I’d sign him to that contract… yeah he was bad in 2022…. How did he do every single other season of his career? Hader is a Ferrari- you don’t drive to your kids practice every day. He never should have been pitching today…he should have had the day off. People around baseball live Joe Espada but so far he has been bad. Let’s hope it is butterflies… his job is to put players in position to succeed. Pulling Framber after 7.2 dominant innings and 84 pitches and bringing in Pressly isn’t putting Pressly in a position to succeed- and bringing in Hader for the 4th time in 6 days sure isn’t a recipe for success. Pinch running for your best hitter - and then having a shitty base runner trying to steal isn’t putting Meyers in a position for success either. This isn’t rocket science either - let Valdez go 8 - and Pressly gets a save chance in the 9th…. Tomorrow Hader would get a chance. Also - put the same damn line up out there for a few weeks with normal scheduled rest for guys like Abreu and Diaz behind the plate. Guys need to know if they are going to play or not.
I didn’t like PR for Diaz at the time and hate it a lot more now. If you were to PR for Diaz, at least wait till he get in scoring position. As for Espada managing like its game 7, I felt that way during Thursday game against Yankees. At the time, I said it’s ok cuz he want that first win so bad. But he has been managing the same way since. He has to figure out how to use his 1A and 1B closers instead of just 1.
Espada will unlearn what Dusty taught him. Tonight he made a terrible decision removing Pressly. Dusty made 300 terrible decisions last year. Funny how you're suddenly able to blame manager this year after being allergic to it all last season. Hopefully for your own sake you don't handle real life in such a biased way. It ain't healthy.
We have got to find someone that can ph for Abreu on this team. If we have to start him fine, but he should never be batting in close and late situations.
Espada is his own man. Unless you are saying he is relying on what his old manager taught him. Then he isn’t his own man and we never should have hired him. Dusty is no longer here; you don’t get that excuse anymore.
Dusty is gone. No one is a “Dusty only” fan. The problem is you idiots don’t like him because he didn’t follow your lineup preferences. Yet, he never failed to the Astros to the ALCS. He definitely never started 1-5.
I'm not sure you sign a guy to $20MM/yr if you need to baby him in week 1 of 5 years. Maybe Hader shouldn't have pitched one of the non-save games (though they were all close enough to justify), but he absolutely should have been out there today. The Yankees closer pitched 3 of the first 4 days and would pitch today if they were winning - it's part of the job if you're an elite player. I don't think 4 out of 6 is that unusual, especially given that he didn't pitch more than two days in a row. All that said, I think the bigger mistake was giving away Pressley's job in the first place without letting him lose it. I get how good Hader is, but he has a history of some spectacular failures and the Astros had an elite closer who's been super consistent for many years. I would have at least started spring training or the regular season with Pressley as closer and let him lose the job - either by struggling or Hader being that awesome. It seemed like he earned that much with all his success here. As it is, it might be contributing both to Pressley sucking and Hader being in a difficult position.
He has been wound too tight every game so far and has meddled too much in games. I really hope it gets better because so far it has been terrible. He has mismanaged the bullpen, pulling starters too soon and using Hader too often and not properly. Also - Diaz is too good a hitter to pinch run for when it isn’t a tie game. Also - if you do pinch run and expect to get a stolen base, you better have a really good base runner and that isn’t Meyers. He sucks at stealing bases. Sometimes I feel like all of this stuff is over thought. If Espada wants to pinch run late in games, then the Astros need someone that is very good at stealing bases. Apparently Espada needs a list handed to him before every game from Murphy telling him which pitchers are available and how many pitches they can throw. Alvarez has never hit second - why do it now? He is comfortable hitting somewhere else. I am a believer in original thought in baseball and even my job as a lawyer - but these are people and the manager needs to realize that.
Not Playing the way that got them to 1-5. This where that veteran manager could be the voice of reason. I guess Espada better buck up quick or he may not make thru mid-season.
I am starting to agree about the lineup. Not sure Alvarez is comfortable at 2 and I don't think putting Bregman in a run production spot is good either. Bregman's best attribute is his patience and that works in the 2 slot. Patience isn't what the 4 slot is known for. You want someone in that spot looking for his pitch and drive it. Altuve Bregman Alvarez Diaz Tucker McCormick Abreu Pena Meyers
There will be times when Hader pitches three times in five days. However, this wasn’t one of them. First - Pressly shouldn’t have been burned to finish the 8th IMO and Pressly could have had the save attempt in the 9th. Second - Hader pitches anywhere from 50-60 innings a year at this point of his career. He was a 70-80 inning pitcher 5 or so years ago. Right now Hader has pitched 4 innings in only 6 games. Hader should be strategically used and so far he has not. Third - I would have been fine with Pressly keeping the closer job, but I think some of the issues with Hader early was a homer he gave up that is usually not a homer - and then tonight going for the 4th time in 6 games, and he gave up a crushed homer on a pitch literally right down the middle.
Yeah you say "definitely" not 1-5 like his 2-4 and 3-6 last season was really doing something despite having a healthier team. There are definitely Dusty-only fans. I've heard them say it.
Also - Brown needs to call Brandon Belt and talking him end to joining the Astros so he can replace Singleton… and if Abreu’s back is still an issue, Belt can start at first competently.
Rely is a strong word. There's no doubt Espada picked up a few habits. They're were together for years. Anyways, no point in talking to delusional people like you. It's literally like talking to a woman. Once her mind is made up, no amount of logic and rational thought will ever change her mind. That's why Maldy played 120 games last year despite having a much better option.