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Posted

if giles isn't closing, he should be coming in for the 6th or 7th, or games that we're trailing.  i have no interest in seeing him get passed over one day but then come in the next day when it's "save adjacent".  you can't do that to the biggest headcase in our bullpen.  honestly, if he's not the closer anymore, i'd almost rather see him in aaa trying to work on striking guys out again, to give him some potential value in oct.

how in the world do we have 3 of the most dominant right-handed strikeout guys in baseball on one staff yet giles' k numbers somehow go way down?  mind-bottling. 

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Posted
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Keith Law's brief analysis of AL drafts is up...thought this was interesting about the Astros scouting approach...I'd read a bit about this, but didn't realize the robots were taking over to this extent. Something interesting is going on, perhaps, as they almost entirely selected college players (in addition to the blurb above).

Law didn't say much about Beer, other than he's a classic/old-school "Moneyball" guy and sees him as a DH only, but with enough power/approach that he was worth a first round pick. 

Posted
  On 6/8/2018 at 3:52 AM, henrygandorf said:

if giles isn't closing, he should be coming in for the 6th or 7th, or games that we're trailing.  i have no interest in seeing him get passed over one day but then come in the next day when it's "save adjacent".  you can't do that to the biggest headcase in our bullpen.  honestly, if he's not the closer anymore, i'd almost rather see him in aaa trying to work on striking guys out again, to give him some potential value in oct.

how in the world do we have 3 of the most dominant right-handed strikeout guys in baseball on one staff yet giles' k numbers somehow go way down?  mind-bottling. 

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For whatever reason, he's throwing his fastball more this year which has like half the swinging strike rate of his slider.  The swinging strike rate for each of his pitches hasn't really changed from last year.

Posted
  On 6/8/2018 at 1:21 PM, Hank Chinaski said:
  Reveal hidden contents

Keith Law's brief analysis of AL drafts is up...thought this was interesting about the Astros scouting approach...I'd read a bit about this, but didn't realize the robots were taking over to this extent. Something interesting is going on, perhaps, as they almost entirely selected college players (in addition to the blurb above).

Law didn't say much about Beer, other than he's a classic/old-school "Moneyball" guy and sees him as a DH only, but with enough power/approach that he was worth a first round pick. 

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Luhnow seems better at his job than Law.

 

Just sayin...

Posted (edited)

I think I read they cut around half their amateur scouts and replaced them with "analysts" and lackeys who go out and video tape players.  

Edited by Fozzz
Posted
  On 6/8/2018 at 3:52 AM, henrygandorf said:

if giles isn't closing, he should be coming in for the 6th or 7th, or games that we're trailing.  i have no interest in seeing him get passed over one day but then come in the next day when it's "save adjacent".  you can't do that to the biggest headcase in our bullpen.  honestly, if he's not the closer anymore, i'd almost rather see him in aaa trying to work on striking guys out again, to give him some potential value in oct.

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No, Giles just needs to be a fucking professional. He shouldn't care if it is a "save situation" or not. Every appearance is one that the team needs him at his best. 

If he can't perform without the pressure of a "save situation" tell him that the starting pitcher,  Bregman, and Reddick get to kick him in the balls once for every run he gives up. Every appearance now becomes a "save your balls situation".

  On 6/8/2018 at 3:52 AM, henrygandorf said:

how in the world do we have 3 of the most dominant right-handed strikeout guys in baseball on one staff yet giles' k numbers somehow go way down?  mind-bottling. 

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All three (Verlander, Cole, Morton) have shown an openness and humility that enabled them to buy in to the Astros pitching philosophy.

Giles has expressed that he doesn't really listen to anybody's advice and that he knows himself better than anyone.

Posted (edited)

I just wish they would get rid of him at the earliest opportunity.  They can't find a role for him and it creates more problems than it's worth.

Edited by kevwun
Posted
  On 6/8/2018 at 3:01 PM, BornOrange said:

No, Giles just needs to be a fucking professional. He shouldn't care if it is a "save situation" or not. Every appearance is one that the team needs him at his best. 

If he can't perform without the pressure of a "save situation" tell him that the starting pitcher,  Bregman, and Reddick get to kick him in the balls once for every run he gives up. Every appearance now becomes a "save your balls situation".

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i'm not saying you're right or wrong, but giles is far from the first closer who has stumbled in non-save situations while being good to great when a save is on the line.  closers are like kickers.  their success often has little to do with their talent.

expecting giles to "change" is not realistic.  we just need to figure out what he is and use him accordingly.

Posted
  On 6/8/2018 at 3:06 PM, Fozzz said:

Where did Giles say that?

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It was last season, either during a pre-game show or the weekly "Bases Loaded" type show.

I remember thinking at the time "Wow, that explains a lot of things!"

I was hoping that his problems from last post-season made him more open to constructive criticism, because he has obvious talent, but it doesn't seem there has been a change.

Posted (edited)

The 4th place A's (32-31) are the only team above .500 we face between now and the All-Star Break. We should be heavily favored in most of the next 31 games.

It's time to get fat at the trough over the next 5 weeks.

Edited by Storm the Field
Posted
  On 6/8/2018 at 3:43 PM, henrygandorf said:

i'm not saying you're right or wrong, but giles is far from the first closer who has stumbled in non-save situations while being good to great when a save is on the line.  closers are like kickers.  their success often has little to do with their talent.

expecting giles to "change" is not realistic.  we just need to figure out what he is and use him accordingly.

Expand  

Giles is typically bad in all situations...save, mid relief, mop up.  He has pitched one solid inning against the Yankees I think.  He looked dominant.  I thought that game might have turned the corner for him.  He comes in the very next game, gets rocked and hits himself in the face.  He is too big a head case to ever be successful unless he gets professional help

  • Like 2
Posted
  On 6/8/2018 at 1:21 PM, Hank Chinaski said:
  Reveal hidden contents

Keith Law's brief analysis of AL drafts is up...thought this was interesting about the Astros scouting approach...I'd read a bit about this, but didn't realize the robots were taking over to this extent. Something interesting is going on, perhaps, as they almost entirely selected college players (in addition to the blurb above).

Law didn't say much about Beer, other than he's a classic/old-school "Moneyball" guy and sees him as a DH only, but with enough power/approach that he was worth a first round pick. 

Expand  

It really does appear the org punted on this draft, though Beer is a typical Luhnow college pick. Good bat, can't field a lick. Beer is probably somewhere between Reed and former Luhnow pick Matt Adams. Hopefully closer to Adams.

Posted
  On 6/8/2018 at 3:32 PM, kevwun said:

I just wish they would get rid of him at the earliest opportunity.  They can't find a role for him and it creates more problems than it's worth.

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He should be traded in any deal that brings back bullpen help. He needs a new start outside Houston it appears. If Milwaukee was willing, I'd swap him for Knebel.

Posted
  On 6/8/2018 at 8:32 PM, HtownHorn said:

It really does appear the org punted on this draft, though Beer is a typical Luhnow college pick. Good bat, can't field a lick. Beer is probably somewhere between Reed and former Luhnow pick Matt Adams. Hopefully closer to Adams.

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i could totally be misreading the situation, but drafting almost exclusively college guys (closer to being mlb ready) almost seems like we're trying to stock up on trade chips and organizational depth, since our core is so young (including tucker, whitley, etc).  these days, with international signing included, there are so many ways to build your team, it almost seems like luhnow just wanted to know what he was getting in this draft.

Posted

I can’t believe I’m taking the time to post this but have seen enough posts talking about trading our established major leaguers.

You guys talking about trading Giles or Keuchel—or Jake or Marwin—are ridiculous.

That’s not how this works.
That’s not how any of this works.

1) Astros trading with a team in contention (in either league): isn’t going to happen.
2) Astros trading with a team out of contention: will only involve Astro minor league prospects (this may include guys with a year or two of MLB under their belt, e.g. Fisher, Kemp, Hoyt, Paulino, but that’s about it).

  • Like 1
Posted
  On 6/8/2018 at 8:32 PM, HtownHorn said:
It really does appear the org punted on this draft, though Beer is a typical Luhnow college pick. Good bat, can't field a lick. Beer is probably somewhere between Reed and former Luhnow pick Matt Adams. Hopefully closer to Adams.


Not sure where this comes from, but drafting players who are generally closer to the big leagues does not indicate “the org punted on this drafted.” What a bizarre take away.
Posted

That's silly.  He's struggled this year but in his career he's been, at the very least, a solidly above average reliever.  MGL had him rated as the 6th best reliever in baseball. 

Posted (edited)

He hasn't been right since sometime in the 2nd half of last season.  In his case, I don't care where he's rated.  He comes out in the 9th inning of a one run playoff game and every Astros' fan will shit their pants.

Edited by kevwun
Posted
  On 6/8/2018 at 9:01 PM, kevwun said:
I don't think they should trade Giles, I think they should designate him for assignment or release him.

Not sure if serious but this is absurd too.

You don’t think he has value to another contender? He would be the 3rd best reliever for CLE right now (2nd with Miller injured right now).

Worst case let him rot on the bench in the postseason like he did last year rather than risk him pitching against, and being effective, against us.

I agree with HG and others that they need to figure out his role and stick with it. I personally love that Hinch and company are seemingly moving away from clearly defined roles, but for some guys (Giles) that clearly doesn’t seem to work so maybe you don’t do it with him.
Posted

Giles' expected wOBA in the second half of last season was .233 - pretty fucking good.  I think he tried to make an adjustment to his slider this year and didn't feel comfortable with it, but in his last few appearances that pitch and his usage of it look more like last year.  

Posted (edited)

If he is regularly pitching meaningful innings for the Astros by the end of the season, I will gladly eat crow.  I expect he'll keep just keep bouncing back and forth between almost being trustworthy again and punching himself in the face until the front office finally has enough.

Edited by kevwun
  • Like 2
Posted
  On 6/8/2018 at 9:24 PM, kevwun said:
If he is regularly pitching meaningful innings for the Astros by the end of the season, I will gladly eat crow.  I expect he'll keep just keep bouncing back and forth between almost being trustworthy again and punching himself in the face until the front office finally has enough.


This is certainly my fear too.
And from this blurb in the Athletic article I posted yesterday, it would tend to suggest we’re about to get “almost trustworthy Giles” for a while:


“For all that has been made of Ken Giles, his lack of strikeouts and the disappearance of his wipeout slider, I still believe in him as an above-average reliever. He is not going to sport a 57.5% strand rate all year (league average is 73.8%). His 2.06 FIP puts him in the top 20 of all relievers and suggests that he has simply run into some tough luck.”
Posted
  On 6/8/2018 at 8:32 PM, HtownHorn said:

It really does appear the org punted on this draft, though Beer is a typical Luhnow college pick. Good bat, can't field a lick. Beer is probably somewhere between Reed and former Luhnow pick Matt Adams. Hopefully closer to Adams.

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Have you been drinking, again.

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