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2019 Houston Astros Thread

Planet Houston

By Planet Houston
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Gourmand

Gourmand 7778

Posted
Posted (edited)
9 minutes ago, Planet Houston said:

You can't have this take until after July 31.  Let's revisit in 17 days.

We wouldn't even be in this position if we had signed Morton. He didn't want to leave and he earned and deserved a big raise. 

Keuchel was asking way too much so I don''t blame our FO entirely for his departure, but I sure wouldn't mind his innings-eating soft-tossing left arm right now.

Edited by Gourmand
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Hank Chinaski

Hank Chinaski 6345

Posted
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14 minutes ago, Gourmand said:

This organization's front office and GM has proven itself to be one of the best in MLB but I feel like ego crept up this off-season and kinda bit us in the ass. The starting rotation was considered a definite strength but going into the 2019 season with LMJ on the shelf and a crop of unproven starting prospects in the minors was a little questionable given the inherent injury risk of pitchers in MLB. 

Not signing Uncle Charlie especially and Keuchel to a lesser extent was easily Luhnow's greatest mistake yet.

I think they figured that between Peacock, McHugh, James, Valdez, Martin, Perez, Whitley and Bukauskas, they could capably fill 2 rotation spots. It seemed like a reasonable position before the season started. 

Peacock was OK and is now hurt; McHugh is a bad starter; James didn't get it done as a starter and has been up and down out of the pen; Valdez didn't get it done as a starter; Martin was bad and now hurt; Perez was bad; Whitley was awful in AAA and now hurt; Bukauskas has been bad in AA. 

They will add a starter. 

 

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Gourmand

Gourmand 7778

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3 minutes ago, Hank Chinaski said:

I think they figured that between Peacock, McHugh, James, Valdez, Martin, Perez, Whitley and Bukauskas, they could capably fill 2 rotation spots. It seemed like a reasonable position before the season started. 

Peacock was OK and is now hurt; McHugh is a bad starter; James didn't get it done as a starter and has been up and down out of the pen; Valdez didn't get it done as a starter; Martin was bad and now hurt; Perez was bad; Whitley was awful in AAA and now hurt; Bukauskas has been bad in AA. 

They will add a starter. 

 

Yes, no question about it. Consensus opinion held that between all those guys with experience (McHugh/Peacock) and projected talent (James/Martin/Whitley), the starting rotation would be fine without Morton and Keuchel. On the other hand, the only thing preventing us from having that all-important stud SP3 right now was $$$$.

We had him already and he was and will always be a beloved Astros legend for his gm 7 gem. 

There really wasn't a good reason to let Morton walk except Luhnow thought he could easily replace him at a fraction of the cost. That was a very costly mistake and the only way to rectify it in 2019 is to deal prospects to fill a void largely of his own creation.

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UTexasFight

UTexasFight 9788

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Yes, no question about it. Consensus opinion held that between all those guys with experience (McHugh/Peacock) and projected talent (James/Martin/Whitley), the starting rotation would be fine without Morton and Keuchel. On the other hand, the only thing preventing us from having that all-important stud SP3 right now was $$$$.
We had him already and he was and will always be a beloved Astros legend for his gm 7 gem. 
There really wasn't a good reason to let Morton walk except Luhnow thought he could easily replace him at a fraction of the cost. That was a very costly mistake and the only way to rectify it in 2019 is to deal prospects to fill a void largely of his own creation.

I’m ignoring all CFM hindsight talk until I see him pitch more than 15 innings in September (which is the number he threw last year in Sept)

Of course it looks shitty now and of course money played in to the decisions they made, but we all knew this (trading for an SP) was the fallback plan if the prospects didn’t pan out this year.
I have no issues with where we stand now on July 15, 2019. We are in no danger of losing the division and other than suffering through Framber and/or AAA pitcher of the day starting, this isn’t that painful.
Sure, it will be if we have to give up prospects that turn in MLB regulars/stars and/or CFM continues his current pace and remains injury free through 162 games, but that hasn’t happened yet and it’s a waste of time, IMO, to bitch about not resigning CFM until it does
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rvm96

rvm96 1643

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48 minutes ago, Hank Chinaski said:

I think they figured that between Peacock, McHugh, James, Valdez, Martin, Perez, Whitley and Bukauskas, they could capably fill 2 rotation spots. It seemed like a reasonable position before the season started. 

Peacock was OK and is now hurt; McHugh is a bad starter; James didn't get it done as a starter and has been up and down out of the pen; Valdez didn't get it done as a starter; Martin was bad and now hurt; Perez was bad; Whitley was awful in AAA and now hurt; Bukauskas has been bad in AA. 

They will add a starter. 

 

Did James get a chance as a starter this season before today?

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Hank Chinaski

Hank Chinaski 6345

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15 minutes ago, rvm96 said:

Did James get a chance as a starter this season before today?

You're right - he hasn't started a game this year (he started 3 last year). But I think that was the plan going into the year until an injury in ST...then he opened the season out of the pen and had a rough go. 

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UTexasFight

UTexasFight 9788

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Tucker doing a little work at 1B:


The shuttle between the Astros and Triple-A Round Rock has been very active this season, even on the position player side.

Designated hitter Yordan Alvarez, outfielder/shortstop Myles Straw, outfielder Derek Fisher, infielder Jack Mayfield and catcher Garrett Stubbs have each been promoted from the Pacific Coast League to the majors at various points in the season.

Touted outfield prospect Kyle Tucker, however, has been stuck in Triple A all year. Although his 24 homers and OPS north of .920 would be enough to garner a call-up on many teams, the Astros have no clear spot for him on their major league roster and might not until rosters expand in September.

Tucker is blocked by Michael Brantley in left field, Josh Reddick in right field and Alvarez at DH. The Astros seem intent on holding on to the former fifth overall draft pick beyond the July 31 trade deadline, as they still consider him a potential everyday corner outfielder of the future. But a healthy 2019 Houston roster might not have any meaningful at-bats to give him.

That helps explain why Tucker has been taking ground balls at first base for the last couple weeks in Triple A. The more positional versatility he has, the better odds he will have to carve out playing time in September and especially next season.

His work at the position began in late June, when the Triple-A coaches first exposed him to hard grounders and scoops. Tucker logged his first two innings of game action at first base toward the end of a blowout win on July 7. He got another inning there in a lopsided loss on Saturday.

“The more flexibility Kyle has, the better off we’re going to be and he’s going to be,” Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow said. “First (we’ll) dip our toe in the water.”

It’s unclear when Tucker will make his first start at first base, where Taylor Jones has been Round Rock’s primary first baseman since AJ Reed’s departure to the White Sox. Nick Tanielu can fill in at first but is a third baseman by trade, so Round Rock does have back-up first base playing time available.

Tucker, 22, has no meaningful experience at first base. He was a center fielder in high school and early in his pro career before the Astros had him focus more on left field and right field the last couple seasons. His carrying tool is his left-handed bat, though, and his potential to hit for both average and power in the big leagues. No one will ever confuse him for a future Gold Glove Award winner.

Tucker working out at first base doesn’t make a promotion to the majors any more imminent. Once utility man Aledmys Díaz returns during the next homestand and Carlos Correa comes back on July 26, Houston’s 12-man position player group will be set. If the Astros then remain at full strength, Tucker’s next call-up probably won’t come until September.

But Tucker has seen first-hand the value of positional versatility and how it can open the door to playing time when injuries strike a roster. Straw, his longtime minor league teammate, made his first career start at shortstop on only April 6, in Triple A. Two months later, he was playing the position in the majors in the wake of Correa fracturing his rib. And Straw has stuck with the Astros throughout Correa’s IL stint because of his versatility.

Having the 6-foot-4 Tucker play some first base is not nearly as unconventional as asking Straw, a center fielder, to play shortstop.

“There were a lot of people who were skeptical that Myles Straw could play shortstop at the big league level, and I’m not going to claim that he’s a plus defensive shortstop at this point. But he certainly is getting more comfortable every time he goes out there and we’re getting more comfortable allowing him to go out there,” Luhnow said.

“That transformation from center field to shortstop is going up the skill curve. Going from any one of the three outfield positions that Tucker can play to first base, I think he will be able to do it and do it well and it will give us more flexibility next year.”

Tucker will be speculated about as a possible trade chip in the next two weeks, but it would be a major upset if the Astros actually parted with him in a deadline deal for a starting pitcher. Springer, Brantley, Reddick and Jake Marisnick are each set to be free agents after the 2020 season, and there will be everyday at-bats available in 2021 and beyond even if they find a way to extend or re-sign Springer.

Yuli Gurriel also will be a free agent after the 2020 season, and Seth Beer in Double A is really Houston’s lone prospect in the upper minors viewed as a potential regular at first base. The Astros don’t currently consider Alvarez as a viable option at first base, though that could change in future seasons.

“I see Tucker as a part of this team going forward,” Luhnow said. “Depending upon who we’re talking about, I never say anybody’s untouchable. But it would be very difficult for us to move one of the top prospects in the game who is just starting his career and is still young and looks like he’s going to have a lot of upside.”

Both Baseball America (No. 9) and MLB Pipeline (No. 10) still regard Tucker a top-10 industry prospect, and Tucker entered this week batting .270/.352/.575 in 363 plate appearances in the hitter-friendly PCL this season. After an unimpressive spring training, he struggled at the start of the Triple A season. But a .599 OPS in April gave way to a 1.169 OPS in May and a 1.013 in June. He has gotten off to a slow start in July; coming into Monday he had only a .625 OPS for the month.

Tucker will have a lot to prove the next time he gets his chance in the majors. After his highly anticipated debut last July, he batted only .141/.236/.203 with zero home runs in 72 plate appearances. His failure to adjust led to his demotion, and the Astros bolstered their left field position in the offseason by signing Brantley to his two-year, $32-milion deal.

The Brantley signing muddled Tucker’s path to the Astros, not only for this season but also for next season. Being viable at first base should help his case; if he had more experience at first two months ago, he could’ve gotten some of the at-bats that went to Tyler White, who has batted only .218/.317/.330 in 240 plate appearances this year.

While first base has been a weak spot for the Astros this season from a production standpoint, their outlook will improve vastly by the end of the month. When Correa returns, Gurriel can resume his role as their regular first baseman. Díaz, then, will be Gurriel’s primary backup.

 

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Hank Chinaski

Hank Chinaski 6345

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18 minutes ago, gecko said:

Some talking head on MLB network touting Trevor Bauer to Astros...question was the “price”

I still don't get why CLE would be looking to move Bauer, but there must be something to it because he is always listed as a trade candidate. CLE is 11 games over .500 and 0.5 back in the wild card standings. 

Maybe he's such a colossal douche that they simply don't care and would just like to get rid of him. 

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WBT

WBT 20884

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12 minutes ago, Hank Chinaski said:

I still don't get why CLE would be looking to move Bauer, but there must be something to it because he is always listed as a trade candidate. CLE is 11 games over .500 and 0.5 back in the wild card standings. 

Maybe he's such a colossal douche that they simply don't care and would just like to get rid of him. 

$$$$  

Cleveland won their 3rd straight division last year and finished 21st in mlb in attendance.

Bauer is a free agent after 2020 and will be very expensive in arbitration next year.  He has said that he won't sign an extension.  He actually says he's going to only sign one-year deals after reaching free agency.  I hope he does; it would be fascinating to see how much annual value guys give up by going for guaranteed long term deals.

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Jacob McCandles

Jacob McCandles 202

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Posted (edited)
28 minutes ago, Scraps said:

Texas Rangers Athletic writer insinuating the Dodgers drafted Yordan for the Astros because the Stros couldn't afford him

So, Dodgers give Yordan $2 million and forego their use of said $2 million on someone they (as opposed to the Stros) want ... just to help the Stros. What a bunch of nice guys. 

Additionally, the article a few weeks back about how Yordan got to Houston indicated that the Dodgers were surprised Houston wanted Yordan for Fields; LA thought Houston wanted "the other Alvarez." That would indicated no prior plan.

Conclusion: Ranger writer has a hurt pee-pee.

 

 

Edited by Jacob McCandles
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henrygandorf

henrygandorf 29219

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i'm still envisioning a scenario with peacock and mchugh both in the pen with the ability to give you 2-3 if necessary.  we would obviously need to acquire an sp3 to make this happen.

the way his stuff has been lately, i would say mchugh has the inside track on being the 7th inning guy.  even the potential to get 4-5 outs if we have a starter get into the 6th and get into trouble.

still wondering why mchugh didn't get into the games on friday and sat this past weekend.

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rvm96

rvm96 1643

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25 minutes ago, Jacob McCandles said:

So, Dodgers give Yordan $2 million and forego their use of said $2 million on someone they (as opposed to the Stros) want ... just to help the Stros. What a bunch of nice guys. 

Additionally, the article a few weeks back about how Yordan got to Houston indicated that the Dodgers were surprised Houston wanted Yordan for Fields; LA thought Houston wanted "the other Alvarez." That would indicated no prior plan.

Conclusion: Ranger writer has a hurt pee-pee.

 

 

They also had to pay $2 million as a fine for overspending during that international period

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Jacob McCandles

Jacob McCandles 202

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20 minutes ago, rvm96 said:

They also had to pay $2 million as a fine for overspending during that international period

Well that just increases the Dodgers niceness ... gave Yordan $2 million; gave up their use of said $2 million on someone they (as opposed to the Stros) wanted; and paid a fine for doing so, all just to help the Stros.

Either the Dodgers are run by Aggy or the Arlington writer is Aggy or dense (or both, although that is redundant).

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Scraps

Scraps 13745

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Then maybe douchebag should't post shit like its fact:

-He’s the product of just one more rule Houston bent.

-Astros were under the J2 penalty that year. Dodgers sign Alvarez mid-July. Never plays a minor league game for them, sent to Houston two weeks later for middle reliever Josh Fields.

-It’s hard not to conclude, under the circumstances, that Houston didn’t just have LA sign Alvarez for them since they couldn’t spend more than 300k on a J2 player themselves. (Alvarez signed for $2 million.) Bent, it not broken.

 

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UTexasFight

UTexasFight 9788

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I see Thursday is our annual “get fucked by the angels start time”.
Game time at 8pm Central. Boys will get in about 4am Friday morning I’m guessing. At least Miley is on the mound Thursday so there is hope of a sub-3 hour game.


Edit: looks like semi-annual... I thought we had a similar night game in LA followed by home game last year, but it was 2017. 9pm Central start time Thursday, Sept 14 followed by Friday night home game against the Mariners...at least the Angels/MLB moved up the start time by an hour this year.

Also, f selig.

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