A sneak peek at things to come for the Astros

So the Astros suddenly have a crowded infield. With real possibilities. Sometime next month, Houston will likely have as strong as an infield in a decade. Or longer.

Problem is, where will they play? When Yulieski Guriel and Alex Bregman join the team, manager A.J. Hinch will essentially have four players who can play the middle infield. Two of those will obviously need to play the corners, someone will have to go or one could serve as DH. Or one of the four could move to help shore up what may be a depleted outfield after this winter.

With Jeff Luhnow’s trade track record, that “someone will have to go” possibility is a sticky subject. Guriel, Bregman, Jose Altuve or Carlos Correa could provide a huge Herschel Walker-like haul.

Obviously, Luhnow plans to have Guriel around for awhile after signing a five-year contract. Altuve is signed to a team-friendly contract through 2020, though Altuve’s recent switch to agent Scott Boras should mean and, ummm, healthy contract for the then-30-year-old second baseman.

Bregman and Correa should be part of the core of the Astros for the next decade plus some.

Remember that bottle neck of salaries we projected for later this decade? Well, Luhnow has played his cards right, at least for now. As the organization passed the $100 million line with the Guriel signing, the 2017 budget is actually fairly clean.

Scott Feldman, Carlos Gomez, Colby Rasmus, Doug Fister, Jason Castro, Luis Valbuena will be free agents if they aren’t traded in the next few weeks. That will make room for upgrades to the salaries of Dallas Keuchel, George Springer, Collin McHugh and others through arbitration or extensions.

Luhnow is slowly putting together his core. And adding to it.

The big question is: Who will still be here in 2017? You know, for that Sports Illustraded-predicted World Series championships? Here’s a quick look, though clearly not comprehensive.

These guys will still be here. Guaranteed.

Gone, but not forgotten.

  • Gomez, Rasmus, Valbuena, Castro.

On the bubble. Salary or other questions may for the Astros’ hand.

The big question. Will these players perform well enough to be a factor on a competitive team? Perhaps, but Houston may be stuck with some due to salary constraints.

A few Monday morning questions to get your week started.

  • What should Hinch do with Altuve, Guriel, Correa and Bregman?
  • Should the Astros bring back Valbuena?
  • If you were to trade one of them for a haul or TOR pitcher, who goes: Altuve, Guriel, Correa or Bregman?
  • What’s the biggest hole facing Luhnow for the rest of 2016 and/or 2017?
  • Most likely to succeed at the major league level: Reed, Moran, Preston Tucker or Tony Kemp?

 

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146 responses to “A sneak peek at things to come for the Astros”

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  1. Good morning Chip! It is very good to “see” you again. This is a very good piece about the direction of the club. You ask…

    ◾What should Hinch do with Altuve, Guriel, Correa and Bregman?

    To begin with, I need to see if Bregman and/or Gurriel can hit major league pitching. Playing along with the idea that they will, then for next year, I would like to see Gurriel moved to first base. After all, he is getting up there in physical age and this move would prolong his health. With Bregman at third, our infield would be set for at least five years.

    ◾Should the Astros bring back Valbuena?

    Valbuena would be an expensive backup on the club. We do not know which Valbuena will showup, the hard-hitting one or the weak-hitting one? Let him move on.

    ◾If you were to trade one of them for a haul or TOR pitcher, who goes: Altuve, Guriel, Correa or Bregman?

    Move Gurriel after we sign his brother to a contract. His age again, comes in play with this decision.

    ◾What’s the biggest hole facing Luhnow for the rest of 2016 and/or 2017?

    In my opinion, the outfield depth for the big club is a concern. Certainly, we have discussed moving Bregman to the outfield but I would rather him stay in the infield. Who do we have in the upper minors to step in and continue the hitting attack and will display above average defensive prowess? That is the biggest hole for next season.

    ◾Most likely to succeed at the major league level: Reed, Moran, Preston Tucker or Tony Kemp?

    Reed will be the success and it should be for the Astros while hitting as the DH. Moran, PTuck, and Kemp will be moving on to other teams. PTuck will be the stud elsewhere because he will get a chance to play fulltime and shine. Moran will be steady but not spectacular. Kemp will just be a utility player.

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  2. YAAAYYY!!! Good to have you back Chip.
    ◾What should Hinch do with Altuve, Guriel, Correa and Bregman?
    I don’t think you move any of them. I would keep Altuve at 2B, Correa at SS, put Bregman in LF and Guriel at 3B/DH. Use Valbuena between 3B and 1B. You can also use Bregman to give Altuve and Correa some time off.
    ◾Should the Astros bring back Valbuena?
    Part of me says yes – part of me thinks he may never be worth more. I think you need to see how Bregman and Guriel perform at mlb first – but if you do that – then you are past the trade deadline.
    ◾If you were to trade one of them for a haul or TOR pitcher, who goes: Altuve, Guriel, Correa or Bregman?
    Gee – do I want to cut off my left hand, right hand, left foot or right foot? My gut would be Guriel because he is older and unknown – but they won’t do that. I look elsewhere for trade bait. You can’t trade Altuve as your best player. You can’t trade Correa at only 21 years old. You can’t trade Bregman who was declared the #1 prospect in all of baseball.
    ◾What’s the biggest hole facing Luhnow for the rest of 2016 and/or 2017?
    My feeling is that Keuchel is on the road back to ace level. So I don’t say we have to trade for a TOR pitcher. I think catcher could be very problematic. And until someone proves they can DH for this team – that has been a real mess this year.
    In the end – they are likely losing Gomez, Rasmus and maybe Marisnick. OF could be a problem going into next season – or maybe a Bregman and/or Hernandez could help.
    ◾Most likely to succeed at the major league level: Reed, Moran, Preston Tucker or Tony Kemp?
    Reed has started slow at every level and then put it together. He has had a very short time in the minors He has less than 2 seasons minor league experience under his belt. I think he will become a successful mlb player.

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  3. What should Luhnow do with these four:
    Altuve-Gold glove, silver slugger? Play him at second base almost always, DH him when he needs a break and play Marwin at second when Altuve needs a day off.
    Bregman- Play him in LF until Valbuena is not with the team. Valbuena is our best defensive 3B. Reed needs to be at 1B, especially against RH pitchers.
    Correa- play him at SS.
    Gurriel- We need a DH, He’s the DH because his bat is supposed to be his best tool. Keep Gattis as a catcher and let him catch half the time.
    I don’t think the Astros need to bring back Valbuena with Bregman, Gurriel and Moran around.
    I don’t think you trade any of Altuve, Correa, Bregman or Gurriel for a TOR pitcher?
    I say you go after a TOR pitcher after the 2017 season is over when so many of them will be available in free agency for just money and a draft choice. After you get that TOR pitcher, then you decide if you want to trade any of the four for a haul, if need be. For me it would have to be Gurriel, because of the Astros’ extreme shifts. With Correa playing up the middle so much, I like Bregman filling that hole on the left side because he’s a SS by trade and I don’t see Moran or Gurriel being able to do that.
    I think the biggest hole facing Luhnow for 2016 and 2017 is CF.
    Most likely to succeed of Reed, Moran, Tucker or Kemp is Reed because he is the best defender at his natural position. I think he is going to be a plus first baseman and will hit with power at 1B which is what you want him to do.

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    • Wow – a few things I gleaned from that 20 inning box score:
      – Kind of cool to see Vlad Guerrero Jr. in the box – even if it was for the Bluejays
      – What was Miguelangel Sierra hitting before the game if he was .293 after going 0 for 8.
      – Greenville pitcher Tyler Britton recorded 7 Ks among the 10 outs he notched.
      – He was outdone by teammate Devin Rafftery who punched out 8 of the 9 outs he recorded.

      Man – The Blue Jays with 34 K’s in 20 innings – 34 out of 60 outs … that is bad.

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  5. Great Post good to see the Chipster back. Well I think my post would be just a repetition of all the good stuff above. Have to see what Bregman abd Gurreil can do first, if they shine , Ty for Everything VB, Gomez, Castro, Colby Gattis??, but who catches. I hope you all are right about Reed, We need to figure out the OF for next year big time for me.

    We will have springer and ?????.

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  6. I’m assuming the occasional mention of trading Altuve or Correa is only to get a rise, so I’ll give you a rise since I’m not informed enough to comment on most things. Geez Louise, please do not even mention trading Altuve or Correa anymore. It honestly causes me pain and there’s already enough of that outside the game. Criminitlies.

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    • diane, i am 100% with you on that. you have two of the best players in all of baseball at their positions. altuve is one of the best hitters in all of baseball, correa is a clutch hitter in only his 2nd year. why tinker with that now.

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  7. Despite, missing Hill, Gray, and Manaea, the Astros are still slated to face two pitchers who looked pretty good against us in Houston before the break, Mengden and Graveman. The third starter for Oakland is TBD.

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  8. I just read a couple quotes on MLB trade rumors site on Gurriel from of course anonymous folks, not very flattering on the signing.

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    • Was that scout from a team that never had the money to sign him?
      Was that scout from a team that did have the money, but couldn’t sign him?
      Was that scout on the level when he made the statement?
      Was Gurriel happy in Japan when he supposedly didn’t play well and coming from Cuba? Maybe he was sick from eating raw fish that week. That month. That year.
      Everybody has an agenda. One team got Gurriel and 29 others didn’t.
      That kind of stuff reminds me of how Denver pooh-poohed their QB after offering him $16 million a year and he turned them down and came to Houston.
      It’s all about the agenda.

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  9. What should Hinch do with Altuve, Guriel, Correa and Bregman?
    Altuve- Its disappointing that he has Astro unfriendly Scott Boras as his agent. Altuve has been wonderful for us. He is under contract and being paid for services he agreed to provide. Should he be given a merit raise ? Absolutely. Should he be made a wealthy man that, if he never hits above .250 again, he is still guaranteed more money than the equivalent of some countries GNP ? I don’t think so. The concern is that the wonderful competitive spirit he embodies somehow gets diminished without some sort of incentive. The team cannot afford that.

    Should the Astros bring back Valbuena?
    Valbuena is currently the most valuable trading chit the Astros have. A well orchestrated trade would yield a nice return.

    If you were to trade one of them for a haul or TOR pitcher, who goes: Altuve, Guriel, Correa or Bregman?
    IMHO..Guriel is an unknown commodity. Since we have Bregman and Marwin, Guriel would probably never see astroturf for me….I would not give him the chance to flame out prior to a blockbuster trade. Package him with Valbuena and I believe you get the attention of every team in the league as a possible trading partner.

    What’s the biggest hole facing Luhnow for the rest of 2016 and/or 2017?
    The Stros are in need of a good lefty arm. More importantly, they are in dire need of at least one decent hitting OFer. A must address item.

    Most likely to succeed at the major league level: Reed, Moran, Preston Tucker or Tony Kemp?
    Given some Carlos Gonzales type of patience from Luhnow, I believe any of those guys can and probably will be major league regulars.

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  10. I’ve wondered openly why the Mets had not targeted VB before going and getting Loney. Maybe Luhnow has told most calls on him he isn’t available. They could have used the lefty bat that could play either corner.

    I think White should be in the conversation still. It’s been a rough first shot, but its a rough first shot for a lot of guys. He gets his confidence up against majors pitching like it is against minor league pitchers, the rest is there. He walks a lot, right now it’s just BABIP – and that’s coming with confidence.

    What should Luhnow do with them? Let Altuve and Correa be the new Tram/Whitaker. If Bregman and Gurriel play their way on to the team, it will be at new positions. They have to earn spots before anything else can be in the conversation.

    I’m not really liking Correa’s body language right now, he looks like a 10 year veteran in the box that is to complacent. Yesterday he was just swinging at terrible pitches and Montgomery ate him up with those curves. Did he even watch any tape on Montgomery before the game? If he is going to become a A-Rod type monster at SS he is going to have to work harder than that.

    The VB question is tough. I’m going to say no realizing that the other options are limited. I’ve never been a big Moran guy, but he might turn out OK. I think Bregman does indeed end up in LF. VB’s K rate is rising every year. He is still walking a lot, but the chances that he hits .260+ for any extended period is not worth the probably 10 mil it would cost to bring him back. Matter of fact, now is the time to strike, with him hitting higher than he has ever hit in his entire career, I would trade him now. Did you know this guy has posted a .300 BABIP (league average) just once in his career? And that was a 54 plate appearance cup of coffee in 2008.

    Not that I would trade Bregman right now, but Altuve and Correa are entrenched. Heart of the field, heart of the lineup, future of the franchise.

    There isn’t a lot of holes, just need some guys to find their consistency button. A lefty specialist would be great, but they can win without it, just gives AJ one more weapon. For 2017 they are going to have to address OF depth. Marisnick is no answer. Does Rasmus come back yet another year? Hopefully not at 20 mil.

    Reed has star written on him. Just watching his AB yesterday he is strong. Really strong. His weight might be an issue for him as he ages, but in my estimation he has the best chance of that group. Again I mention White, I don’t think we have seen the last of Tyler.

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    • Must have been tremendous folly to have gleaned the reports about the Astros scouting etc, but shared that info with nobody (as the story would have us believe). Can you say patsy?

      Yes, Sir, the buck stops with Correa (a rather unfortunate name) when he pleaded “…this is the worst thing I [emphasis ] have ever done.”

      My guess is it won’t exactly be a gladiator-type of prison, while four years seems pretty hefty given that every person calls this a “game,” under a league of shared revenues. A Nation of skewed values when others go scot-free.

      And what kind of deal has been made to keep Jeff Luhnow out of this, when the original reports said Correa’s interest was to find out if Luhnow had continued Cardinal access? He claimed JL did, but that has all been stricken from the story now as a “former employee” leaves room for speculation.

      The dark state in baseball..

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    • Dan, I just hope with my whole heart that in the course correction to follow, something damaging to the homeboys does not come out. The connection between the two teams is a double-edged razor.

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  13. Chip, great to hear from you! Hope it’s not just a guest appearance!

    I’ve already guessed at an August scenario that includes Bregman in left, Gurriel at third and Valbuena at first for the most part. And I’d be totally shocked if Correa or Altuve went anywhere anytime in the next few years. Where do you find guys like that within an approachable budget? Valbuena, I see him gone to open 2017 though, because if our Cuban guy is as advertised, he’ll likely play third. And Bregman is a heck of an athlete. He might help solve the 2017 outfield issue by remaining there for the time being. With some reps, I guarantee he’ll play that position as well as most guys

    As Steven has already noted, I still think White might be a heck of an everyday DH. He got an unreasonably short look in Houston. I think his BABIP was around .208. That was going to change! And I like Reeds stroke. If he ends up being successful at first and we solve the outfield, the Stros will hit in 2017.

    For now, I’d like to see a lefty in the pen that regularly gets lefties out. Problem is, we’ve got a batch of righties that seem to be finding their grooves. And we can’t leave Hoyt in Fresno forever.

    We’re going to need a catcher in 2017. And I won’t rule out Castro as one of our cheaper options. Hard as it is to accept, the combination of him and Gattis behind the plate is better than most teams offer.

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  14. Good to see you Chip,
    altuve and correa stay right where they are. bregman gets here before guriel and plays some 3B and some LF, when guriel gets here he plays 3B, 1B, DH, with bregman moving to mainly LF.
    it always depends on cost, but i think valbuena will be too expensive and we should have 3B & 1B covered pretty well by 2017.
    i wouldnt trade anybody but guriel (age), but i dont think luhnow signed him with the idea of trading him in mind. look for him and his little brother to be around for a few years.
    infield looks good and has depth, catching as daveb mentioned actually looks pretty good when compared to everybody else. rotation looks to be coming around to what we expected before the season, bull pen looks pretty good. DH has been disappointing but with the addition of bregman & guriel to the lineup, that should be shored up. so that leaves outfield as the biggest hole. springer in my opinion is one of those corner stone players, rasmus will be too expensive most likely, marisnick is a defensive replacement – pinch runner, bench player who could be kept for that role, gomez i would let go. if however bregman can handle LF that makes the hole alittle smaller.
    i think all those guys have a shot. ill pick reed as a 1B, DH.

    i do think we see a trade for a LF reliever if a good deal and a good fit is found. I think a major trade for a TOR is unlikely unless the club decides reed, moran, kemp and Ptuck are all expendable now.

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  17. This is my first post on this blog, though I used to post regularly when Chip was blogging at the useless rag’s website.

    My first post should shake things up some. Feel free to fire back, I’ll be ducking and staying low behind my firewall.

    I would like to see the Astros approach the Angels with the following offer for Mike Trout:

    LMJ

    Plus any one of the following:
    Reed
    Bregman

    Plus any one of the following:
    Rogers
    Martes
    Paulino

    Plus any one of the following:
    Moran
    Kemp
    Fisher
    T Hernandez

    Plus any three of the following:
    Peacock
    White
    P Tucker
    Cameron
    Abreu
    Arauz
    Bostick
    Davis

    This would be a steeply priced 7 for 1 deal, but would land the best player in baseball, who at 24 years old is signed at a very modest deal (6/$144) through the 2020 season (through his prime) at significantly less than the 10/$300 he would probably command as a FA. The deal would give the Astros the best defensive and offensive outfield in baseball, maintain one of the premier infields in baseball and would give them the most potent top- through- heart of the order in all of baseball for at least the next 3 – 4 seasons. It gives them a legitimate shot to win multiple WS over this time and would make them a “are agent magnet”. A portion of Trout’s salary would be covered by letting Gomez, Rasmus, Feldman and Valbueno walk at the end of the season. Remaining prospects could be called up to fill their spots. Most of the top talent on this list is, or would be blocked at 2B, SS, 3B, RF, CF through the 2020 season. Also, based on statistics, it is unlikely that more than 2 or 3 from this list would ever exceed league average for the Astros, if they make the majors at all. Losing LMJ and Bergman (or Reed) would hurt, but I really think that Trout is that much better than they will ever be. I also think that LMJ can be replaced internally with what we will have left after the trade. Based on the age of the Astros core players, I really do not believe that this move would significantly hurt them now, or in the future. With all of the sellout crowds that this move would generate we could afford to go after a FOR pitcher in the offseason.

    Lineup for 2016 Playoff stretch:
    1. Springer RF
    2. Trout CF
    3. Altuve 2B
    4. Correa SS
    5. Gurriel 3B
    6. Valbueno 1B
    7. Rasmus LF
    8. Gattis/ Reed or Bregman (whichever is left) DH
    9. Castro C

    Bench:
    Marisnick/ P Tucker/ Kemp/ Fisher/ Hernandez (whatever is left) – OF
    Gonzalez/ Worth (Utility)
    Worth

    Rotation:
    Fister
    Keuchel
    McHugh
    Feliz/ Devo
    Fiers

    Traded:
    Gomez

    Would you do this deal? Would the Angels do this deal?

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    • It would be a very steep price, but I would do the deal if I was the Astros and would only do the deal if I were an Angel GM, who was about to retire.
      Trout is the Correa / Altuve of the Angels and the fans would probably have two cows about this. It mostly comes down to the worth of the first two people, LMJ plus Bregman (don’t need Reed when they have Pujols and his contract forever) because beyond that is speculative worth or filler.

      I like the thought of this, but the Angels won’t do it – just no way unless Trout blows out two knees or something.

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      • Yes, I agree with everything you said. I would do it, but I know the Angels will never do this deal. Also, welcome to Chipalatta vewill1. Take it from me that you can be a lone wolf in your thoughts about the Astros or Astros management and may get some strong opposition, but no need to run and hide behind your firewall. We all have the same passion, which is our beloved Astros. We just differ, at times, on what is best for them.

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      • “Have a cow” — been a long time since I heard that expression. As far back as when I was a nu-nu. (No comment on current status.)

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  18. I have said before that I believe the Astros are deserving of compensation from St. Louis for the damage done by the hack of their property.
    I believe fair compensation for their losses would be that freebie late first round supplementary pick the Cardinals receive each year for being so poor and under- funded by their small market, plus the actual slot money that corresponds to that pick in cash. That way the Astros get full value of that prospect from St Louis as a direct payment for the employee’s crime against a specific competitor.

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  19. Altuve – lock
    Correa – lock
    Bregman – TBD…if he hits he plays
    Guriel – plays due to money owed
    Marwin – versatile and consistent…. probably brings us a milb reliever in Dec…not his fault.
    Reed – if he hits, he plays…but I could easily see JL trade him for a Congeresque haul.
    White – if he hits he plays…but might be at AAA
    Moran – JL is probably praying he hits enough to draw trade interest.

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  20. Well, this is interesting. Brendan McCurry is listed as the starting pitcher for Fresno at Round Rock. This game is about to start and, from what I can see, it would be the first start of McCurry’s pro career. I’m actually getting this from MILB’s pregame box score. Feel free to correct me if I’m wrong about this.

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  21. Alex Bregman led off Fresno’s game with a single and stole second as White struck out. After the bases got loaded, Moran hit a 0-2 pitch to right for a single, scoring Bregman. Singleton and Mayfield both struck out with the bases loaded and McCurry goes in to pitch. Fresno had a chance to really get some runs in the first.

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  22. The conversation about trading Gurial should be taken out of trade talks, simply because Luhnow REALLY wants the guys little brother. The older brother is gonna be the bait to get the younger one.
    Gomez- gone
    Rasmus- gone
    Valbuena – gone
    Marisnick -??
    Marwin- ?? I’d love to keep him
    Reed- stays at 1st base and DH
    Castro- probably stays unless Luhnow makes a trade

    *Not going anywhere*
    Altuve
    Correa
    Springer
    Bregman
    Reed
    Gurial
    Giles
    McCullers
    McHugh
    Keuchel
    Feliz
    Devenski
    Gregersen* I think Luhnow will try to keep him
    Sipp* owed too much money to go
    Probably more, but I’m having trouble thinking today!

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  25. Tonight’s performance by Fires and Feliz is unacceptable. Not only did he put his team behind the 8 ball……Feliz walked in *2* runs. If this doesn’t scream to Luhnow we need another starter……I don’t know what will. Personally, I have never thought Fires was that good, not good enough to stay in the rotation. Every once in a while he pitches ok, but more often than not he does not impress me. The other team to our north is winning, and it appears that we will fall further back, something we absolutely could not afford to do.

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  26. Yeah……that probably doesn’t garner brownie points with the manager. Well time will tell if he finds himself back in the good graces of the manager. Personally if Fires gets let go I won’t she’d a tear. My opinion only. Thank God we have Feldman in the bull pen!!!

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  27. I still don’t know what happened…and the Chron site just has political garbage in their twitter feed. Can anybody clue me in?

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    • Fiers didn’t like getting pulled. Had words with AJ in dugout that was captured on camera. Then Gomez went up and was in Fiers face saying something and Fister pulled Gomez off. Then Oakland feed showed Fiers with bleeding knuckles later indicating that he probably punch d a wall.

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  28. Angels 9 rangers 5 bottom of the 7th.
    Billy I don’t actually know whathappened, except Hinch and Fires had it out (shouting) in the dugout, and then Gomez went after Fires and had to be separated by Fister. Waaay to much drama.

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    • Wow…wonder how Gomez got involved. Probably the last person who needs to have beef with ANYONE. Wonder if this a carryover from their Milwaukee days.

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  30. Vogt and Graveman both had something to say to Marwin after he showboated on the way to first after homering with his team still three runs behind.

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    • But I went back and looked and I don’t think Marwin did anything wrong there. Maybe Vogt was saying something about Gomez’s big mouth.

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  31. If a guy like Fiers can’t keep his focus with two outs and nobody on base, and then loses his composure out on the mound when the skipper correctly pulls him, and then continues his childish rant in the dugout by going after the skipper, then decisions have to be made. He also did Feliz no favors by forcing him into a game that Feliz was also unprepared to step into. Bottom line is that Fiers actions set in motion a whole series of results that ended up with a very winnable game being lost.

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    • I was reading about this from Brian McTaggert – Fiers later on said the right things – he said he was wrong, Hinch was just doing his job, because Fiers was not doing his job. Gomez was trying to get Fiers to not fight with Hinch in the dugout – to save it for the clubhouse.
      This all does not help the team much – the starters have not been going too deep since the ASG. Don’t need to burn up the ‘pen again.

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    • Did anybody but me notice how disgusted Evan Gattis looked when Gomez and Fiers were going at it? He walked off and stood on the steps of the dugout with a look that seemed to say: “Guys, we are better than this!” Unfortunately Evan hasn’t hit much for us at all this year, but I think he hit the nail on the head with that one.

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  32. Ugly game. Ugly result. At least we had Angels in the outfield, helping us out. Get ’em tomorrow, guys. Pssst – just remember, the enemy wears dark green jerseys and yellow billed caps. It ain’t easy beatin’ green.

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  33. And if Feliz had come in and shown some composure of his own, by shutting the inning down, he might be in a position today to be getting a start of his own.

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    • Our Cavalry Unit of long relievers is suddenly showing some vulnerability. It happens with excess use due to SPs throwing way too many pitches to get outs. Feliz has had two less than stellar outings in a row. Hopefully the disaster that was his performance last night will inspire him to straighten out his mechanics and get razor sharp again. Unfortunately, Devenski hasn’t been particularly sharp lately either. Can Feldman and Sipp hold this long-relief thing together until the other guys get it back together? Or is it time to send Devenski down for a little while and bring up Hoyt?

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    • They are about to ruin that kid. Either stretch him out to start, or groom him for the set up man, or closer next year, and be done with the “Astros experiment.

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  34. Fiers through 74 pitches to get a whopping 11 outs. Feliz then came in early and wound up throwing 18 pitches to get 1 out. The day before, against Seattle, McHugh through 99 pitches to get 18 outs. The day before that McCullers through 97 pitches to get 16 outs. Our SPs need to be more effective -and our relievers need to make it a priority to come in and throw strikes.

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  35. Fires has failed to go more than 4 innings in his last 4 starts. We won those games, but it killed the bullpen. McCullers can’t get out of the 5th most starts, and McHugh can acutely get to the 7th….even tho he throws 100+ pitches. I assume Luhnow is on the phone to the Rays trying to pry one of thier guys away. So far I’m hearing Archer is UNTOUCHABLE……and the price for their other guys is very high. I’m for seeing how Hauschild would do in a spot start…….can’t hurt, who knows maybe he’s our Archer!

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  37. Peter Gammons just said on MLB Network (the beauty of working from home is getting to watch the MLB Network while taking a lunch break) that the Astros tried to work out a deal with the Rays for Chris Archer, but it is clear they are not trading him. They also talked about Matt Moore and Odorizzi. Gammons said to not be surprised if the Astros decide to just strengthen a strength and pursue Aroldis Chapman indicating the Astros have the prospects to do this. Depending on the prospects given up I really like this idea. We have some top level starting pitching prospects in Fresno and still have Feldman and Devenski as options as well, but adding Chapman to this already dominant bullpen would make the Astros very formidable going forward. Thoughts from the bloggers here?

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    • Interesting. The exact quest on which the FO got fleeced this past off-season – looking for a hard-throwing closer. I did not realize we were that close to giving up on Giles, Feliz, and Hoyt?

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      • No one said they were giving up on Giles. The thought process behind what Gammons was alluding is that if they are unable to add a decent SP then they might just look to make the bullpen even more dominant. The Royals were very successful with a shutdown bullpen and very average SP in 2015. Of course, the Royals didn’t have a team that had a K rate over 20% either.

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    • I’m struggling with throwing more prospects at a bullpen rental after tossing 5 for Giles (yes and Arauz, but let’s face it – that was for Giles). I know Chapman is a lefty, but it is not like he is going to be a LOOGY. I know he will be the closer – but is this the spot the team needs to throw 3 or 4 prospects at (likely 2 pitchers) to beef up?
      I would rather go after another starter, because the ones we have are at times shaky and not going enough innings.
      Just where I am coming from.

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      • Let me ask you this. Would you rather give up the same prospects for Odorizzi or Chapman? Granted, Odorizzi has longer control, but is he better than what we have now? The Astros aren’t getting Archer or Gray so is anyone else an upgrade from what they have?

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      • I would rather they quit shoveling prospects out the door like they grow on trees for rentals. Chapman may be a great rental, but the bullpen is not the Achilles Heel of this team. Starters who can’t go deep and low BA hitters who K too much are.

        I am just spitballin’ here, but I’m guessing that the Rays are not the only team who might trade a starter.

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      • M point is that, other than Gray or Archer, is there any SP that may be available that improves this team? I’m not as concerned about the strengths and weaknesses of this club as I am about making the team better. We have plenty of depth in prospects. I’m not trading Bregman or Reed for Chapman, but I think, other than Gray or Archer, Chapman is the one player available that instantly improves the roster.

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    • I would like to have Chapman in our bullpen in the playoffs and the stretch run. I wouldn’t mind trading Moran and a mid-level prospect for him as a rental. But I would do that because I would have Bregman in the lineup to give us more scoring, like Correa did last year. Chapman, at the cost of prospects, does us little good if we are behind. I would trade for Chapman if I knew Bregman and possibly Tucker were going to be in my lineup tomorrow, followed by Gurriel the next month.
      Give me runs and I can put another dynamite reliever to good use for the rest of the year. Who knows, Chapman might love it here. He’s been dying to get on a winning team for years. We’ll have money next year, if he wants to stay.

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  38. I still think they can pry a starter from the Rays…….and going after Chapman would be signaling that Luhnow screwed up AGAIN when he traded for Giles. No thank you.
    I agree with you Mr. Bill…….trade Gomez for what we can get for him, and bring up PTUCK, who by the way is on *FIRE* in Fresno. I didn’t think the Rays would trade Archer, but I believe we have the pieces for one of the other guys. PLUS….a lefty reliever. Please and thank you!

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    • I don’t think it’s an admission he screwed up with Giles. They aren’t getting rid of Giles, but just adding another hard thrower for the back end of the bullpen. Much depends on what we have to give up for Chapman, but, personally, despite him being a rental I think Chapman improves the Astros more than someone like Odorizzi. Are we just going to give up the same prospects for Odorizzi because he offers more team control? He doesn’t make the team better, but Chapman does.

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    • I know dave, and I’m looking for him to meet the team in Houston when they come home from this road trip. Getting rid of Gomez will only be a plus, and either DFA Worth, or trade places with he and Mr. Bregman!!

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      • Who will be our CFer and RFer if we trade or DFA Gomez? Marisnick isn’t an upgrade offensively and I seriously doubt they are going to move Springer to CF in the middle of the season. Rasmus is probably not much, if any, of an upgrade over Gomez.

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      • My gut feeling is that either Rasmus or Gomez will go at the trade deadline for dollar and performance reasons. The one left behind would be the CF – though they could well move Springer over if Rasmus stays and move Colby to RF. Would they date put Bregman in LF right away? I don’t know – if Carlos Lee and Greg Luzinski could play LF…….

        There is a good chance that no one will want to take either Rasmus or Gomez off their hands unless the Astros swallow some of that salary themselves.

        It is hard to judge this front office. I rarely anticipate their trades and they don’t let much leak out (since the Cards stopped hacking) on who they are chasing.

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  40. Hey – and Erik Kratz just got DFA’d.
    After putting up a .069 BA / .100 OBP / .203 OPS for the Astros he cranked it up a notch with the Pirates and put up .107 / .107 / .286.
    He’s out there folks just begging to be picked up.

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  41. The situation that Feliz came into last night was the same situation he got brought into in the second game of the year. A veteran starter totally blew up out of nowhere and got blasted and a 22 year old guy gets thrown into the game and can’t handle the job. I understand that he is there to get guys out and if he can’t do the job, maybe he needs to be in the minors. What I don’t understand is the fact that there are older guys in the bullpen who have relieved in that situation a hundred times and they could have come in and gotten that out.
    We have talked many times about how guys in their late 20’s and early 30’s seem to be the prime guys to become bullpen pitchers. The fact that the wrong guy got asked to go out there in a very charged up situation is probably the reason that game was lost. I have heard Hinch say over and over again that he wants to use his best relievers in game situations, and not label them as relievers for certain innings. the bottom of the fourth was obviously not handled correctly last night and I put that particular one on the manager. He probably should have let Neshek put out that fire. and then brought in Feliz to get a couple of innings when things had settled down.
    That’s just my opinion. Given the Fiers rant that followed, I had feelings of Deja Vu the moment he brought Feliz in.

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  42. I don’t understand why Feliz is not starting in Fresno at age 22. with all the time and money we have invested in him as a starting pitching prospect, and why Hoyt is not pitching in Houston’s bullpen at age 29, considering what he has done this year in Fresno. That is baffling to me.

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    • My only guess on Feliz is that he’s being counted on down the stretch to play a significant role on the roster, maybe even as a starter. His use presently could be an effort to keep his total innings down. Last night would have been a great opportunity to stretch him out a bit. It didn’t work out. But had it, he might have been taking Fiers next start.

      OP, I think you suggested at one point that Hoyt might be getting held back so that teams we’ll be seeing late in the year will not yet have had an opportunity to step in against Hoyt when we finally do bring him up.

      As Dan said a bit ago, I really don’t have a clue either, as to what the FO has got planned for this club, next week, next month or next year..

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    • I agree…….some moves are real head scratchers. I don’t know why they do try the tandem pitching with Feliz and McCullers for a couple of games. I’m a girl that’s how girls think sometimes!!!!!

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  43. Just got my internet back some great reads. So I pulled my old Ouija Board out of the moth balls.. It said Uncle Jeff is going to make a big trade before the deadline that will make 70 % of us Go WTH, and the other 30% go ,man he is a genius.
    How’s that prediction?

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  44. Apparently Alex Bregman was interviewed on 610 AM and when asked who he pictured taking his first major league AB against. He said against a pitcher wearing red and grey. (The Angels play the Astros when they return home and they will be wraring red and grey).
    Hen he signed off telling the radio guys “See you real soon”.

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    • i hope that is what happens dan. i would like to see him play 3B and LF and even spell correa once or twice before yuli gets here. with those two added to the lineup our current pitching is good enough to make the playoffs. an impact player would be great, a lefty reliever real nice, but with these two and all the arms we have already waiting, i think we are good enough to reach the playoffs.

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  45. Bregman will probably be DHin his first game or two, just to let him get his feet wet.
    Kevin….you’re probably right….just holding my breath that he won’t screw that trade up like the other 4 he’s made. JEEZE!!!
    Oh…..we’re gonna see Mr. Bregman in an Astros uniform on Friday night.

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  46. Musgrove has only thrown 60 pitches through 5 innings. 0 R 4 H 0 BBs, 7 SOs, 6 GOs to 1 FO. And by the way, that is against Frisco. There you go, Joe.

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