff dropped off this year and he's doing well in Arizona.  He may have no interest in being a head coach and would likely be a short-term fix.  

same Astro pitching coaches was nails last season. Lot of rookies pitchers showed up this year too. Our pitching program work, post Strom 

new coach will have to decide his own staff 

[ChickenSandwich 9836]

Let’s hope they can see that Framber, Javi , Urq and Garcia are all 3-5 SP, not a true 2

[tx 3 putt 76958]

Pitching evaluation should be heavy metrics and analytics. I think the Astros are at the fore front here 

[tx 3 putt 76958]

Just now, ChickenSandwich said:

Let’s hope they can see that Framber, Javi , Urq and Garcia are all 3-5 SP, not a true 2

Not throwing a pitcher #2 might lead to very long games 

[ChickenSandwich 9836]

Just now, tx 3 putt said:

Not throwing a pitcher #2 might lead to very long games 

Go get one

[tx 3 putt 76958]

1 minute ago, ChickenSandwich said:

Go get one

We can’t afford a #2 free agent. maybe trade for one ?

[formermav43 4606]

31 minutes ago, ChickenSandwich said:

Let’s hope they can see that Framber, Javi , Urq and Garcia are all 3-5 SP, not a true 2

Even though he had a rough second half, Valdez was still 12th in MLB in WAR. He’s easily a #2. And I say that as someone who isn’t keen on extending him.

[tx 3 putt 76958]

No idea what framber’s next contract looks like, but …

altuve / Tucker / bregman are all going to be looking for 10 years - $300 million (that’s my guess) 

[Guadaloopy 10971]

You guys who are ready to flush Framber as a number 2 are nuts.   

[Macklemore 2872]

Like most of y’all, I’m not a Chandler Rome fan. That being said if his Chas banana pudding article helped push Dusty to retire — tip of the cap to him.

 

Edited October 26, 2023 by Macklemore

[tx 3 putt 76958]

2 minutes ago, Guadaloopy said:

You guys who are ready to flush Framber as a number 2 are nuts.   

or Javier as a #3

[formermav43 4606]

8 minutes ago, tx 3 putt said:

No idea what framber’s next contract looks like, but …

altuve / Tucker / bregman are all going to be looking for 10 years - $300 million (that’s my guess) 

Altuve is not going to be asking for a contract that lasts until he’s 45 years old. Come on.

 

[mbtex 683]

They just need to figure out what changed in both Framber, and Javiers mechanics. As Frambers velocity was up and ground ball percentage went down. Javier velocity was down this year.

[kevwun 15788]

Javier threw too many innings between last season, the playoffs, the WBC and this year.  I think he will bounce back after some rest.

Edited October 26, 2023 by kevwun

[tx 3 putt 76958]

WBC fucked us 

[tx 3 putt 76958]

10 minutes ago, formermav43 said:

Altuve is not going to be asking for a contract that lasts until he’s 45 years old. Come on.

 

I over estimated on Altuve, maybe under estimated on the other two 

 

[kevwun 15788]

Bregman isn't getting 300 million.

[TejasPedro 1858]

Do we have someone looking into the sweat analytics. Our pitchers get worked up eating seeds. While we are looking into at all the metrics, can we have someone evaluating the manager cap wearing height ratio. While I liked a few of our previous skippers, many of them wore their caps way too high on the head. Lanier, Howe, just to name a few Dierker.

[Gut Wagon 8071]

31 minutes ago, kevwun said:

Javier threw too many innings between last season, the playoffs, the WBC and this year.  I think he will bounce back after some rest.

Agreed. All in all, the WBC was likely the toughest opponent we faced this year. We went into it with several Astros already having had a series of short off-seasons, and we know all too well how we came out of it. At least that's not a hurdle this winter. 

[tx 3 putt 76958]

31 minutes ago, kevwun said:

Bregman isn't getting 300 million.

He’s 29 and show me a better leader in mlb. He’s a vacuum at 3rd. Little above avg career numbers. The Astros might not offer 300, but take a look at recent contracts. I’d ask for 300 and go from there. 
 

I’d take bregman over machado 
 

Edited October 26, 2023 by tx 3 putt

[UTexasFight 9450]

2 hours ago, The Dog said:

 

Obligatory: you’ve killed us all you arrogant ass 

[tx 3 putt 76958]

53 minutes ago, TejasPedro said:

Do we have someone looking into the sweat analytics. Our pitchers get worked up eating seeds. While we are looking into at all the metrics, can we have someone evaluating the manager cap wearing height ratio. While I liked a few of our previous skippers, many of them wore their caps way too high on the head. Lanier, Howe, just to name a few Dierker.

lower the ac ?

[HtownHorn 14682]

3 hours ago, Macklemore said:

 

Yeah, the decision wasn't Dusty's.

[HtownHorn 14682]

2 hours ago, kevwun said:

Javier threw too many innings between last season, the playoffs, the WBC and this year.  I think he will bounce back after some rest.

All our rookie pitchers +Javier hit a wall in the 2nd half of the season. Losing Garcia and McCullers really hurt.

If everyone is healthy next year, then we need at a minimum at a 6-man rotation, if not tandem starting(outside of Verlander and Framber) for the 1st half of the season.

[Guest]

3 hours ago, tx 3 putt said:

Pitching evaluation should be heavy metrics and analytics. I think the Astros are at the fore front here 

[Wulaw Horn 19070]

5 hours ago, Snake Diggity said:

My list of preferred manager candidates in order:

1. Astros bench coach Joe Espada

2. Rays bench coach Rodney Linares

3. Rangers associate manager Will Venable

4. A’s manager Mark Kotsay

5. Tigers manager AJ Hinch

I’d probably have your order almost exactly inverted (other than I know fuck all about will venable) but none of those are likey bad. 

[Wulaw Horn 19070]

4 hours ago, tx 3 putt said:

No idea what framber’s next contract looks like, but …

altuve / Tucker / bregman are all going to be looking for 10 years - $300 million (that’s my guess) 

Do you ever stop and listen to yourself think before you type? 
jose Altuve is 34 years old. In no fucking universe is he thinking about a 10 year contract.  Tucker is like 27, Bregman is like 31 and Altuve is 34. They are all at radically different points in time and their contract asks won’t be at all similar. 

Edited October 27, 2023 by Wulaw Horn

[Wulaw Horn 19070]

3 hours ago, kevwun said:

Javier threw too many innings between last season, the playoffs, the WBC and this year.  I think he will bounce back after some rest.

Replace I think with “I hope” and I’m right there with you. 

[CycleTex87 2970]

Just can’t see AJ Hinch as a viable candidate to come back here after all that. 

[tx 3 putt 76958]

3 minutes ago, CycleTex87 said:

Just can’t see AJ Hinch as a viable candidate to come back here after all that. 

he’s not coming back. There are some good candidates out there 

[Wulaw Horn 19070]

1 hour ago, HtownHorn said:

All our rookie pitchers +Javier hit a wall in the 2nd half of the season. Losing Garcia and McCullers really hurt.

If everyone is healthy next year, then we need at a minimum at a 6-man rotation, if not tandem starting(outside of Verlander and Framber) for the 1st half of the season.

Gross incompetence from Dusty in both handling of the pitchers and the fact that he handicapped us offensively making for a bunch of tight games Really did a number on the entire staff. 
some of that gets better with better management. 
also we need way more of a shuttle to sugar land on the mound. All the good teams do it. We should be using a roster of 19 pitchers not 13. I mean regularly. Guys swapping out 10 days at a time. 

[Tommy Nobis 905]

I haven’t read all 400+ post in this thread. Who is the clubhouse leader for next manager? Espada?

[Guest]

10 minutes ago, Tommy Nobis said:

I haven’t read all 400+ post in this thread. Who is the clubhouse leader for next manager? Espada?

Maldy.

Player/ Coach

[wildcat09 29354]

Bagwellsterby is gonna make himself manager I bet.

[TejasPedro 1858]

How about the winning coach of the Rice vs HCU Fall baseball Exhibition game on Friday gets the gig?

[ChickenSandwich 9836]

 

1 hour ago, Tommy Nobis said:

I haven’t read all 400+ post in this thread. Who is the clubhouse leader for next manager? Espada?

Hank Conger

[WBT 20572]

Espada better have some good answers about what Dusty did wrong and what he would have done differently to convince me he isn't tainted

I'd probably leave him off the list just to be safe 

Edited October 27, 2023 by WBT

[UTexasFight 9450]

I'm too lazy to google right now.
Anyone have a list of key off-season dates?

in particular, the most important off-season date: when we will know if Astros were granted a fourth option year on Whitley (amirite @Wulaw Horn ?)

Edited October 27, 2023 by UTexasFight

[Mez2 4023]

Javier needs to develop a secondary pitch he can consistently throw for strikes. Game 7 Arlington was able to tee off the fastball because they saw ut a few nights before and knew he didn't have a secondary pitch to keep them off balance as soon as seager hit his HR, I knew we were fucked. Their hitters made the adjustment to him

[LCHorn 2620]

1 hour ago, Mez2 said:

Javier needs to develop a secondary pitch he can consistently throw for strikes. Game 7 Arlington was able to tee off the fastball because they saw ut a few nights before and knew he didn't have a secondary pitch to keep them off balance as soon as seager hit his HR, I knew we were fucked. Their hitters made the adjustment to him

He has a good slider but it didn’t miss bats as well this year. The real problem is his fastball went from A+++ to above average and none of his other pitches improved to compensate.  

[Seasick Sailor 3747]

13 hours ago, CycleTex87 said:

Just can’t see AJ Hinch as a viable candidate to come back here after all that. 

I don't think Crane has any interest in bringing back Hinch or Luhnow. One, I think he'd like to distance the team from the scandal as much as possible. Two, in Luhnow's case, Crane doesn't strike me as the kind of guy who will rehire an employee who sued him. It's a shame because I'd love to have Luhnow back in some capacity. 

[CycleTex87 2970]

I’m just passing Horseshoe Bay. Should I stop by and see if the curtains show any sign of who the Astros need to bring in to replace Dusty?

[HtownHorn 14682]

1 hour ago, Seasick Sailor said:

I don't think Crane has any interest in bringing back Hinch or Luhnow. One, I think he'd like to distance the team from the scandal as much as possible. Two, in Luhnow's case, Crane doesn't strike me as the kind of guy who will rehire an employee who sued him. It's a shame because I'd love to have Luhnow back in some capacity. 

Crane is also going to be pissed when the corporate money goes backs to the Texans as he runs the Astros into the ground by allowing Bagwell and himself to overrun the baseball ops and nerds.

[LCHorn 2620]

Crane isn’t rehiring Luhnow unless he’s desperate.  
 

I forget who posted this previously but the tweet that all of his manager/GM hires came from outside the org made a lot of sense.   My guess is Crane understands the value in pulling in ideas from other successful teams outweighs continuity, everything else being equal.  
 

I would really like to know the gossip on why he doesn’t trust the GM to make the hire, however.

[Guest]

If this all ends up being Crane/ Baggy/ and friends making a crony move, Dana is just little ole token, right?

Brown seems like he doesn’t have much say.  Maybe that’s my imagination.