[Official] Astros Offseason

It's crazy that 4 seasons ago, our left fielder and our first baseman were competing with each other for a batting title.

 

It's crazier that since then we have had poor (or at best mediocre) hitters in the 'easiest' fielding positions. The Astros get the really hard things right, then get the really easy things wrong.

(I know, it's not 'right' or 'wrong' and lots of factors enter in, but it is quite striking nonetheless.)

 

All I know is if our first baseman and our left fielder battle for a batting title again, we would be favorites to win the pennant.

 

Well, it could happen, but it would be Paredes at 1B and Alvarez in LF

 

Don’t think Paredes is going to be sniffing a batting title in his career

 

I don't really even pay attention to batting average anymore. I couldn't tell you if a guy hits .240 or .270.

And I don't even miss it.

It's all about OB% and OPS for me.

 

I still like BA.

High BA means you know how to hit and spray the field. Low BA means you are guessing and hoping to just hit one out (which kills you in crunch time more than not)

 

I think Loperfido takes the 4th outfield spot and will get plenty of chances to start if Cam/others falter

 

scary

 

I really like the idea of Matthews and Loperfido as the 10th and 11th guys both getting to play quite a bit. They complement each other in terms of handedness. Both have power and speed. Both can play 5+ positions.

 

Both strikeout alot

Perfect for the Stros.

 

Damn I miss Jeff Luhnow.

 

bring him back already . If Beltran can be elected to the Hall of Fame and Cora and Hinch are MLB coaches, then let Luhnow back in the fray

 

What would you rather have, a guy who goes 3 for 10 (all singles and no rbi's) or
a guy who goes 2 for 10 but both of his hits are doubles which drives in three runs?
Need to dig deeper at one's BA because when you get those hits and the production
from the hits is way more important. Can you hit in the clutch and can you do it with
RISP.

 

You must be a RBI fan ... like me

 

I rather have the guy with more RBIs and Runs

 

Episode 127 of Breathing Orange Fire is up (Subscribe on Spotify) and we play my favorite game of the year- keep it or throw it back- where we go over all the projections and decide which we'd lock in and take and which we'd say nah- let's see how the season plays out.
Off the top of my head I "kept" the seasons for: Diaz, Walker, Altuve, Meyers, Hader, Abreu, LMJ and Javier. I threw back: Brown, Burrows, Imae, Spaghetti, Pena, Paredes, Alvarez, Smith. Probably should have kept Brown and Alvarez as the projections have them with a high floor and Yordan is made of glass and pitchers shred elbows, but I'm interested in seeing if Brown can be a year in year out Cy Young type and if Alvarez can ever stay healthy while having a monster season.

This season comes down to: Are our old guys washed (Altuve and Walker), can our pitching stay healhty, can we have just one kid develop into above average OF, and do they play Paredes, Altvue and Alvarez more or less every day in a rotation at 2b, LF and DH. That's a lot of questoins. If we like the answer to half of them we win 90 games and make the playoffs. If we answer most of them well we get toward 100. If we answer most of them poorly we go 500 or slightly worse.
More Beta in this Astros team than any I can remember since the title window opened.

 

I think I got my Opening Day roster figured out:

OF: Meyers, Loperfido, Smith, Trammell, Alvarez
IF: Walker, Altuve, Correa, Paredes
C: Diaz, Vasquez (I don't know Salazar's option status, possible DFA)
Bench: Allen, Matthews

SP: Brown, Imai, Burrows, Javier, McCullers
RP: Arrighetti, Weiss, Sousa, Okert, King, Abreu, Munoz, and either Lambert/Roa

Arrighetti and Weiss can go long man, spot start, and tandem because I do not think Javier and McCullers can go deep into games

Hard to leave Teng, VanWey and Blubaugh off but I don't see a spot for them. Personally, I'd like one of them instead of Okert or King but I don't think it will shake out that way.

 

Assuming Pena isn’t ready for opening day I think you’ve got it nailed on the position player side.

I think Lambert will make the team for sure. They might keep Roa or Teng over Arrighetti, since Arrighetti’s routine/ramp-up will be off due to paternity leave, it might make more sense to send him down until there’s an opening in the rotation.

 

If you aren’t going to start Arrighetti at starter send him down, keep him stretched out and bring him back in a month when you likely are done with LMJ or you need a 6th starter. That claws back a year of control and keeps him stretched out.