If you're in charge, do you let Gerrit Cole walk or pay him?

I still don't think the finances will work out for the franchise to retain him, but I really want him back.

 

I'd rather trade Miley or someone comparable to make room for Cole. Isn't McCullers coming back next year post surgery?

A line up of Verlander, Cole, Greinke, McCullers + Miley would be insane.

That being said we would retain Correa and whomever's contract is up (Yuli's contract is up after this year right ?)

Doubtful that Cole would take a significant discount enough to have the Astros able to resign him, I certainly would get the longest/highest paying contract if I were Cole.

 

Yes, if we were all wrong about the Astros willingness to go over the luxury tax threshold and Cole desperately wanted to return to the team that revived his career, it would be amazing. And it would give the Astros a shot at the most talented team of all time depending on what they did at catcher and how a few young players panned out. Here’s my dream team:

CF Springer (extended)
3B Bregman
LF Brantley
2B Altuve
DH Alvarez
SS Correa
RF Tucker
1B Gurriel
C Grandal (signed free agent)
Bench: Diaz, Chirinos (re-signed free agent), Marisnick, Toro/Straw

Rotation: Verlander, Cole (re-signed free agent), Greinke, McCullers, Urquidy/Whitley

Bullpen: Abreu, James, Devenski, Biagini, Peacock, McHugh (re-signed free agent), Pressly, Osuna

They could keep most of that team together for 2 years then rebuild around Bregman, Altuve, Springer, Alvarez, Tucker, Cole, and (hopefully) Whitley.

 

Miley is a FA after this year.

 

Miley is a FA. There is really no pitcher on the roster (including Greinke) that would be enough to make room for Cole and stay under the tax threshold. Well, Verlander, but that’s not happening.

 

Just...filthy. Crane, you want the Yankees, Dodgers or Angel's to have this stuff? Our lineup is stacked but he'd sit em down.

 

With the way he is pitching, technically there is NO team in baseball that can truly afford to pay him what he’s worth.

All the teams have paid attention to the tax. Some willing to pay the penalties short term if needed. If the Astros decide to pay the tax short term, they will up the ante for Cole.

 

LMFAO

Cole's action movie style turn around and walk away.

I noticed that when I was watching the game, what I didn't notice was the umpire stare down as he rung him up.

 

stupid thread ...

As Verlander, Morton, Scherzer, Greinke etc. show... with good nutrition and modern fitness/reset, consistent pitchers are going strong throughout their mid and late 30's. Cole is not a one hit wonder like Arrieta or Keuchel , he is a no brainer at 6 years $200 mil.

 

The pundits take I've read tie Cole more likely to going to San Francisco as a FA than those teams.

 

I really hope that Cole is relishing playing for the best team in baseball and that he sees it could continue for the next 3-4 years.

Or he can go to a CA team not named the Dodgers and maybe be able to celebrate division titles, only to make a little more money (that he'll just have to pay back in taxes anyway).

He's had a 2-year taste of playing for a dominant team. I just hope his desire for that to continue outweighs his desire to be the highest paid pitcher in baseball. I think the Astros make a fair, competitive offer. Hopefully he takes it.

 

I get that this is a business and that you need to make sound financial decisions.

But you can’t just let a generational talent in Cole walk. You throw whatever you can at him. If its dumping Greinkie and Reddick, do it.

If it’s not signing Carlos long term after next year, DO IT.

This dude is 29 years old and doing **** only Pedro and Big Unit have done in the last 30 years. Both are GOAT pitchers, and Cole is doing it in the juiced ball era. Cole last year was great, this year he is legendary. He easily has 5-6 years left of HOF level pitching providing he doesn’t get injured, which outside of that fluke strain during the whitesox series, he’s been a rock.

Watching him walk and go somewhere else and annihilate would be an absolute travesty, but par for the Astros course.

I know Jim and Jeff know this, and whatever they do I will support them. However, this window and chance is only a few years in. You strike while the iron is hot and take advantage of it. This may never happen again in 30 years, Who knows.

YOU ****ING DO IT.

 

There is certainly logic in going all in over the next 2 seasons while Altuve/Bregman/Correa/Verlander are still in place along with Greinke and many complementary pieces. And going all in would certainly mean you don’t let Cy Young winners (Cole) and MvP caliber players (Springer) leave your organization. Luxury tax penalties can be mitigated if you make the right investments (I.e., if you win WS or even just have surplus value contracts to trade to reopen the competitive window). But I just don’t see Luhnow and Crane going that route. They seem to have invested in the long game at every close decision.

 

In Luhnow and Crane I Trust. I believe they will do absolutely everything they can to keep Cole in an Astros uniform. If it doesn't work out and Cole leaves, it won't be for a lack of trying on the organization's part. I also believe Cole genuinely LOVES playing here, and understands that the situation he's in isn't going to be replicated anywhere else he goes. My plan is to enjoy every remaining second of this season, and then let the chips fall where they may in the off-season.

 

Agreed.
If they keep him and it cripples us in 2024 and beyond for a few years, As a fan I am fine with that. There is no reason to say that this team isn’t capable of winning at least 1 to 2 more WS chips. If we enter a purgatory of the likes 2008-2013 type years again, so be it. At least we have the metal in the cases to show for it, unlike the 56 years before 2017.

 

Watching Cole leave would be a gut punch. There is no guarantee Greinke will be great next year as he ages. No guarantee that McCullers will be his old self. My opinion. If this Astros have stashed a wad of cash to offer Correa, they take the name off that bag and put Cole on it. Dude has made a lot of batters look silly.

If only Houston fans would flood the gates as MM and push the attendance over 3 million Crane / Lunhow would be more open to luxury tax etc. But if we as a city of millions can't show up to the tune of 3 million through the turnstiles. Do we deserve Cole?

 

Any fan will sacrifice the future for the present - especially to spend money that isn't theirs. Fans will still complain just as much when that future arrives, though, so organizations have to be smarter than that. Texans and Rockets are both likely going to run into that fun in the next few years.

There's also no guarantee Cole will duplicate his career year or not get injured. The organization has put a lot of effort into creating an extremely deep team - they are unlikely to throw away a lot of that depth to put all their eggs in one player.

Someone earlier asked it best - if Cole was pitching for some other team right now, would anyone be suggesting the Astros be willing to shed key players to bid against LA/etc for him as a free agent? He's not going to take a discount to be here, so it's the same as going after Kershaw or anyone else.

 

I don't envy the front office having to make this offer/decision. I think they could get creative and slightly backload a deal to avoid the tax next year, then Brantley and Reddick coming off the books helps after that.

2021 would start to look pretty dicey assuming a re-signed Springer, where you're probably looking at minimum $170m for 7 players and not even counting Correa.

Also a wet blanket on all of this is that Boras is his agent.

 

I think there is a higher statistical chance Cole will pitch at a high level next year (Probably not at this years level) than Correa playing in 140 games in either of the next two seasons. So again, if the org has already planned a Correa offer I swing it to Cole. A 24-25 year old with recurring back issues scares me.

 

Boras is Coles agent?