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2019 Houston Astros Thread

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rvm96

rvm96 1643

Posted
Posted
3 minutes ago, UTexasFight said:

Also petty but I think we’re going to regret moving Correa to the 60 day DL.
It probably serves him right... a bit of “team suspension” ...but I don’t think he’s going to need another 9 days to be ready for MLB competition

Had to make room on the 40 man roster

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UTexasFight

UTexasFight 9818

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Had to make room on the 40 man roster

Right, but why again? I don’t remember

So we could have starters mon and tues? Starters that pitched a combined total of 1.2 IP?

 

Edit: Nm. Basically swapped smith and Correa and punted on the next move for 10 days.

I still think they may regret that.

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UTexasFight

UTexasFight 9818

Posted
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Good game
11 runs
11 Ks for Cole.



What's the haps on the craps?
Shake 'em up, shake 'em up, shake 'em up, shake 'em
Roll 'em in a circle of niggas
And watch me break 'em with the 7, 7-11, 7-11
7, even back door Lil Joe
I picked up the cash flow
Then we played bones, and I'm yellin': "Domino!"
Plus nobody I know got killed in South Central LA
Today was a good day

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Rimbo

Rimbo 27021

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16 minutes ago, UTexasFight said:

Good game
11 runs
11 Ks for Cole.



What's the haps on the craps?
Shake 'em up, shake 'em up, shake 'em up, shake 'em
Roll 'em in a circle of niggas
And watch me break 'em with the 7, 7-11, 7-11
7, even back door Lil Joe
I picked up the cash flow
Then we played bones, and I'm yellin': "Domino!"
Plus nobody I know got killed in South Central LA
Today was a good day

game ain't over yet man

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UTPhil2006

UTPhil2006 3930

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8 hours ago, UTexasFight said:

Right, but why again? I don’t remember

So we could have starters mon and tues? Starters that pitched a combined total of 1.2 IP?

 

Edit: Nm. Basically swapped smith and Correa and punted on the next move for 10 days.

I still think they may regret that.

Because we have absolutely butchered the last 20 days or so of minor league/DL moves

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Seasick Sailor

Seasick Sailor 3747

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Anyone tried to buy tickets with an out-of-state credit card? I am coming to Houston September 6th-14th and want to get tickets to the Mariners and A's games, but I apparently can't use my card with a Montana billing address to buy the tickets. Does anyone know if I can circumvent this rule by calling the box office directly? 

I am also considering taking the Owner's Tour. It sounds like you get to see some cool stuff and be on the field for batting practice. Has anyone done this? Is it worth the $200 price tag?

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IDIOTsavant

IDIOTsavant 8688

Posted
Posted (edited)
Spoiler

 

From the most feasible to the longshots, 10 starting pitchers the Astros could target at the trade deadline

backs-e1563426629218-1024x681.jpg
By Jake Kaplan 2h agocomment-icon.png 8 save-icon.png

ANAHEIM, Calif. — An alarming lack of starting pitching depth has been the story of the Astros’ second half thus far. With no legitimate option to make a traditional start on Monday or Tuesday against the Angels, the team known last year for its incredible rotation stability resorted to joining the opener revolution it long resisted.

And it’s not only one rotation spot in which the Astros needed an opener but both their Nos. 4 and 5 spots. Héctor Rondón’s terrible opening act Tuesday night at Angel Stadium was the most damning indictment yet of the state of the back end of their rotation. The veteran reliever put his team in a six-run deficit from which they failed to escape.

But the Astros’ back-end starter issues, while concerning for their upcoming weekend series against the Rangers, shouldn’t cloud the bigger picture. This stretch of having only three healthy proven starters is only temporary, and they will be able to get by briefly with a four-man rotation beginning Monday. The most important aspect of their month is still the looming July 31 trade deadline, before which their front office will have its last chance to upgrade the team’s potential playoff rotation.

The Astros, whose division lead over the again-surging A’s was down to 4,5 games entering Thursday, must operate under the assumption their top competitors, the Yankees and the Twins, will also improve their rosters. Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow’s moves will be tailored to the matchup challenges posed by those and other possible opponents, at least as those teams are presently constructed.

There are several ways the Astros could reinforce their roster. They could stand to acquire another leverage reliever, especially a lefty, and maybe a catcher; according to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal, they had interest in a reunionwith Martín Maldonado before the Royals sent him to the Cubs on Monday night. But ultimately, the most significant way they can impact their odds would be to add a pitcher who could start a Game 3 in a seven-game playoff series.

Though their recent slide and the A’s streak has made the division race more interesting than anticipated, landing that starter to support their trio of Justin Verlander, Gerrit Cole and Wade Miley for October still should be the Astros’ primary focus. Whom might they target? Let’s examine 10 possible pitchers, from the most viable and realistic options to the longest of long shots.

RHP Zack Wheeler, Mets

Wheeler might best fit the Astros’ prototype for pitchers among the rental starters expected to be available — if he’s healthy.

A 6-foot-4 power righty, he leans heavily on a four-seam fastball, which he throws with elite velocity — he’s averaged 97 mph and topped out at 100 mph this season — and above-average spin. His go-to secondary pitch is a slider that averages 92 mph, and he also has a curveball (81 mph on average), a changeup (89 mph) and a splitter (89 mph).

Wheeler’s 4.69 ERA in 119 innings this season pales in comparison to last year’s career-best 3.31, which he compiled in 182 1/3 innings. His 3.66 FIP, however, suggests he’s performed much better than his ERA indicates, and a career-best 3.82 strikeout-to-walk ratio supports that notion.

But it remains to be seen how much Wheeler’s current IL stint for right shoulder fatigue will dampen his market or how many starts he will even make before the deadline to prove his health. He will be first eligible to be activated from the IL on Monday.

Wheeler is making $5.975 million this season. The 29-year-old Georgia native has never pitched in the postseason; he was rehabbing from Tommy John surgery during the Mets’ 2015 World Series run.

LHP Madison Bumgarner, Giants

Like Wheeler, Bumgarner is only a rental. Unlike Wheeler, Bumgarner has one of the most prolific postseason pedigrees in baseball.

Though still only 29, Bumgarner’s level of performance no longer aligns with his four consecutive All-Star campaigns from 2013-2016. In 20 starts this season, he has a 3.86 ERA in 116 2/3 innings.

Bumgarner’s average four-seam fastball velocity this season is in only the 12th percentile, according to Baseball Savant, but he’s in the 85th percentile of fastball spin, a characteristic the Astros covet. He complements his fastball with a heavy dosage of cutters and mixes in both a curveball and a changeup, primarily against right-handed hitters.

Bumgarner is making $12 million this season. He strategically crafted his no-trade list to include contenders in the Astros, Yankees, Red Sox, Braves, Cubs, Brewers, Phillies and Cardinals, according to Rosenthal, so he will have some say in which team he ends up with if the Giants trade him.

LHP Robbie Ray, Diamondbacks

Ray’s 3.92 ERA in 117 innings doesn’t scream Game 3 starter. But he has the upside to be a difference-maker in the postseason, and he’s under team control through the 2020 season.

With both his slider and his curveball, Ray has the type of swing-and-miss stuff the Astros probably believe they could maximize against both right- and left-handed hitters. He ranks fifth among all starters in strikeouts per nine innings (11.7), trailing only Gerrit Cole (13.5), Chris Sale (12.9), Max Scherzer (12.6) and Matthew Boyd (12.0).

This is Ray’s fourth consecutive season with a strikeout-per-nine mark of at least 11. However, his walk totals have risen since his All-Star campaign in 2017. And this season, he’s walked 4.4 per nine.

Ray is owed the rest of his $6.05 million salary for this season and whatever he makes through the salary-arbitration process next winter.

RHP Marcus Stroman, Blue Jays

Stroman would also improve the Astros’ rotation for both this season and next season, as he’s under team control through 2020. The 28-year-old is having a better season than Wheeler, Bumgarner and Ray but also isn’t the type of pitcher stylistically the Astros usually seek. He’s a sinkerballer who gets his outs by inducing ground balls more so than missing bats.

Even though he throws it only very sparingly, Stroman does have a four-seam fastball in his arsenal. Perhaps the Astros believe they could untap something by having him use it more like Miley has in his first season with Houston. Stroman’s slider is his best swing-and-miss pitch, and he also throws a cutter and a changeup.

The Astros have had interest in Stroman in the past, and Luhnow also has an extensive trade history with Blue Jays GM Ross Atkins. Since Atkins’ hire in December 2015, Houston and Toronto has executed four trades.

Aug. 1, 2016 — Scott Feldman for minor-league pitcher Lupe Chavez
July 31, 2017 — Nori Aoki and Teoscar Hernández for Francisco Liriano
July 30, 2018 — Ken Giles, David Paulino and minor-league pitcher Hector Perez for Roberto Osuna
Nov. 17, 2018 — Trent Thornton for Aledmys Díaz

Stroman is owed the rest of his $7.4 million salary for this season. He’ll get a raise through the salary-arbitration process a fourth and final time next winter.

bauer.jpg
 
Adding Trevor Bauer would give the Astros the top rotation in any postseason series matchup on paper. (Ron Schwane / Getty Images)

RHP Trevor Bauer, Indians

Bauer is probably the biggest potential 2019 difference-maker on this list. He might have won the AL Cy Young Award last season if not for his injury, and despite some regression this year, he is still a workhorse with elite stuff.

However, Bauer is also far from certain to be traded. Cleveland is in contention, and obviously its best chance to make a run this season would come with Bauer on the team. On the flip side, starting pitching is already a strength for the small-market Indians and they know Bauer will warrant a hefty raise in arbitration next year from even the $13 million he’s making this season.

And for all the attention injecting Bauer into the same clubhouse as UCLA teammate/rival Cole would garner, the bottom line is his addition would give the Astros the best 1-2-3 punch in any playoff series.

LHP Mike Minor, Rangers

The Astros and Rangers haven’t traded with each other since January 2015, when the former sent catcher Carlos Corporan to the latter for minor-league pitcher Akeem Bostick. In the interim, their only transactions involving the other have been Rule 5 picks moving between the intrastate rivals.

All of this is to say if the Rangers decided now was the time to cash in on Minor, it seems highly unlikely they would send him to the Astros. On paper, though, Minor would be a great fit for the Astros. He has one more year of control after this one at a bargain $9.8 million salary and has an elite spin rate on his four-seam fastball.

The Astros pursued Minor as a free agent two offseasons ago but as a reliever. After a solid 2018, he’s been one of the best starters in baseball this season, with a 2.73 ERA in 122 innings.

LHP Caleb Smith, Marlins

Smith, from Huntsville, Texas, and Sam Houston State, doesn’t have much of a track record but is having a breakthrough season at age 27. He has a 3.46 ERA in 78 innings and 14 starts, a smaller sample than other starters because he missed time in June with a hip issue.

His repertoire features a four-seam fastball, a slider and a changeup. He has below-average fastball velocity (92 mph on average) but ranks in the 83rd percentile in fastball spin, per Baseball Savant. His slider is his best pitch.

Smith has yet to reach even arbitration eligibility, so the four years of club control after this season would be particularly attractive to teams. It will also make for a high price, though.

LHP Matthew Boyd, Tigers

Boyd has regressed recently but still has a 3.95 ERA and 3.47 FIP in 114 innings with strikeout and walk rates of 12.0 and 1.9 per nine, respectively. He comes with three seasons of team control after this one, though, so the Tigers could very well hold on to him.

Boyd is primarily a two-pitch pitcher, relying on a four-seam fastball that averages 92 mph and a slider that averages 80. His fastball spin is in the 82nd percentile of pitchers, according to Baseball Savant.

RHP Noah Syndergaard, Mets

The Mets should probably hold on to Syndergaard with the hopes of him bouncing back in the second half and improving his value ahead of the offseason, when they could market him to teams as a high-end alternative to top free agent Cole.

But it’s the Mets, so who knows?

Syndergaard, 26, has two more years of control remaining after this season. He’s also having the worst of his five seasons, having posted a 4.55 ERA in 112 2/3 innings. His strikeouts per nine total is a career-worst 8.8.

RHP Zack Greinke, Diamondbacks

The Astros finding a way to make the money work on a Greinke trade would’ve been more reasonable before they signed Verlander to his two-year, $66 million extension that kicks in next season. Greinke is owed $32 million in 2020 and 2021 on top of the roughly $15 million he will make the rest of this season. Even if Arizona pays down some of it, it doesn’t seem feasible for Houston given its payroll commitments to Verlander, Jose Altuve and Alex Bregman.

If the salary wasn’t such an obstacle, the 35-year-old would be a hot commodity. The six-time All-Star and former Cy Young Award winner has a 2.95 ERA with a WHIP under 1.000 in 128 innings this season.

The other big question: How much will the Astros be willing to give up?

Luhnow has a reputation for being stingy with his best prospects, and it’s a strategy that has paid off for the Astros. It would be a major upset if they strayed from that now and parted with either of their consensus top-25 industry prospects, right-hander Forrest Whitley and corner outfielder Kyle Tucker. It would even be a surprise if they moved injured right-hander Corbin Martin.

But the Astros’ current rotation predicament hinders their leverage, and taking Whitley, Tucker and Martin off the table would also limit the Astros in their return. They have interesting prospects beyond their top three, but teams trading a valuable asset generally like at least one touted prospect closer to the majors to headline a major deal. The quantity-over-quality package the Pirates accepted for Cole in January 2018 is probably more of an outlier than a model for future Astros trades.

If not their big three, which young players could the Astros try to package? Here is a sampling of their next tier of prospects:

RHP J.B. Bukauskas, Double A

Bukauskas probably had more trade value coming out of spring training than he does now. The 2017 first-round pick has struggled for much of his season in Double A, where he has a 5.91 ERA in 70 innings. His 5.9 walks per nine would be a career-worst.

His future could be in the bullpen, but a team that projects him to stick as a starter might view him as a major piece in a prospect package.

RHP Josh James, MLB

Even though he’s in the Astros’ bullpen and amid an inconsistent season, James is still only a few months removed from being a top-100 prospect. If a selling team believes James can be a starter, he could be an attractive piece in a deal.

If the Astros were to move James for a Game 3-type starter, they would be hurting their postseason bullpen at the same time. James also might compete for a spot in the Astros’ rotation again next year, so they’d be giving up a potential 2020 starter. But they also can’t expect to make deals if they aren’t willing to give up the younger talent other teams might covet.

OF Derek Fisher, Triple A

Fisher is a major league-caliber outfielder who’s been stuck in Triple A with the Astros and doesn’t have a clear future with the team. He has only a .649 OPS as a major leaguer but in a sample of only 312 plate appearances across three seasons.

OF Tony Kemp, MLB

Kemp has been relegated to a bench role with the Astros and also can’t be optioned to Triple A without first passing through waivers. The Astros lack leverage in trade negotiations as it pertains to him because he might be available on the waiver wire when Carlos Correa returns on July 26.

But perhaps they could include Kemp as part of a greater package in dealing with a team that needs outfield depth on its major-league roster.

LHP Cionel Pérez, Triple A

The Astros have continued to use Pérez as a starter in Triple A, but he seems destined to be a two-pitch reliever. Still, he throws his fastball in the upper 90s from the left side. The potential is there.

SS Freudis Nova, low A

The 19-year-old is years away from the majors but is widely regarded as one of the Astros’ 10 best prospects. They signed him as a 16-year-old out of the Dominican Republic for a $1.2 million bonus in 2016.

RHP Bryan Abreu, Double A

The command issues that plagued Abreu in the lower levels have returned in Double A, where he has walked six batters per nine innings this season. But a team could still dream on his potential because of the elite spin rates on both his curveball and slider. Abreu, 22, is already on the Astros’ 40-man roster.

RHP Tyler Ivey, Double A

In a system known for its high volume of strikeouts, Ivey has some of the best swing-and-miss stuff. The 2017 third-rounder struck out 29.7 percent of the batters he faced last year in 112 innings across stints in Low A and High A. He started this season in Double A but has hardly pitched because of an undisclosed injury. He should be close to returning, though, as he made a rehab start for High A on Wednesday.

1B Seth Beer, Double A

A lack of defensive value will weigh down some projections of Beer’s future value, but he’s performed well in his first exposure to Double A. Through his first 51 games in the Texas League entering Wednesday, the 2018 first-rounder was batting .314/.418/.543 in 225 plate appearances.

Here's an article from The Athletic on potential deadline deals. Definitely recommend the website for those without a subscription...for now. Waiting to see how this impending TexAgs fiasco plays out.

Edited by IDIOTsavant
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DaysOff

DaysOff 8209

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Anyone tried to buy tickets with an out-of-state credit card? I am coming to Houston September 6th-14th and want to get tickets to the Mariners and A's games, but I apparently can't use my card with a Montana billing address to buy the tickets. Does anyone know if I can circumvent this rule by calling the box office directly? 
I am also considering taking the Owner's Tour. It sounds like you get to see some cool stuff and be on the field for batting practice. Has anyone done this? Is it worth the $200 price tag?
Use the MLB ballpark app to purchase. Beware if you don't come you can't resell them on StubHub.
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Mack Tripper

Mack Tripper 708

Posted
Posted
2 hours ago, Seasick Sailor said:

Anyone tried to buy tickets with an out-of-state credit card? I am coming to Houston September 6th-14th and want to get tickets to the Mariners and A's games, but I apparently can't use my card with a Montana billing address to buy the tickets. Does anyone know if I can circumvent this rule by calling the box office directly? 

I am also considering taking the Owner's Tour. It sounds like you get to see some cool stuff and be on the field for batting practice. Has anyone done this? Is it worth the $200 price tag?

Buy them on stubhub or seatgeek. 

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Player

Player 4611

Posted
Posted
3 hours ago, Seasick Sailor said:

Anyone tried to buy tickets with an out-of-state credit card? I am coming to Houston September 6th-14th and want to get tickets to the Mariners and A's games, but I apparently can't use my card with a Montana billing address to buy the tickets. Does anyone know if I can circumvent this rule by calling the box office directly? 

I am also considering taking the Owner's Tour. It sounds like you get to see some cool stuff and be on the field for batting practice. Has anyone done this? Is it worth the $200 price tag?

Since I will be at DKR watching the Horns lay the smack down on LSU on 9/7, I'll give you my 2 tickets for that game against the Mariners for the low, low, price of - free. 

Send me an email address that I can forward tix to via PM if you want them. 

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Scraps

Scraps 13800

Posted
Posted
3 hours ago, Seasick Sailor said:

Anyone tried to buy tickets with an out-of-state credit card? I am coming to Houston September 6th-14th and want to get tickets to the Mariners and A's games, but I apparently can't use my card with a Montana billing address to buy the tickets. Does anyone know if I can circumvent this rule by calling the box office directly? 

I am also considering taking the Owner's Tour. It sounds like you get to see some cool stuff and be on the field for batting practice. Has anyone done this? Is it worth the $200 price tag?

if you have facebook join the groups "Astros Ticket Marketplace" and "Astros Ticket Exchange"

Season ticket holders always unloading tickets to games on there.  Some are still trying to get face value, but if you wait until game day or right before the game you can typically find a deal.  They will send through MLBapp and you pay them by paypal,venmo, cashapp etc.  

I have bought from numerous people on there and never had a problem.  

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henrygandorf

henrygandorf 29225

Posted
Posted
35 minutes ago, UTexasFight said:

If from a real camera, email them to yourself/save to your phone and post directly from phone using tapa?

 

I haven’t uploaded to imgur or wherever in forever.

i don't use tapatalk.  can you drag and drop?  why can't i do that on the fucking website?

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