Here's what I got going into 2019. I am assuming McCullers will have to have TJ and miss the season. Astros trade JB Bukauskas and Yordan Alvarez for Paul Goldschmidt Re-sign Martin Maldonado to a one year deal. Marwin and Keuchel walk Re-sign Charlie Morton to a 2 year, $30MM deal C - Maldonado // Stassi 1B - Goldschmidt // White 2B - Altuve // Kemp 3B - Bregman // Gurriel SS - Correa // Bregman LF - Tucker // Kemp CF - Springer // Marisnick RF - Reddick // Springer DH - Gurriel // White SP - Verlander, Cole, Morton, McHugh, James RP - Osuna, Pressly, Perez, Peacock, Devenski, Rondon , Smith Whitley and Martin come up midseason. Armenteros can be a long man, Hartman a potential LOOGY. Still a ton of potential flexibility via prospects or FA to fill other open spots. Last order of business would be to approach both Cole and Verlander about extensions.
First, gotta love the overreactions that are going to flood this board in the oncoming months. This team just set a franchise record (!!!!) 103 wins, with, as we all know, an extremely banged up team. We had one helluva 22-month run. Time to retool and get back after it. We're all frustrated at the outcome of this season, but any rational baseball fan realizes the immense amount of luck needed to go all the way. That doesn't disqualify what we had or have going forward. It happens every year, and not just to us. The key is to go to October year after year. That's the blueprint. At the outset, I don't believe that we need to trade for Realmuto, Goldschmidt, MadBum, or anyone that caliber. Not saying those deals won't make us better in the immediate, but I just don't see anyone like that being a must. Their absence isn't what held us back. I think the more pressing need is keeping the bulk of this team intact for 2019 and beyond. I'd love to get out ahead and resign Marwin and extend Verlander and Springer (FAs after 2019). See is we can keep Kuechel at something reasonable. Show this core that we are committed to them. My fear is that we don't commit, and everyone starts trickling through the door if we don't win next year either. I believe that train may very well start with Marwin, so we are at our most vulnerable right now. This team *loves* playing together. You can feel it. I'm not saying we radically overpay, but Crane and co. can afford to make our core comfortable. Not re-signing Marwin would be a critical blow to clubhouse moral. My first few goals would be: - Let McCann (17m), Sipp (6m), and Gattis (6.7m) walk. Open up as much of the current payroll as possible by letting non-essential players leave. - Offer Marwin around 4y/70m - Offer Kuechel around 3y/65m - Offer Morton around 1y/15m - Offer Maldonado around 2y/6m - Let our AAAA squad develop. A lot of fans are probably over this set of players, but they play a key role in our organization. White and Kemp have separated themselves (and they need to continue to get better) but Fisher, Davis, Marisnick, Martes, Valdez, Perez, etc. still have value to this organization. Breathe and let this crop develop. I believe showing a strong commitment to those mainstays currently in the clubhouse is the most pressing need. Now, obviously, this all depends on what offers are made on the market, so this post is all speculation. Luhnow and his brand are cutthroat with precision, so I'll inevitably trust their final decisions, but I'd love to keep this core together.
1. Springer isn't a free agent after 2019. He has an additional arbitration year after his 2 year 24 million dollar deal ends after next season. Springer will be 31 when he is a free agent. That in it self will hurt his value. No reason to rush to sign him. 2. Keuchel has Boras as an agent. Go take a look at the deal Boras got for Arietta. The Astros should not let Boras hold them hostage until mid March trying to cut a deal that will for sure be an overpay for Keuchel. He will get a qualifying offer and a pat on the back on his way out the door. Keuchel had his worst season since 2016 and you want the Astros to be the team to lock him up into his mid 30s? No thanks. 3. 4/70 million for Marwin is also a big fat NO. Just to put things in perspective.... that is 17.5 million per year. Lorenzo Cain only got 16 million per season and is a CONSISTENT .300 hitter, elite defensive outfielder, and posted a WAR that was triple that of Marwin this year. 4. Extend Verlander... YES
Moves I hope they make: Trade for a star C (Realmuto) Sign a big bat (Cruz) Sign a good SP (Morton) Scour the market for an undervalued SP Sign an elite reliever (Britton) Moves I expect them to make: Sign a 2nd tier C Resign Marwin Resign Morton Scour the market for an undervalued SP Scour the market for an undervalued RP No matter what they do, this team will be a playoff favorite next season. But this offseason will determine if they go in expected to win it all, or just contend.
There are only two types of Baseball players, those that are humble and those that will get humbled by the game.... Bregman is funny as “F#!<“, but he’s playing against guys with a lot of God given talent, who also happen to be very proud... Just Play the game relaxed and good things will happen. No need to taunt the opponents...
I wonder how Luhnow will allow next season the play out... With the window closing in fast on the core, either because of age or affordability, will they be more apt to trade top tier talent in the minors to plug holes? I’m sad to see Keutchel be on the verge of leaving vía Free agency. I figure the Astros have to at least offer him a qualifying offer, especially with the McCullers UCL tommy John surgery...
https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/...29-teams-chances-at-landing-the-star-slugger/ Houston Astros Last winter, the Astros added Gerrit Cole. The summer before that, Justin Verlander. Grabbing Goldschmidt and plopping him down in the middle of the order sounds pretty good to us. He'd qualify as a huge upgrade over Yuli Gurriel, and the Astros could still use a Tyler White-Evan Gattis platoon at DH. Factor in Houston's rumored past interest in Jose Abreu, and it shouldn't surprise anyone if the Astros end up employing Goldschmidt in 2019.
With the looming Red Sox / Dodgers matchup, there is a bright twinkle in MLB, and it’s definitely blinding. Too many borderline calls favoring the Red Sox was sickening, to the point the National announcers were scratching their heads; indefensible... But that’s sports, a team can overcome crap like that, but must pull Superman efforts to beat the opponent, the umps, and their own disgust at the terrible calls...
First, I said to "offer Kuechel something reasonable". Are you saying the Astros shouldn't offer him something reasonable? What would a reasonable offer be in your mind? I'm not advocating that the Astros get pummeled or cucked by Boras and the market. And frankly, Luhnow won't play that game. All we can do is see what Kuechel fetches. When it's all said and done, I don't see anything wrong in offering DK something in the ballpark of 3y and 60mil. I just don't. Look at the market for SPs. That's just how it goes. That's pretty much what an established arm costs. And look, I'm not saying DK was incredible in 2018 or that we'll crumble without him. But he didn't have a bad year. He's still good. 3.6 FIP and still eats up a ton of innings. He's certainly earned the right to receive a competitive offer from HOU based on what he's given this organization and this city. Not giving him a competitive offer would be a slap in the face, and I guarantee other players would find out and probably be kind of pissed off. If DK can get someone else to commit to him for 4 or more years at more than 20m per, then good for him and I'll cheer loudly when he returns. And re: Marwin, the key word is "around". I think Marwin is worth "around" 12-15mil a year on the market. Again, have you looked at the market to see what similar players get? Ultimately, I'm very interested to see what his unique skillset will bring in terms of offers, but ultimately I think he'll fall in the 12-15m range. Personally, I would be willing to give him a couple more on top of that to just keep him in the clubhouse. I do think he's an integral part of this team. He and his family seem very close with Altuve, Bregman, Correa, Yuli, etc. I think keeping Marwin, even if overpaying a bit, will have a material ability on our chances of keeping the rest of the core together. And FWIW, others making 12-15 mil: Lynn, Britton, Gio, Span, Chatwood, Cozart, Kipnis, Mesoraco, Ervin Santana, Prado, Duffy, Cobb, Ryan Zimmerman, Crawford, Andrus, Cain. And those in the 16-17 mil range: Pedroia, Fowler, Zobrist, Leake, Belt, Murphy. I don't think it's that far of a stretch to place Marwin among those players. Again, let's see what the market dictates, but I think it may take around 3/60 and 4/70 to keep DK and Marwin.
I don’t see them rebuilding, but if they did, Houston might make an interesting partner since they need both a big bat and a SP. Greinke has $103M/3yr left on his deal, which isn’t nearly as underwater as it seemed 2 years ago. They won’t rebuild without trading Greinke. How about Greinke, $20M, and Goldschmidt for Josh James, Yordan Alvarez, and a couple 3rd tier prospects?
Not a bad idea, but I think ARI could fetch a better offer. I think we'd have to round it out with some combo of Rogelio/Martin/Fisher/Davis with a high ceiling lottery pick to land both Goldschmidt and Greinke. Goldschmidt is enticing if they do indeed sell. He's always drawn Baggy comparisons. That lineup would be unfair.
Goldschmidt is definitely who I want the most. We need to capitalize on this core. Just putting him in the lineup looks amazing. Springer CF Bregman 3B Altuve 2B Goldschmidt 1B Correa AS Gurriel/White DH Marwin LF Catcher Reddick RF
12 million per year for Marwin is a yes. I don't consider that "around" 17.5 million like you suggested at first. The market changed last summer and I don't believe a multi year deal for 15 million dollars per season or more will be there for Marwin. This gesture of offering Keuchel a "reasonable" deal is moot. He hired Boras. He wants to get paid. He will ask for 9 figures like Darvish and Arietta and probably get around 100-125 million over 5-6 years. Too rich for the Astros considering who they have becoming free agents in 3 and 4 years. The depth in the Astros system is starting pitching..... McHugh, Peacock, James, Valdez, Whitley, Martin, Perez, Armenteros, etc. You spend the money where you are thin like catcher and DH/1B/OF. Keuchel was our number 4 pitcher. If we hold onto Morton he would again be our number 4 starter statistically. You don't pay that kind of money for a number 4 starter. Morton makes sense even for 2 years at 18 million or even a little more because he comes off the books when the "core" guys need to be locked up.