https://www.mlb.com/news/houston-astros-looking-at-left-handed-relief/c-266594436 I guess this means the FA period is over for the Astros?
I know I'm in the minority, but unless a lefty is destroying LHBs or able to pitch against RHBs, I'd rather Astros just go with all RHPs in the pen. Even though Cole and Verlander will make it better than last season, I still expect the Astros to chew up relievers. Rather Astros try to acquire a good, great loogy at deadline than go with a subpar loogy just to have a loogy.
I'm in agreement there. I think that's why we explore our internal options for a LH reliever at this point. And, if none of them rise to the occasion, keep an extra RHRP instead.
The last I heard, the official scorer does not give brownie points for using a LHP to get outs. He just records the outs. I'm totally cool with all RHPs in the bullpen so long as they can be matched up appropriatelyl against both RHHs and LHHs and get outs.
A most likely scenario. I think Gose has an outside shot at making the team. LHP that throw 100 are rare. The fact that 40 man spots were hard to comeby this offseason and they still drafted Gose in Rule 5 is what makes me think this.
They already have Reymin Guduan, another 100 mph throwing lefty who lacks control. The thought of a power lefty with control is certainly appealing but if Gose were anywhere close to that he wouldn't have been a rule 5 pick.
Don't underestimate the best pitching coach in baseball doing his magic. McHugh was not a great pitcher at all before he came here then he turned into a number 2 when healthy. Verlander radically improved once he came here. We have a tremendous coaching staff and I am excited about what they can do.
I don't underestimate Brent Strom at all. He's a great pitching coach. His record with McHugh, Will Harris and others speaks for itself. That being said it's a bit much to expect every acquisition to suddenly start producing career numbers. There's plenty of people who didn't get significantly better, much less immediately. Guduan himself is a perfect example. Guduan got 22 games with the big league club and didn't magically become a lefty relief ace. Side point 1: a significant amount of credit with McHugh, Harris, and others should be given to the FO/analytics team, who identified positive attributes (like McHugh's curve spin rate) for Strom to build on. Side point 2: several articles have been published that demonstrated that Verlander did not magically become better when he was traded to the Astros. He was already on a significant upslope in his last few months in Detroit. His last 7 Tigers starts: 48 IP, 56 K (10.5 K/9), 10 BB (1.88 BB/9), 2.06 ERA.
LOOGYs are obsolete declares the Ringer! https://www.theringer.com/mlb/2018/7/5/17536774/loogy-relief-pitcher-going-extinct
Yep, I was wrong here big time. Astros have one of the most pampered set of relievers in the league due to the starters raking up high quality innings.
Devo and Harris both have a pitch mix that is effective against opposite handed hitters, so I would agree that there isn't a real need for a LHRP with those two in the pen.
Sipp is finally living up to the LOOGY mantle. For the past 4 years he didn't discriminate. He either did well at getting everybody out, or nobody out.
