[ESPN] Astros have a major perception problem

Great article!

I wonder who is available in 2015!

 

No idea, don't forget how Rodon was gonna be a sure thing for 2014 though

So while it's fun to talk about, anyone who just thinks next years draft will be awesome cause we have two high picks isn't thinking clearly

 

They won 51 games last season.

If they continue their current pace, they will win 67 games.

That's a 16 game jump. That's real improvement.

 

There is no doubt we are better (although without Fowler and now Springer, the current group is pretty awful)

One big key though, is Keuchel and McHugh. Those two were front of the rotation guys for a large majority of the first half. If that is their true talent, then the 67 win pace is legit. If that was just a big first half for both and neither are truly close to that level, then the win/loss record won't be truly indicative of where we are. I do think we have a large group of arms in the minors that will make it to the big leagues as starters, need one or two to end up being front of the rotation types

 

Not if you factor in that it took 3 years to get there.....

 

They nickel and dimed the 1st pick to get money to offer 2 more picks and wound up not signing any of them. All fans got was another Jim Crane "I owe you".

 

Except that they offered him 6.5M withdrew that and lowballed him with a 3M offer knowing their bottom line was 5M. Sounds like Luhnow picked up negotiating tactics watching Storage Wars.

F the present means a piss poor payroll with bad teams on the field the last few seasons.

 

who wants to predict mark appels stat line?

2ip 4er 6hits

 

This is a ludicrous comment, unless you do in fact own a time machine.

 

Go back and look at their stagnant record over the last 3 years and see if this year's progress is such a big feat.

 

To them and me, it is. You can be all butthurt about a possible 16-game improvement and constantly crying about our owner and GM, but we're going to enjoy it. Life's better that way.

 

This isn't an accurate accounting of what happened. The original deal *that Aiken agreed to* ($6.5MM) provided them the money to offer Nix and Marshall their over-slot contracts. They did not have to "nickel and dime" Aiken to create that money, not from Aiken's perspective, anyway, as he happily agreed to the initial offer.

There are many legitimate things to gripe about with regards to the team (including letting the three picks slip away, regardless of how it happened) - there's no need to manufacture things so you can spew more outrage. This was not a "nickel and dime" situation; you can scream that it was as loud as you'd like but you will be wrong each and every time, no matter how desperately you tried to spin it. The Astros had put in motion a plan that would have spent every nickel and dime of their financial allocation; none of it was going back into Crane's pocket.

 

You're right. We should probably stop watching and most definitely stop posting here about them. You go first.

 

We needs to stop feeding that troll. Shows no sign of stopping... just sayin.

 

So, when I prove that the progress you speak of really isn't that big a deal if you put it in perspective this is what you come back with.....

I can't watch the team on TV... Operation Nickel and Dime going on there too...

 

The nickel and diming came when they got him to agree, reneged and then low balled him. The Players Union seems to think the Astros acted unethically here too.

 

FIFY.

 

No ****?!? The Union disagrees with MLB? I guess that settles it then.

 

I wouldn't say that there is a consensus amongst everyone in MLB that the Astros are acting ethically either.

 

Oh, somewhere in this favored land the sun is shining bright;
The band is playing somewhere, and somewhere hearts are light,
And somewhere men are laughing, and somewhere children shout;
But there is no joy in Mudville — mighty Casey has struck out.