Regarding winning, generating massive amounts of surplus value is needed. No team has a budget close to what would be needed to win with only free agents at market value. Fans and front offices that value winning when discussing trades, free agents, contracts in general should be biased towards surplus value. Regarding cheering for a guy during the game, I cheer for guys with the Astros jersey on regardless of surplus value. I am definitely for giving Altuve, Springer, and Correa first crack at Crane's vault.
CarGo on a 1 year deal <$12M works for me. Get a chance to get some major upside if he returns to form, otherwise release him mid season and callup Fisher.
Agreed that massive amounts of surplus value are needed. But that's part of the plan. Those incredibly lowly paid pre-arb guys eventually gotta get paid and the plan is to have younger, newer pre-arb guys to take their places. It seems pointless to be upset when those guys want to get paid.
This. Whatever happens after, happens after. Didn't realize his Home/Road splits were so horrible, I know I shouldn't be surprised, but still.
A.J. Hinch said the Astros will determine in spring training whether they will carry a third catcher next season. Evan Gattis will absorb more DH at-bats in 2018 but should still catch some. The Astros might expose 3B/1B Colin Moran to left field during spring training, A.J. Hinch said. Moran played four games in left while in Triple A last season. A.J. Hinch on the Astros’ left field situation: “I think there’s a great competition that could come out of the spring.” Marwin Gonzalez will factor in but Hinch wants to move him around. Derek Fisher could platoon with Jake Marisnick. “Like it has the last couple of seasons, I think it will be spread around,” Hinch said. Jeff Luhnow said Astros top prospects Kyle Tucker and Forrest Whitley will get opportunities to play in big league spring training games but wasn’t yet sure if they will be official non-roster invitees to major league camp. - JK Hinch and Luhnow both said they would introduce left field to Colin Moran this spring. - BM
There are a couple of teams that have not started rebuilding yet that really should. One is the Orioles who Imay have started that process today. The other is the Rangers, who appear to be foolishly going for it. If you added the Orioles to the teams already rebuilding (White Sox, Royals, Tigers, Padres, Braves, As, Reds, Phillies, Marlins), you could end up with a VERY robust trade market (although I don’t see rebuilding teams trading away guys with 4+ years of control, so forget Fulmer etc.) Here are some players who might be available: C Salvador Perez, James McCann, Devin Mesoraco 1B Jose Abreu, Miguel Cabrera, Chris Davis 2B Jonathan Schoop, Ian Kinsler, Cesar Hernandez, Jed Lowrie, Starlin Castro, Scooter Gennett, Derek Dietrich SS Jose Iglesias, JJ Hardy, Freddy Galvis 3B Yangervis Solarte, Manny Machado, Chase Headley, Nick Castellanos OF Alex Gordon, Brandon Moss, Christian Yelich, Marcell Ozuna, Adam Jones, Matt Kemp, Ender Inciarte, Billy Hamilton, Avisail Garcia, Nick Markakis SP Julio Teheran, Clayton Richard, Homer Bailey, Jordan Zimmerman, Danny Duffy, Ian Kennedy, Jason Hammel, Nathan Karns, Wei-Yin Chen, Kevin Gausman, Wade Miley, James Shields RP Zach Britton, Brad Brach, Mychal Givens, Darren O’Day, Brad Hand, Raisel Iglesias, Arodys Vizcaino, Kelvin Herrera, Joakim Soria, Scott Alexander, Brandon Maurer, Brad Ziegler, Santiago Casilla, Liam Hendricks, Alex Wilson, Nate Jones On the position player side, Salvador Perez, Yelich, and Nick Castellanos would interest me if I were Luhnow. There are tons of relievers in that list that would be useful in the Astros bullpen.
I don't think many are upset when a guy leaves for more money unless it is a rental. There is something about a guy playing a couple of months in an Astros uniform that makes people upset when he chooses to leave.
Despite obtaining Justin Verlander on Aug. 31 and winning the World Series, the Astros are still looking at the top of the free-agent starter market with Jake Arrieta and Yu Darvish. They are curious, if the prices do not go where initially expected, if there might be an opportunity to seize. And because Dallas Keuchel is a free agent after the 2018 season, Houston could look to add a quality starter now to team with Verlander, Keuchel and Lance McCullers and have to soften the blow if Keuchel leaves following the season. - Joel Sherman
My question is whether the word “agreement” is more likely to refer to agreeing to a contract with a FA or to a trade with another team.
Not really that ground breaking to say they are working on something that may happen tonight. I suspect most GMs would be that transparent.
I don’t know. I guess I’m too used to the Morey style of status updating in the off-season. I don’t recall a GM giving a time of when a transaction will get done. Shoot I got excited hearing about something up sleeves just a few months ago. That’s as generic as they come. I’m send to corporate lines. “We’re always looking to improve the team, but we also feel like this current team can compete”
With AJ's comments re: Giles, that certainly wouldn't surprise me. Don't see us shelling out the big bucks for Davis anyways.
