I doubt you find a stop gap better than the options we already have. All mentioned have great risk at a great price and may not actually improve the situation.
This is NOT going to happen. But it works in the game. Trade between Colorado and Astros: Rockies get: Garcia SP 45.6 MLB Whitaker OF/SS/3B 2.1 2025 Total 47.7 Astros get: Bryant 3B -104.1 MLB Amador 2B 18.9 2025 Jones OF 14.3 2022 Romo C 31.7 2024 Tovar 2B 52.2 2023 Veen OF 34.4 2023 Total 47.4
There are no stop gaps that are appreciably better than McCormick and are not costly. It’s also possible Gilbert is ready in 2024.
Any of McCormick, Meyers or Deon can make the jump as well as most cf options available without adding payroll.
Overnight update of CBT Payroll + Est Arb + Est Pre-arb. Team 2023 Millions Threshhold RNK $233.0 NYM 1 $353.9 NYY 2 $288.1 PHI 3 $242.4 SDP 4 $233.4 TOR 5 $228.2 ATL 6 $226.2 LAA 7 $212.7 LAD 8 $211.4 HOU 9 $208.4 BOS 10 $206.8 SFG 11 $206.0 CHW 12 $201.8 CHC 13 $200.5 TEX 14 $199.7 COL 15 $184.1 STL 16 $178.6 SEA 17 $175.6 DET 18 $137.5 MIL 19 $136.0 MIN 20 $129.4 CLE 21 $121.7 TBR 22 $121.0 ARI 23 $119.2 WAS 24 $115.1 MIA 25 $108.5 KCR 26 $96.3 CIN 27 $86.5 BAL 28 $81.8 PIT 29 $77.2 OAK 30 $68.1 Houston back in it's familiar 9th place. Just under $22M before hitting the first cap.
Bringing Brantley back is exactly that additional move we needed. Bout to have an .850 OPS without the shift next year. It’s annoying af sometimes that we don’t hand out big contracts but damn if we don’t spend money smartly. Except Montero.
You think Leon is gonna be ready? Seems like a low BA, high OBP guy with power and defense, things that should translate.
I have said for discussions related to Yuli that his best place is as Caribbean Liaison in the Front office.
At this point Yuli, as much as I love him, would hurt not help this team. There are only 11 roster spots outside of pitcher and catcher. Abreu, Altuve, Bregman, Pena, Brantley, Tucker, McCormick, and Alvarez are locked in. Dubon is also locked in by virtue of having no options and already being tendered. That leaves 2 spots. Meyers (80%) or Leon (20%) make the team because the team views McCormick as a 4th OF who CAN play CF but not as a starting CF. That leaves 1 roster spot. I think Hensley is a much better option than Yuli at a fraction of the price. Hensley is wasted at AAA at this point and the team needs cheap productive players always coming up if it wants to keep the window open. Not to mention that he simply fits the team needs better (back up multiple infield positions and can pinch run).
Hard to know, but I think we are at the point where we or another team needs to find out. The talent is obviously there, it will all depend on his strikeout rate.
I still think that McCormick starts only 80-100 games in CF max. 40-50 is much more likely in my opinion. I think as a 4th OF he may be among the best in baseball and adds to the team. As a starting CF he is solid, middle of the pack. 3 most likely scenarios to me: 1) Meyers makes the team and starts 2/3-3/4 of games the first half. If he fails then Chas plays more often until a trade can be made, or Leon is ready. 2) Leon blows everyone away and wins the job in spring and Meyers ends up back in AAA. They end up both going back and forth as Leon has a very inconsistent and slow to develop season but the team sees potential so sticks to the plan or plays McCormick more often until Gilbert is ready or a trade is made. 3) Neither Meyers nor Leon impress enough in spring to win the job so they go with McCormick in CF with Dubon as the back up but make trading for a short term CF the #1 priority LF/ DH Yordan / Brantley vs RHP and McCormick / Yordan vs LHP That's among the best in baseball production.
McCormick started 98 games in the OF last year. With Tucker starting approximately 140 games in RF this year and Alvarez+Brantley starting approximately 140 games in LF this year, it is reasonable to project that Chas gets about 90 starts in CF, and about 30-35 in RF and LF. I don’t think Leon shows up until late 2023 or early 2024. Meyers would have to outplay Chas all Spring Training to warrant taking his primary CF spot.
Dusty Baker trusts players that prove themselves over time.... it was never personal with Chas McCormick. I expect McCormick will get a lot more rope this season and as a result probably start more in centerfield. He should start against every single left-handed starter in baseball, he is a Hall of Famer against lefties.
https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/35285761/rangers-host-phils-kick-2023-sunday-night-baseball The Houston Astros will host the Phillies in a World Series rematch on April 30 on Sunday Night Baseball
