JV, Brantley, Gurriel will be back. Just on the chemistry alone. Move Urquidy for another under the radar power arm reliever (who can replace Montero) and prospects. I could see a big bat addition at 1B. Jose Abreu is 36. So it’s probably not going to be a long term deal. Josh Bell is from Houston. Wouldn’t mind Vasquez..though I think he could get big offers.
I think you def bring Yuli back and here is why. The staple of the stros has been performing when pressure is high in the playoffs and good defense. Yuli is the picture of that. As this postseason showed he does not shrivel when the playoffs start (unlike players like judge) and I think you need that attitude to keep the ball rolling. I hate to say this but I think you bring maldy back bc players like pitching for him though I would really just prefer they bring asquez back instead. Cf I think, you decide if you have enough to run with that position This leaves left and dh. Yordan takes one but we have to improve the other. That I think is where our new player will added to ( if they don't sign brantley)
Offseason game plan: Extend Tucker Extend Valdez Extend Javier Whatever happens after that is icing on the cake. Extend the core and the window.
Josh Bell is from Dallas area not Houston. However he may rather be here than with Rangers. Plus Rangers spent like drunkin' sailors last year. I have a strange feeling that Seattle is going to give Michael Brantley a pretty good deal that would give them a solid hitter but more importantly veteran leadership plus he can go back to WA. I like the Astros to work out a deal for him and make him a future coach. Everyone raves about his attention to detail and his ability to help the younger players.
Brantley grew up in Port St. Lucie, FL and still lives there with his wife & kids. I doubt he signs with the Mariners. My guess is Crane re-signs JV, Brantley and Yuli. Uncle Mike & Yuli on 1 yr deals. JV on a 2 year. I hope they make a competitive offer for Vazquez on perhaps a 3 year deal. Diaz is gone Montero probably gone (replaced by Paredes) Mutual option for Mancini declined. If Vazquez is signed, Yainer Diaz is backup 1B, part time DH and 3rd Catcher which allows Vazquez to DH and PH more and become full time starter when Maldy retires after next season. No CF upgrade available. They run it back the way they did this year with perhaps Leon or Dirden getting a shot if Chas or Meyers suffers an injury.
Re-signing Verlander and adding one of the 3 good free agent 1B (Abreu, Bell, Rizzo) would be a very good offseason. Extending one of Javier, Tucker, Altuve, or Abreu would be gravy, as would adding a catcher or OF bat.
Brantley knows the guys here and he knows the road to a championship has to go through "WE WANT HOUSTON!". Its honestly hard to see someone at that stage of his career jump to an inferior competitor thats within the division after seeing first hand how great this organization is. Would love to have him back especially in a role you laid out that transitions him to a coach
If you're seriously telling me you felt good with JV getting the ball before game 5 than major props to you cuz I sure as hell didn't. I remember getting shutout against braves in 2021 multiple games or when we couldn't get a clutch hit in 2019 to save our season. If it wasn't for pena saving us we lose that series also bottom line. We need a big bat before we throw 40 million at JV. Verlander has peaked and we're chasing.
He's going to get paid regardless. Crane will pay JV. He's done it before with the 70 million of his prior 2 year contract. I don't see Crane not willing to pay it this time around. JV is a little different because you can quantify the additional dollars he brings at the gate.
Lots will happen over the next 3 months. Of the 26 players who made the (initial) WS roster, 19 of them are under contract/ control for 2023. Maldy, Altuve, Bregman, Pena, Hensley, Dubon, Yordan, Chas, Tucker, Framber, Lance, Javier, L.Garcia, Urquidy, Pressly, Neris, Abreu, Stanek, H.Brown. That leaves 7 roster spots: 4 position, and 3 pitching. B-U/ platoon catcher: Korey Lee will get 1st shot and I have to assume he is who the organization wants. Yanier Diaz is much more of a hitter who can catch than a regular catcher. I think they bring in a veteran, Dustin Garneau type, catcher to compete with Lee and ( hopefully) serve as insurance at AAA for the season. First base: The team could bring Yuli back but he was very below average with the bat all season and is not getting any younger. I think they find a veteran who is more of a run producer to hit 6th, produce more runs, and protect Tucker in the lineup. LF: this is a position that they will piece together with Yordan, Chas and the bench. CF: the team feels they have the answer already in the system ( IMHO). That coupled with the lack of options and cost on the market, they will go with what they have. Leon really impressed them in Spring training last year and had a solid year at AAA. It would not surprise me if he won the job but I am expecting Jake Meyers to win the spot with Chas as the back up. If Leon impresses in AAA over the first half I could see a Myles Straw type trade where one of them is traded and Leon takes over after the trade deadline. That leaves 1 roster spot and I expect it to go to Brantley with an outside chance that it is Yuli. If both sign elsewhere then it could go to a rookie like Y.Diaz or Cirey Julks. I could see both Meyers and Leon making the team which would fill this spot also, but that is less likely especially with Leon still not on the 40 man. There are 3 pitching spots but the staff is basically full. I think JV is a priority and will be resigned. If not, I think the staff is completely filled from internal options. Maton, S Martinez, Mushinski, Taylor, Paredes, or Dubin fill the last 2 or 3 spots. I could see them bringing in a couple veteran AAA types for depth like they will at catcher but I do not expect any that will make the team.
I'd love a multi-year Benintendi signing. But I think he will be one of the guys who gets competing high offers, and I don't think Crane will inject himself into a bidding war for a guy that is essentially a luxury. Seems like Maldy is coming back, as his contract option was vested. I don't see another veteran catcher being signed, but who knows. I do think extending Framber and Javier should be goal no. 1, even above re-signing Verlander. This team could easily make runs for another 4 years if those guys are extended.
Yeah, this tweet doesn't tell us anything other than PR. No reason Click should want to come back as a neutered lame duck if it's a one year deal. If Click comes back I would take it to mean they've actually reached some kind of understanding and it's a multi year deal.
Maybe it's better the Contreras/Happ deal got scuttled by the Cubs. How valuable is Happ to the Astros, especially if Meyers can come back strong next season? McCormick has a higher expected wOBA over the past two seasons and plays better defense than Happ. Meyers appears to be seen by the Houston FO as at least as good as, if not better than, McCormick when healthy.
I'm on record highly expecting JV, Brantley and Yuli all to be back. I think all three of them want to come back. I also think that Brantley and Yuli know the end is near and why start somewhere new. Also, specifically with Uncle Mike, I could see him staying with the organization after he retires in some role. Same with Maldy. As for JV. I think both he and Crane are motivated to make this work. JV is very comfortable here as his wife. JV also knows that he was paid over 60 million for ONE start ('20 + '21) and he knows Crane has been fair with him. Both JV and Upton LOVE the city and the fans and I just can't see them wanting to go to NYY, NYM, LAD, SD, PHI, CHI, TOR, BOS or any other city at this juncture. I think JV and Crane do something like 2yr/70-75 mil with a 3rd yr option that again has a clause in it to hit a certain # of innings. He wants to reach 300 wins, he wants to pitch in the playoffs and compete for WS, he's on record how much he loves his teammates and how comfortable he is here, and thus why take a chance on another organization/city at this point in his career??
Happ has historically hit righties well, something Meyers and Chaz don't really do. I imagine the plan was to platoon him with Chaz, or to use him in LF in case Brantley didn't come back. There were a multitude of ways he could have been used.
