Kyle Tucker: Could he be our everyday LF in 2018?

That is incorrect. If he is called up in September 2018 or April 2019 it doesn't matter. He will have the same amount of service time.

The only reason NOT to bring him in by at least September this year is if you plan on not bringing him up until July 2019.

As stated, it use to be common place for players to be called up in September when they expanded the rosters to see what they can do. This didn't effect their service time at all or even rookie of the year status the following season due to the limited amount of playing time.

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Definition
Players typically must accrue three years of Major League service time -- with one year of service time equaling 172 days on the 25-man roster or the Major League disabled list -- to become eligible for salary arbitration. Super Two is a designation that allows a select group of players to become eligible for arbitration before reaching three years of service time.

To qualify for the Super Two designation, players must rank in the top 22 percent, in terms of service time, among those who have amassed between two and three years in the Majors. Typically, this applies to players who have two years and at least 130 days of service time, although the specific cutoff date varies on a year-to-year basis.

Example
Dexter Fowler completed the 2011 season with two years and 168 days of Major League service time, which made him one of the leaders in service time among players who had between two and three years in the Majors. Thus, the outfielder qualified as a Super Two player and was eligible for arbitration. Fowler went through arbitration four times before reaching free agency following the 2015 season.

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I don't think it's agreed that he should be up in early summer. My contention is if they have a plan for him to come up this year, it will be well before September. If they have no plans to bring him up this year, he won't be up this year at all.

 

So you are suggesting calling him up...and then sending him back down to start the next season? Nobody does it that way.

If he stays in the minors all of this year and gets called up 10 days into next season, we get a full extra year of team control. How service time works isn't exactly a foreign topic around here.

 

As stated that is not true. If he is called up in April or even May of next year it would be the same as if he was called up in September this year. There is no difference. So why wouldn't they bring him in this season sometime after the Super Two period if that were the case?

 

No it wouldn't, you are wrong.

If we wait 2 weeks into 2019, then 2019 will be an incomplete season, so we will have him for virtually of of 2019, and 6 more years. free agent after 2025

If we call him up in September 2018 it will count as an incomplete season, and we will have him for 6 years afterward, free agent after 2024.

Unless we call him up in September, and send him down to start 2019, which isn't the way teams do things.

 

Put it this way.... The Astros could bring him up in September this year and then not again until May or June next year and they would have him for a full 6 years still.

172 games a year service time = 1 full year. A player has to play 6 FULL SEASONS for a team before FA. So if he played in September 2018 he'd get 30 days of playing time (or 1/6th). If he was called up again late May 2019 then he'd still have officially under 1 full year of service time before 2019 is up. Thus he would retain that extra year of team control.

So, yes if he was called up in April to start the season 2019 then he would have over a year to end the season but if he wasn't called back up until late May then he would be under the year.

In essence, it would all depend on if the Astros wanted to see what they had with him at the major league level this season for 1 month. Which is how teams use to do it. September was always the time of year to look at the rookies in their system.

Either case, as stated, with the spring he has had if he was called up this year it most likely will be early summer (july)

 

Somebody correct me if I'm wrong on my understanding of Super 2 as related to Tucker.

If he comes up in July (i.e. After the "super 2" estimated deadline), then the Astros would have team control in 2019, 2020 and 2021, followed by arbitration in 2022, 2023 and 2024. Tucker would become a free agent before the 2025 season.

Seems to me like July is the time to call him up. You have to give Davis and Fisher their chances. If they prove to be quality players, then at least you've improved their trade value.

Going to be interesting seeing how the roster works itself out. When Gurriel comes back, one of Fisher or Davis has to go down.

Looking at the roster, I see one area that's causing some congestion...catcher. Gattis is now almost exclusively a DH, but that prevents us from getting a good rotation there from guys like Gurriel, Davis or others. Also, carrying an extra catcher with very limited offensive potential in Stassi is eating up a roster spot.

 

He is almost certainly gonna be called up sometime in the middle of this season at the super 2 date, so this entire discussion is probably moot.

It's 172 days of service time, not 172 games. A season typically is 180 days long give or take. But it is not "standard" for teams to call up blue chip prospects in September only to send him back down to start the next season for 50 days. Teams just send them down for 10 days to start a season and get that entire year. It's exactly what we did with Springer, it's what the Cubs notoriously did with Kris Bryant, and what the Braves are doing with Ronald Acuna. At this point it has basically become a meme that they are being sent down to "work on their defense" when everybody knows what the actual reason is. It's a well known and legal form of service time manipulation.

The Astros will call up Tucker no later than early August, only if they think he can really help them in the playoffs. If they haven't called him up by late August, they will almost certainly call him up 10 days into the 2019 season.

 

Yeah, I actually meant days, not games myself

 

Why would they change what they do with Tucker vs. what they did with Correa and Bregman?

He's either coming up this year in July... or next April. Sooner if he for some reason agrees to a Singleton-like deal, the likes of which I'm not even sure the front office offers anymore.

 

Too many ifs, buts, and maybes in this thread.

Injuries or poor performing players (Fisher, Davis, and Marisnick) might speed up Tucker's call up just like Tucker being injured or not performing in the minors could slow down his call up.

The Astros are trying to win the World Series. If Tucker is hitting .350 with 30 bombs and we have an injury or someone not carrying their weight in the outfield he will be brought up. Hopefully, it works out for the Astros that it happens when they can maximize their control.

 

You sure used a lot of if's and buts in your scenario criticizing if's and buts.

The Astros aren't gonna ignore pragmatic business facts, this regime isn't programmed that way. He will almost certainly be called up sometime between June and early August, but if his performance has left a little to be desired, we aren't gonna sacrifice an entire year or control for one month.

 

Grand slam for ****ing Ted. He's trying REALLY hard to change Lunhow's mind about starting the season in the minors.

 

Fisher has 2 weeks.

 

We should forget about super 2.

The kid is special, and he's ready. Keep him down for 2 weeks to get the extra year of control, then start him in left and don't look back.

 

Al Hbrosky is the what it is is.

 

Spoiler

 

I'm pretty sure it happened to Lance Berkman. The Angels looked like they would with Trout, but he forced their hand a bit. Granted that only happens if they struggle after the call up.