Houston Astros off-season thread

[tx 3 putt 77336]

Astros owner Jim Crane to MLB.com on Hader deal: "We think we have a good team and it adds a big piece to the back of our bullpen. With Pressly and Abreu, you have three quality guys, 7-8-9, wherever they pitch. We think it gives us a nice chance to get to the playoffs and make a run at another World Series."
 

[UTexasFight 9523]

I’m gonna go glass half empty for a second.

5 years… woof. He’ll turn 30 the first week of the season. How many 34 yo high leverage relievers are earning $19M this year ( or whatever that would be discounted)

He’s never been injured. Sounds great! Or….he’s overdue. Especially with his delivery

For signing a guy that rejected a QO, we lose our second round (#65 overall) pick in the July draft (and the accompanying bonus pool money for that pick) and

we lose $500k from our international bonus pool next year (hope we got all the Cubans we wanted this year)

May limit/penalize FA signings next season: if we don’t drop back below the CBT this year and sign a rejected QO guy next offseason, we’d lose our 2nd AND 5th highest draft picks in 2025 (and accompanying bonus pool money)…plus $1M in international bonus pool money for the following year.

 

That said, if we get another ring in next 5 years, I’m sure it’s a good deal. 

[tx 3 putt 77336]

Pressley is 35 this season

[tx 3 putt 77336]

2 minutes ago, tx 3 putt said:

Pressley is 35 this season

 

[UTexasFight 9523]

I may be better off setting it on fire but if I’ve got extra cash, I’m buying Montero stock for 2024.

I’ll be shocked if he’s back to 2022 levels, but if we get something halfway between 2022 and 2023 in 2024, that’s a 3.70 ERA guy, giving you ~70 IP and a 10.1 K/9 ratio

how many other teams have a 6th inning guy like that?
Yeah $11.5M for that is still a lot but at least defensible. 

Edited January 19 by UTexasFight

[Scraps 13570]

I’m gonna go glass half empty for a second.
5 years… woof. He’ll turn 30 the first week of the season. How many 34 yo high leverage relievers are earning $19M this year ( or whatever that would be discounted)
He’s never been injured. Sounds great! Or….he’s overdue. Especially with his delivery
For signing a guy that rejected a QO, we lose our second round (#65 overall) pick in the July draft (and the accompanying bonus pool money for that pick) and
we lose $500k from our international bonus pool next year (hope we got all the Cubans we wanted this year)
May limit/penalize FA signings next season: if we don’t drop back below the CBT this year and sign a rejected QO guy next offseason, we’d lose our 2nd AND 5th highest draft picks in 2025 (and accompanying bonus pool money)…plus $1M in international bonus pool money for the following year.
 
That said, if we get another ring in next 5 years, I’m sure it’s a good deal. 

Please don't take this the wrong way...I am totally just fucking with you

[UTexasFight 9523]

2 minutes ago, Scraps said:

Please don't take this the wrong way...I am totally just fucking with you

and that’s fair….

 

I should have at least waited until Monday to drop the:

[runthebone 8029]

Thanks, Graveman?

 

Games are over after the sixth, motherfuckers.

[APMP 688]

Y'all remember the straight nastiness we had with Lidge/Dotel/Wagner back in the day? I think we're back at that level with Abreu/Pressly/Hader, with flexibility to mix them around based on where lefties are in the opposing batting order.

[Snake Diggity 4627]

1 hour ago, Wulaw Horn said:

If he wanted to duck back below the tax… 

Trade Montero and Urquidy for a low level lotto ticket. 
 

or- trade Garcia and McCullers to a team like the Mets- 

both those deals probably net out to neutral or better combined value with some upside to the contracts for the receiving team. I’d hate the second deal and be just fine with the first one. 
I’d rather they say fuck the tax though and go sign Brandon  Belt to a 1 year 12M deal. 

A Garcia/McCullers salary dump is interesting.  And the Mets would probably be a good partner for that deal.  It would put a ton of pressure on Hunter Brown and Cristian Javier but would free up $20M/yr for the next 3 seasons.

[Snake Diggity 4627]

A lefty hitting OF is the final piece.  Bellinger, Pederson, Belt, Gallo, Ford, Rosario all make some sense.  It’s a shame Brantley retired.

Edited January 19 by Snake Diggity

[ChickenSandwich 9849]

2 hours ago, Chuckie Finster said:

Welp, not my money!

 

 

Why would we not try to defer?

 

Already with a stout bullpen, Houston will reportedly sign All-Star closer Josh Hader to a five-year, $95 million deal.

Hader's money is the most ever given to a reliever without deferrals. The New York Mets signed Edwin Diaz to a $102 million deal, the most total money for a reliever, but he deferred around $9 million of it until after the deal.

 

Five-time MLB All-Star closer Josh Hader agrees to record-breaking deal with Astros: report | Fox News

Edited January 19 by ChickenSandwich

[Js1 85527]

10 minutes ago, Snake Diggity said:

A lefty hitting OF is the final piece.  Bellinger, Pederson, Belt, Gallo, Ford, Rosario all make some sense.  It’s a shame Brantley retired.

Unfortunately for Uncle Mike, his body retired well before he was ready 

[henrygandorf 29194]

 

[Scraps 13570]

37 minutes ago, ChickenSandwich said:

Why would we not try to defer?

 

Already with a stout bullpen, Houston will reportedly sign All-Star closer Josh Hader to a five-year, $95 million deal.

Hader's money is the most ever given to a reliever without deferrals. The New York Mets signed Edwin Diaz to a $102 million deal, the most total money for a reliever, but he deferred around $9 million of it until after the deal.

 

Five-time MLB All-Star closer Josh Hader agrees to record-breaking deal with Astros: report | Fox News

He didn't want to defer.  Just like he wanted a no trade clause 

[Guadaloopy 11012]

1 hour ago, Snake Diggity said:

A lefty hitting OF is the final piece.  Bellinger, Pederson, Belt,

Hasn’t played in the outfield since 2019.  There may be a reason for that.  

[HtownHorn 14763]

3 minutes ago, Guadaloopy said:

Hasn’t played in the outfield since 2019.  There may be a reason for that.  

Belt is mostly a DH with the occasionally start at 1B, but does give you protection in case Abreu's back starts acting up again. I think Gallo, would be the best bet with Pederson 2nd. Both can still play OF/1B.

[Wulaw Horn 19147]

1 hour ago, Snake Diggity said:

A Garcia/McCullers salary dump is interesting.  And the Mets would probably be a good partner for that deal.  It would put a ton of pressure on Hunter Brown and Cristian Javier but would free up $20M/yr for the next 3 seasons.

I mean if they did that it wouldn't free up 20M for this season that would be the Hader money to drop below the cap.  But yeah- it likely would free up 20M in 25 and 26.  If that was the downpayment on a Bregman extension I guess I'd hold my nose and be ok with it.  If it meant extending both Bregman and Altuve I'd trade all 4 of those guys but not love it. Resulting roster

Diaz/Vic the dick, Abreu (25 only), Altuve, Pena, Bregman, Yordan, Chas, Marisnick, Tucker (25 only), Dubon (25 only), Keppinger, Flotsam

JV (25 only), Framber (25 only), Javier, Brown, France, Spaghetti, Whitley, Bielak, Blanco, Abreu, Presley, Hader, AAA dude (souza) plus 60M to fill in 2 starting pitchers (if Whitley isn't that guy- a girl can dream), RF and 1B.

25 roster would be just fine.  26 would need to develop loperfido or something like that to play LF or 1B, sign whatever you can't develop there, hopefully bring JV back on a 15M type deal to watch him chase 300 (he's at 257- if he has 2 more solid years that could get him to 290 ish and the home stretch) and be a quality MOR or BOR guy and hunt a TOR stud.  That's a lot of if's to look after but if it meant Altuve and Bregman were Astros for life and we had a dominant back of bullpen and Javier and Brown were good like I think thye will be and France or Spaghetti can hold down the 5/6 spot, it could work.  I'd be happy enough to see that play out. 

[Wulaw Horn 19147]

1 hour ago, Snake Diggity said:

A lefty hitting OF is the final piece.  Bellinger, Pederson, Belt, Gallo, Ford, Rosario all make some sense.  It’s a shame Brantley retired.

I wouldn't mind taking a run at Peralta if he's super cheap. I mean, as opposed to not signing Peralta.  Those other guys (absent maybe Gallo but he's got upside I guess) are all probably better bets.  

[Gut Wagon 8087]

1 hour ago, HtownHorn said:

Belt is mostly a DH with the occasionally start at 1B, but does give you protection in case Abreu's back starts acting up again. I think Gallo, would be the best bet with Pederson 2nd. Both can still play OF/1B.

I definitely think he'd be lost in the outfield these days. Seem to recall his last effort out there being his last for a reason. But...the man can probably still hit and play a decent 1B in relief. Besides, maybe we need a UT alum who can pick up Uncle Mike's fallen mantle of "professional hitter."

 

[WBT 20653]

Wow, pleasantly surprised

[Fudge Nuggets 19211]

Can Hader hit the goddamn ball?

[Fudge Nuggets 19211]

4 hours ago, TejasPedro said:

Dana the Brown woke up from his hibernation 

[Mez2 4025]

17 minutes ago, Fudge Nuggets said:

Can Hader hit the goddamn ball?

Better than Pena, prolly. Maybe. Likely

[Guest]

18 minutes ago, Fudge Nuggets said:

Can Hader hit the goddamn ball?

Diaz> Maldy can pay it forward, right?

[tx 3 putt 77336]

[WBT 20653]

If they had got that lefty for me and maldy, we would have gone back to back.

-Dusty, probably

[tx 3 putt 77336]

 

[Mitch Hedberg 2090]

I almost posted in this very thread yesterday that this was the least excited I’ve been going into an Astros season in 8 years. Well this 180 is real and the thrill is back. Starters only needing to go 5 and having a real chance to win is exciting. This trade probably added 3 wins to Verlander as he chases 300. Leaving a game up 2-1 or 3-2 is no longer a 50/50 at best. Get someone to pitch the 6th or last 2/3 and then hand it off to those 3 on good nights and you will have a win 8-9 out of 10. If Myers hits .265 with a little pop or we get a LH OF I may need to see the ER for an erection lasting more than 4 hours. 

[Dutchrudder 11150]

26 minutes ago, WBT said:

If they had got that lefty for me and maldy, we would have gone back to back.

-Dusty, probably

If they had traded for Hader instead of Graveman, they might have. It would have taken more assets, but going to the bullpen early wouldn't have been as scary for Dusty.

[tx 3 putt 77336]

[ChickenSandwich 9849]

So did they need to get Ryan on board or not relevant?

[Scraps 13570]

Does your job ask your opinion when they hire someone better than you?

[kevwun 15856]

I don’t know, it’s never happened.  I’m a one person department though. 

[Scraps 13570]

I don’t know, it’s never happened.  I’m a one person department though. 

This ain't golf or tennis bro!

[tx 3 putt 77336]

He’ll get paid $14mil to pitch the 8h 

[David Dennison 18945]

3 minutes ago, tx 3 putt said:

He’ll get paid $14mil to pitch the 8h 

You don't think he's the closer?

[tx 3 putt 77336]

Just now, David Dennison said:

You don't think he's the closer?

nope. 

[Scraps 13570]

You don't think he's the closer?

Hes talking about Pressly.

Hader is the closer. Pressly will get his share to give Hader a rest

[kevwun 15856]

No more games where pressly and abreu are unavailable and montero ends up closing. 

[Planet Houston 4930]

Man this is awesome news. 

They should name them co-closers and go based on lineup and situation. 

[runthebone 8029]

Pedersen can't play OF any more.  He can only hit righties and is too fat for the field.  Our kids go to the same preschool, and he's fat as shit.

Edited January 20 by runthebone

[TejasPedro 1858]

I could get used to a few bullpen days like this

France/Brown 

Brown/Whitley 

Whitley/France 

Let them eat up 6 and turn it over to Abreu, Pressly, Hader. 
I can see a few combined no no’s

hope we can score at leat 1 run per game, 2 runs just to be sure

[TejasPedro 1858]

7 minutes ago, runthebone said:

Pedersen can't play OF any more.  He can only hit righties and is too fat for the field.  Our kids go to the same preschool, and he's fat as shit.

Are we talking, like Puma, Singleton or Maldy?

[Scraps 13570]

Pedersen can't play OF any more.  He can only hit righties and is too fat for the field.  Our kids go to the same preschool, and he's fat as shit.

Dude 3putt could play LF at MMP

[runthebone 8029]

18 minutes ago, TejasPedro said:

Are we talking, like Puma, Singleton or Maldy?

 

13 minutes ago, Scraps said:

27 minutes ago, runthebone said:

Pedersen can't play OF any more.  He can only hit righties and is too fat for the field.  Our kids go to the same preschool, and he's fat as shit.

Dude 3putt could play LF at MMP

Orca

 

[Planet Houston 4930]

My God it’s Derka!

[HtownHorn 14763]

Scratch Pederson off the list, go with Gallo 1st, Rosario 2nd, and Belt 3rd. Or my personally favorite sign 2 of those 3 and get rid of Singleton and Meyers.

[David Dennison 18945]

1 hour ago, Scraps said:

Hes talking about Pressly.

Hader is the closer. Pressly will get his share to give Hader a rest

I should really learn to read every post.

Derp.

[tx 3 putt 77336]

Have we won the world series yet ?