Questions to chew on with the first place Astros

There is a lot less than usual to complain about with the Astros right now, so here are just some random questions to chew on and/or ponder.

1) Did Justin Verlander have a shot at a 25 win season except for his team’s non-support?

Growing up, the Great White Whale for pitcher’s wins in a season was 30 wins, which Denny McLain caught with his 31 win season in 1968 for the Tigers. These days with 5 man rotations and pitchers maxing out at 35 starts in a season, 25 wins seems to be a very difficult goal and 30 wins as archaic as ball parks without lights. There has not been a pitcher with 25 or more wins since Bob Welch reeled in 27 wins for the A’s back in 1990. And I thought he was too busy cranking out pop hits after leaving Fleetwood Mac. Before that it was Steve Stone (yes that Steve Stone WGN fans) with 25 wins in 1980. Since 1990, the most wins in a season has been 24 by John Smoltz (1996), Randy Johnson (2002) and….. Justin Verlander (2011).

JV has 9 wins with one more start left in the first half of the season, but it is not difficult to squint at the 2 losses and the 5 no decisions he has suffered and see a few more wins with just a little support. His 2 losses were both 6 innings with one earned run allowed. His no decisions include an eight inning – no runs allowed start, eight innings – one run allowed, 6.2 innings – one run allowed, and 6 innings – 2 runs allowed. And before you start talking about how his offense saved his bad pitching bacon in some of his wins, his “worst” start in a win was 6 innings – 3 runs.

It is not far fetched to say he could easily be 12-0 or 13-0 at this point in the season. Of course, all of this points to how pointless it is to value wins in looking at pitchers. How many wins do you think JV will finish with this season? Did his teammates cost him a huge win total in 2018?

2) Would you give up Kyle Tucker to bring in J.T. Realmuto?

In a recent mlbtraderumors live Q&A – one of the posters asked the host if he would deal Tucker for Realmuto (the Marlins fine catcher) straight up. The host liked the trade. How about you?

Realmuto is a 27-year-old catcher who is just entering his prime and is one of the best out there. He is throwing out 42% of runners and currently is hitting .297/. 355/.879 with 9 HRs and 27 RBIs. He would cost about $2 million for the rest of this season, but would only have two arbitration years to go, which would undoubtedly be tied to fairly large raises and free agency heading into 2021.

Tucker is a 21 y.o. who is tearing up AAA (.303/.375/.881 with 10 HR and 56 RBIs with 12 SBs) and is considered a top 10 prospect in all of baseball. He obviously plays at an easier position in the OF vs. a catcher. Depending on when he gets called up – Tucker would be under team control including arbitration for between 6 or 7 years.

While Realmuto is at the more “skilled” position, the years of control have to weigh heavily in Tucker’s favor especially with Max Stassi‘s solid season. Any chance you would go for this? Or any chance the team would?

3) If the Astros do not hit the 3 million mark in attendance is that a disappointment?

Coming off their first World Series win in history, the idea of an immediate jump to the 3 million mark was considered a reasonable goal – something the team last reached in 2006 and 2007 after their previous WS appearance in 2005.

But note the following:

  • The Astros were already at 2.8 million attendance when they increased 9% to 3 million back in ’06.
  • The Astros drew 2.4 million last season and are on a pace for a little under 2.9 million currently. That is a 20% increase in attendance.
  • They are swimming upstream – baseball attendance on a whole has been on a decline and is down approximately 6% this season
  • They are currently 3rd in AL attendance after finishing 6th in 2017. The Astros are drawing about 35,600 per game as opposed to the Angels (36,900 per game) and the Yankees (42,150).
  • Note that the Astros are drawing to approx. 86% of stadium capacity, while the Angels are at 82% and the Yanks at 77%.

It would be nice if the Astros bumped that attendance up over the course of a contending summer, but they might not quite get to 3 million this season. Is that a disappointment?

4) Who has meant more to the recent Astros surge: Tony Kemp or Evan Gattis?

One of the keys to the Astros huge offense in 2017 was the ability to flip the lineup. With a tail end of the lineup manned by Jake Marisnick and Derek Fisher in early 2018, the only thing that was flipped was a wall that flipped up and put an end to all rallies.

Since Kemp came up on May 15th and added his .313 BA / .383 OBP / .805 OPS to the back end of the lineup the Astros offense has gone from 4.9 runs per game to 5.59 runs per game. But much more importantly they have done a much better job of consistently scoring. Before Tony came up in the first 44 games of the season, the Astros were shut out 4 times and were held to one run a shocking 9 times! In the 32 games since his call-up, they have not been shut out and have been held to one run only two times. The Astros are 21-8 in games Kemp plays in and 21-6 in games he starts.

Since around the same time that Kemp came up, Gattis has been on fire. In the 29 games, he has played in since May 15th he has 11 HRs and 35 RBIs. In that time, the Astros are 12-2 in games Gattis plays in and has an RBI and 8-7 in games he plays in and has no RBI. Gattis’ RBIs have been critical in those 12 wins – often the difference in the game or the RBIs that kick-started the offense.

The Astros were really struggling in the first month and a half with only the catcher spot hitting towards the end of the lineup. Gattis and Kemp have really solidified the back end and with Marwin Gonzalez getting hot in June, the team looks a lot more like 2017 lately.

Who has been more important to the Astros resurgence the last 5 weeks…Gattis or Kemp?

Are there any questions you want to add to the pool here today?

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111 responses to “Questions to chew on with the first place Astros”

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  1. Not so short and sweet:
    1. JV gets 19 wins this season. He may have a coupe of so-so outings between AS break and September. At this point the question about team costing him wins is moot.
    2.Not no, but hell no!. KT is being groomed to take any of the three spots out there. Reddick will be gone after 2020 and maybe even Springer. That would be some big shoes to fill. KT should be able to do that. Maybe another package for Realmuto.
    3. They should hit the 3MM mark based on current trends. Filling the stands for teams with losing records on M-W nights speaks volumes.
    4. Got to go with Gattis but Kemp finishes a close second. Now if Gattis can get some consistency and Kemp stop making dumb base running mistakes they could be interchangeable.
    Bonus question: In the playoffs, who gets that #3 slot and do we go with a 4th? What is the order? (I’m assuming we’ll get to the playoffs.)

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    • Good question Z – obviously, Verlander and Cole are the top of the revised rotation. I think you have to put Morton in the third spot, though he showed he could be the option out of the bullpen during last season’s playoffs. But he has been better than Keuchel or LMJ.
      I think you need to have a 4th spot – but I think you wait until near the playoffs to decide who that is. If LMJ gets more consistent and more importantly avoids more silly implosion he might be the better choice. However….LMJ also showed he could work as a reliever, which Keuchel has not shown he could do.
      I guess we shall see…

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  2. Keep Tucker. I would give the nod to Kemp over Gattis because Kemp seems to be steady and not hot or cold like Gattis.

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  3. 1) JV had a shot. You always have a shot!
    2) Don’t give up Kyle.
    3) Any disappointment with the ‘Stros will not depend on attendance.
    4) Kemp hugs Gattis, and as I said yesterday, I hug Kemp. He brings ♥ to the field and ♥ to the dugout. I love dugout heart.

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  4. I don’t believe Verlander had a chance to win 25 games this season because the Astros are not that kind of team. They are the defending world champions and they want to do it again and wouldn’t ride him into the ground. He will get some rest, sometime, somehow and they want the guy who was dynamite last postseason to be ready for the playoffs.
    I think they will try to limit JV’s innings at the end of games by getting him out of there early. This allows his body the chance to not be overworked without disrupting his normal routine. Verlander is the favorite to win the Cy Young right now. He doesn’t need to win 25 to get that award. 20 wins is the magic number that matches up with a great ERA.
    As to who gets the #3 slot, I think it goes to the pitcher who is the hottest at the end of the season. Against the Yankees, I think it has to be a righty.

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  5. I would not trade Tucker for Realmuto and here is why:
    1. I’m never trading my #1 prospect for any catcher who hasn’t proven he makes his team a winner, especially one who only has two years of arbitration left.
    2. I want my pitchers to go into the playoffs this year with catchers they know and trust. We already have that.
    3. I want Stassi and Stubbs to be my catchers next year. I love what I saw of Stubbs in spring training and what he has done in Fresno this year. I think he and Stassi give the Astros what they need at catcher in the future.
    4. I want Kyle Tucker in my outfield and in my lineup for years to come. He fits what this team is trying to do and his lefthanded bat will complement the righties we have, just as Stubb’s LH bat does.
    5. Miami will want more than one player for Realmuto. Do I want to give up Tucker and more? Nope.

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  6. 1. JV 18 wins. 2. Kyle, NO. Jake and Fisher, YES. 3. I think the Astros are squeezing all the money they can out of MM Park. To me personally, the ticket prices are ridiculous. So do you want 100% at $50 a ticket or 86% at $100 a ticket. 4. Recent surge – Gattis. If and when he goes cold – The guy in the catheter commercial is more important. 5. Z’s question. Just like Ted Kennedy told Mary Jo, we will cross that bridge when we get to it.

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    • Sorry 45, you don’t get to fleece Realmuto for Jake and Stinky. While McCann is of diminishing skills, our guys on the mound want him behind the plate. And I think Stubbs will be a real solution next year too. And I like Tucker more every day, even if we don’t see him this year.

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  7. And the question I want to add to the pool, besides chlorine, is: Don’t you think A. Bregman looks like a young Bruce Springsteen?

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      • Ray, I think he might be a real contender to take over for Gattis at DH next year. Evan will be pretty expensive in 2019. Nephew won’t. And having a DH that can play three positions at least marginally, that can’t hurt.

        But I do want to see him find an off season program that will make him look a bit more the part.

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      • dave i was referring to bregman when i said he looks like an astro for the next ten years. white in my opinion is still an unknown.

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  10. NO on Tucker! Verlander will still be in the conversation when voting for the AL Cy Young. Kemp will still be here long after Gattis is gone. We have to have a talk about our GOLDEN ARMS in Corpus and Fresno! There are so many talented arms on our farm. Trust me other teams are paying attention to them!
    Duffy and Keuchel neither one are setting the world on fire tonight.
    I will say it again…SITUATIONAL HITTING ((((jeeze))) just shaking my head.

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  19. Kemp has been a big positive both with his performance and that it has kept Fisher in AAA where he needs to stay until traded in a package with another couple of our AAAA guys for Zach Britton. I still hope Luhnow makes Tucker and Whitley off limits unless the Angels want to trade us Trout straight up for either or both.

    I’m really hoping Gattis is for real and stays productive. I’ve been hoping White would get hot and put the pressure on the front office to keep him and send Jake to Fresno when Joe Smith comes off the DL. I do like Jake’s defense but his hitting stays cringe worthy. Reddick going lefty against lefty seems a better choice than sending Jake out there. After all, Reddick’s OPS against lefties is merely 297 points better than Jake’s (779 vs 482). At times it seems like Hinch thinks massaging egos is more important than performance and team success.

    The offense ought to be embarrassed by how it has treated Verlander. Reminds me of Nolan Ryan who was 8-16 in 1987 despite a 2.76 ERA.

    I was at the game last night and it was the most pathetic offensive performance that I can recall. Kansas City tried to give us the game several times and we just would not take it. Actually we were pretty lucky to even be in it as Keuchel was maddening again despite giving up no runs. He was lamenting his poor luck in a recent article but he was crazy lucky not to get roughed up on a number of occasions last night. I wonder if those who have found his performances against one of the worst teams in baseball encouraging are watching the same games I’ve seen. He has yet to show me he has the stuff to compete in the strike zone and against a competent offensive team I fully expect him to implode again. At least our other four starters are competing and maybe we’ll get lucky and find a desperate NL team who would take him off our hands at the trade deadline. I would hate to be in Luhnow’s shoes at the end of the season trying to decide to give Keuchel a QO.

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      • My only hope is that Baltimore’s already brain dead front office would go along. Of course I’m glad they stiffed us on Britton last year since that led to Verlander. All’s well that ends well.

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  20. I love the spark Kemp has brought, at a time it was really needed. I’m in the minority though. I think he’s a train wreck waiting to happen in the outfield though, with a second base arm.

    The way things are going with Tucker, he’s going to at least get a look in September. Don’t know if that will translate into a roster spot for the post season though. I’d take Marwin, George and Reddick out there again. I do think Jake will be around for the duration though.

    Bill, I’d be surprised if we lost either guy. More and more, it looks like Giles won’t be allowed to sniff high leverage situations late. Isn’t a loss worse than a blown save? Whitley might be one of our our secret weapons this year.

    I thought we all had agreed Keuchel is our 5th starter. If he gives us what he did, even against a last place team, we should be delighted.

    First and second in the second, first pitch, double play ball.
    Loaded in the sixth, first pitch, double play ball.
    We have a lot of guys on the bases. We hit the ball crisply. That’s going to result in double play events. I just wish we’d work the count in those situations.

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    • Dave: Agree on Kemp’s potential to be a problem defensively in the outfield. Some of his routes are horrible and only his athleticism has allowed him to overcome. Left field in Minute Maid is OK but when he is in center he makes me nervous.

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  21. My paper delivery is “intermittent” currently, which means on weekends I get nothing. Since I couldn’t make it all the way last night, I’m piecing things together with your comments. Any further observations welcome. As to Keuchel, I have thought something wrong since at least the Series (and before) when he indicated to a reporter he really wasn’t looking forward to the next game. His body language seemed to confirm it. Playing amateur psych usually doesn’t pay off though.

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  22. Hinch has put Giles into a 1 run save situation just once this year. Our manager is carefully selecting his appreances with the hope he’ll build on his success but at the same time, not giving him a chance to do too much damage in the toughest of situations. I guess last night qualifies as one of those.

    Our bats were off at home again last night, but our pen should have been able to match a last place squad that has just lost it’s closer. Sooner or later, one of our guys would have gone out.

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  24. Thoughts on personal observance of last night’s loss:

    1. It was the day after an off day – we never seem to be able to hit worth a flip the day after an off day;
    2. Don’t let the no runs allowed box score fool you, Dallas Keuchel was not sharp at all. He was all over the place -and even a team like KC was able to place the ball against him; a better team would have scored 8 to 10 runs;
    3. The team had zero energy or enthusiasm; of course, there wasn’t much for them to be enthused about;
    4. Devenski looked great; had the Royals on their heels the whole time;
    5. Rondon looked good – just let his command get away from him with two outs;
    6. Giles looked hopeless – got completely bombed;
    7. Bregman was impressive on defense;
    8. Altuve looked tired.
    9. Gattis lost his ‘edge’ and looked totally uncomfortable and fooled each at bat;
    10. Hinch is a great manager, but the decision to pinch hit Kemp for Stassi and Tyler White for Marisnick came back to bite him in the 9th when the Royals brought in the lefty sidearmer and all we had to put up in our last at bat was Marwin [really a lefthanded batter], Kemp [a lefty], and McCann [a lefty]. They had us – check and mate.

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    • – The Astros are 4W-5L after a day off. In those 9 games they have been shut out twice and held to one run three times (their 5 losses). And four of those 5 losses were against lesser teams (KC, Padres, Rangers and A’s) with one loss to the M’s.
      – The Astros had a lot of chances due to 7 walks and one error by the Royals, but they grounded into more DPs (3) than they had hits (2).
      When they sent Kemp in to bat with two guys and no out, I thought they were going to have him bunt them over like he did the other night in a big spot.
      – Zach Britton is coming out of the gate after his injury pretty rusty (7.71 ERA). His post season work in his career is so-so (which would put him at the top of our bullpen). Is he more of a name than a help at this point or could he be this years Verlander based on what he could bring to a relevant party?

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    • Bill: Glad you saw the same thing with regard to Keuchel that I did. While he may be a serviceable fifth starter I can’t imagine that later in the year one of our minor leaguers won’t be able to answer that bell and let us get Keuchel on his way to his next destination. I think he is a real long term liability both pitching this year and what might happen if given a QO. If he keeps pitching as poorly as he is now he won’t be worth the QO and since Luhnow got burned by Rasmus I expect he would be loath to offer one but if he doesn’t then Dallas walks away and we get nothing for him. If we trade him at the deadline we will at least get some prospects with a track record instead of a comp draft pick if he declines a QO and signs somewhere else.

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      • I think it’s safe to say he might not make the rotation next year, even if here, and in fact, if Luhnow can build a stronger pitching staff for the post season this year without Keuchel on it, it will happen. The business is all about winning the World Series again.

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  25. Kyle Tucker had three hits last night for Fresno. It was the seventh time in his last 11 games that he has had three hits. He has an 11-game hitting streak in which he has totaled 36 bases. If he’s not worn out from hitting, he is at least tired from running the bases, because he has also drawn four walks in those 11 games.
    His batting average has gone from .277 to .312.
    Corpus Christi was the only one of our seven farm teams to win last night. It was a miserable night in Astroworld.

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  27. Former Astro Domingo Santana (part of the Gomez-Fiers trade with the Brewers) just was optioned to AAA.
    Last year he seemed to find himself with fine numbers – .278 BA / .875 OPS – 30 HR – 85 RBIs – 15 SB.
    This year he has lost himself with .249 BA/ .667 OPS and only 3 HR and 17 RBIs and 1 SB a week short of the half way point in the season.

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    • I wonder if limited playing time hindered him a lot this year. The logjam in the Brewers OF squeezed him. I was really surprised they didn’t trade some of their OF inventory for pitching and think that may still come back to haunt them.

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      • Agreed Dr Bill – it seemed pretty obvious before the season they were overloaded in the OF and short on pitching and did nothing

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    • And I wrongly thought he was on his way to big things. Maybe all the competition in the outfield was too much for him.

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  28. Dan’s response to Dan’s questions

    – I don’t think that the lack of wins is going to hurt Verlander’s search for a Cy Young, but it hacks me off when the starter can hold the other team to 0 or 1 runs and cannot get what should be an easy win. JV could be close to 15 wins in the first half and he just is not even close due to no fault of his own.
    – KTuck is going nowhere but an outfield near you. I really think he should be brought up after the All Star break if he is continuing to rake like he is now. Why wait? Let him feel comfortable when we get to the playoffs.
    – In today’s baseball where they are losing fans to other methods of following the games, an increase to 2.9 million is a reason to celebrate.
    – I am going to wimp out and say that the key to the better offense (ignore last night) is the improvement brought by the Kemp call up and the improvements by Gattis and MarGo which helps the team to have a more consistent and deeper offense

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    • Dan, all three guys. But I still expect improvement from Correa, Yuli and Reddick too. And maybe a bit more from Bregman. I do not think the offense is going to be a problem.

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  29. 1. JV will be around 20 wins. As you point out, 25 is quite rare these days. Did the offense cost him some wins? I bet he will tell you it’s a team game. One of the all time great mysteries to me: in 1968 when Bob Gibson had a 1.12 ERA he went 22-9. How do you lose 9 games with a 1.12? If he hadn’t had 13 shutouts he might have been he might have been .500.
    2. No way.
    3. Not hitting 3 million would be disappointing imo. They’ve done it a number of times over the years, and their the freakin’ world champs!
    4. Tough question. 1a and 1b i guess. The key point is the way the bottom of the order has been shored up. What they did at 7-8-9 last year was phenomenal and I sure like seeing some more of that mojo.
    5. 4 starters in the playoffs would be my guess. LMJ.

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  30. As for last nights stinker, aside of the fact we’re king of the gidp’s, I have to criticize Hinch on his choice to ph in the eighth with those he did. To me it made absolutely no sense. He’s done a good job for the most part this season but he was out to lunch with those choices.

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  31. 1. i think 20 is a good benchmark. i’ll call it 22 wins.
    2. no. im content with our catching up to this point. tucker could be a special talent in an area where our depth is questionable going forward. he stays. im not sure when the super 2 deadline is, but once its passed im with dan, why not give him a good look see in the majors.
    3. i think the 3 million mark is more symbolic than important. as long as the team is providing a large enough revenue stream to crane that allows him the confidence to make deals like the verlander trade we’re fine. plus i remember the days when we had a hard time hitting 1 million in attendance.
    4. both have helped for sure. kemp brought a spark,some energy to the team, gattis brought a bunch of rbi’s. ill take the rbi’s.
    5. arent we glad we didnt ship off gattis, rondon and perhaps others that some had suggested early in the season?

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  32. Somewhere up there, Dave made a comment about AAAA guys being hard to trade. Every GM in MLB knows teams eventually have to cut them. So they can be picked up for -0-. Now if your starter in the infield or outfield breaks a leg, you might look at them as a short term replacement. Nolan Fontana, Matt Duffy, Kevin Chapman, Jiovanni Mier, and many others come to mind.

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    • Jio was the nail in the coffin for me on Ed Wade. Criticizing Mier is a bit unfair – he did exactly what I would have done in his situation, but never had the bat to play at a high level. In the 80’s he probably could have been a solid bench guy or even started for a few teams, but we’ve moved beyond that era of baseball. What kills me was using the first round pick (#21) on him when every year you could drop college SS with similar floors in rounds 20-30 and sign them for a song. Also, notable picks later:
      25. Mike Trout.
      37. James Paxton
      42. Garrett Richards

      …but in fairness to Ed Wade, lots of teams whiffed in that draft.

      I’m going to disagree on the comment that AAAA guys are hard to trade. If they have options remaining, they are pretty easy to trade. They provide depth and don’t bring back a haul return. Basically, every GM knows that if they need a AAAA guy they can probably flip an A ball pitcher throwing 87mph and unlikely to progress for him.

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  37. DANG….that game gave me a migraine!! Cole had better pitch a shut out tomorrow because our bullpen got used up tonight…..and so did theirs!

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  38. Another struggle tonight – in a hole due to the 3 run home run LMJ gave up. But Lance and the bullpen kept it right there. Offense chipped away – had some bad luck on some shots caught, but caught them in the 9th and Correa who has been cold won it in the 12th

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  39. We’re just a game behind the Yankees for best record. Yankees are 29 and 11 at home. We’re 29 and 11 on the road. If we shake these home duldrums, home field should not be a problem, but do we need it?

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    • yes we need it. the playoffs are a whole different animal, with better teams to face who like playing at home. we will want to be home as well.

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  40. Lost in the anxiety of this game is the wonder of how fantastic a game it really was.
    -McCullers was always one pitch away from a shutout.
    -McCann’s fly ball caught against the LF Scoreboard.
    – Gattis’s drive caught in front of the CF wall
    – Gordon’s dive almost doesn’t work, but allows Jake to come home
    – Gurriel’s HR clears the fence by a foot
    – The overturnd call at 1B.
    – The overturned call at 2B.
    – The popup that the 1B can’t find because he’s not a first baseman, he’s an outfielder playing 1B
    .- Correa coming to the plate in the 12h, looking only to going to RF.
    This was intriguing baseball.

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    • Best comment of the week – Correa taking that ball into the RF gap instead of overswinging in an effort to go big fly is important. When he does that he’s capable of putting up Altuvian numbers.

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  41. It was indeed an excellent baseball game. And we played another major league baseball team, a last place team, that wanted a win every bit as much as our guys did.

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  42. I don’t want to read too much into it, but it seems the emotions on the tearm have been flat for past week or so. Even last night, it was more a day at the office, than a game of fun. I know it is a long season and that is why emotions need to stay in check, but I for one would like to see a little more excitement in the dugout.

    (Glad I read my post again, Billy’s borrowed phone phone changed excitement into excrement.)

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  44. I love baseball stats. Sometimes they tell you something. Sometimes they tell you nothing.

    So, Alex Gordon has played in 60 games before today and has 15 RBIs. Jake has played in 57 and has 15 also. Oh, and Jake makes $1.9 Million with Gordon making $20 Million.

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  47. Alright gang, it’s been a while so it’s time for me to go out on a limb here (smile) 1. JV should bust at least 20 wins and win the CY along the way. 2. KT goes nowhere 3. Won’t be disappointed but hearing a lot of talk about down attendance everywhere 4. I give a slight edge to Kemp with getting on base more consistently though his fielding has holes. Who can argue a .300+ BA, giving George room to bring him home? Gattis hasn’t looked so good lately.
    Now the fun part. Last season JV was my choice at the deadline, looked how that turned out. I know, I was not the only one who shared this opinion. Now I’m calling for DK to be traded at the deadline. He has earned his #5 spot in the rotation and I absolutely would not sign him for $50-100 mil or make an QO. With that said (drum roll) trade DK up the road for another lefty (if $$$/stats don’t match up with what we need, then for prospects. But go DK must. It ain’t personal, just business. You guys are great at skimming numbers so show me the fallacy here if that is so. If C Hamels beast out for us the 2nd half & in the playoffs for a WS shot/title, would it be worth it?
    Would love to see KT up after the AS break, get & stay hot and kick Jake back to the farm. Would love to nab Britton but for AAAA’s and peanuts, he isn’t looking so good right now. LMJ is the wild card in the #4 spot for me. Really wish there was a reliable reliever we could trade for because Giles days are/should be numbered here. Sure he get’s lots of saves but where is he in HL situations? If he can’t be depended on for HLS in the playoffs this yr its time to move on.

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    • You are always welcome here Old School.
      If they trade Keuchel I think it would only be at the deadline when they have a much better feel on health. This looks like a good future topic here.
      I think they will make a move for a reliever unless they do something daring like adding Whitley to the bullpen

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      • Maybe package DK and Giles. I’d rather see what our “prospects” can do before I make the trades.

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  48. Good to hear from you Old School. So the Astros are getting ready to be up by 4.5 games, and if the Yankees lose in extras, we’ll be tied for the best record in the AL. Pretty good week. Giles getting mop up work in an 8 run game, is that telling?

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  49. For one thing, I see absolutely no reason to trade Keuchel anywhere he might come back and haunt us. Right now, teams like Seattle and the Yankees can only wish they had the depth that guys like McHugh and Keuchel give us. We’ve still got half a season to go. Trading starters away makes no sense to me at this place in time.

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  50. Bregman started this game with a mustache……at some point during this game he dry shaved it off in the dugout! Baseball players are different cats!!!
    Yuli and his bat came to play today, and so did Gattis! I’m glad they don’t have a day off tomorrow, they need to keep on rolling! Becky⚾

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    • Becky, I was out running errands and listening on the radio and Steve Sparks says that was not much of a mustache – maybe he had a cat lick it off….

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