If the playoffs started today, and our whole pitching staff was healthy (minus Verlander), which pitchers would be on the playoff roster? Do you see us using guys like Garcia and Javier to bridge the gap to Pressly? How much of a playoff need to we have for pen arms at the deadline?
Primary Starters Valdez Greinke LMJ Bullpen Pressly Javier Urquidy Garcia Odorizzi Taylor Raley Baez Valdez is a lock for a starter. If one prefers, Javier, Urquidy, Garcia, or Odorizzi as a starter instead of Greinke or LMJ, that is fine to substitute with more hesitation on Odorizzi and Javier than the other two as postseason starters. One of the starters turned reliever would need to start any Game 4s. I think Astros will try to add 1-2 relievers. If the Astros stay healthy, these replacements are fighting with Taylor, Raley and Baez for whatever scraps the other guys leave in the postseason unless they are really great pitchers. Mostly, anyone added will be there for the regular season and to cushion the Astros for even more injuries. I think someone gets hurt, so these guys will likely actually be needed. Pruitt, James, Baez, Stanek, Abreu, and Solomon would need to get health and/or perform well in 2nd half of the year for consideration.
Our starters would be Greinke, Valdez, Urquidy, and McCullers. Garcia, Javier, and Odorizzi would be middle relievers and Pressley would be our closer. The big question mark would be who our setup man would be before Pressley and who our high leverage guys would be when have to get an out.
Staff: Greinke, McCullers, Valdez, Urquidy, Odo, Garcia, Javier, Pressly, Raley, Baez*, TBD RP**, Stanek, Smith*** *Assumed he’ll be healthy by Sept. If not, hopefully they’ve traded for another good RP, otherwise a young arm like Paredes or Taylor will be on the roster **I am highly confident they will add at least one high quality RP next month. ***the 13th pitcher doesn’t really matter but Smith is a veteran arm. If he’s not pitching well then replace him with a any other arm on the 40 man who might be pitching well or match up well against the opponent’s lineup. Usage: Game 1/5: Greinke followed by Javier, TBD RP, and Pressly Game 2/6: McCullers followed by Raley, Odorizzi, and Baez Game 3: Valdez followed by Garcia, TBD RP, and Pressly Game 4: Urquidy**** followed by Stanek, Baez, and Smith Game 7: Valdez, followed by Javier, Garcia, and Pressly ****this’ll be whoever is pitching best out of Urquidy, Odo, and Garcia, and the bullpen usage would be adjusted accordingly.
Projecting is always fun, but if the playoffs started today we would be the 2nd Wildcard and would go to Fenway for a one-game play-in. This jumping ahead and assuming we will be playing in the Divisional Series is still a looooooong way from being a reality. Maybe I'm just nervous, and maybe we have been spoiled for the last few years. I dunno but this kind of stuff bothers me.
Are you feeling OK, @Snake Diggit ? No mention of trading the Astros entire minor league system to the Twins for Tyler Duffey and the Twin's entire minor league system .. or some such? The world would not end if the Astros rolled into the playoffs with their current staff ... except for @raining threes that is. That assumes that everyone stays healthy. On the reverse of that, JV might be available ... slotting JV for 2 IPs before bringing in McCullers. I do expect Click to not let @raining threes down though and bring in Pressly 2.0.
Is there anyway the Astros can lock Taylor into the way he is right now? He's usually been tough for batters to square up, but he's been turning weak contact into no contact.
