Future Astros part 2: Three-year look ahead at 2020

The other day Chipalatta took a look at what the roster transition from 2018 to 2019 might look like.

Future Astros part 1: Three-year look ahead at 2019

Today we go farther out on the limb, looking at what might happen between 2019 and 2020.

Free Agents

The following players could become free agents after the 2019 season:

Arbitration

The following players will face arbitration if they cannot come to some other agreement with the team after the 2019 season:

Here is a shot at how the roster might look in 2020 and then a discussion…..

POSITION 2019 2019 Salary 2020 2020 Salary
1B YULI GURRIEL $10.4MM YORDAN ALVAREZ $600 K
2B ALTUVE $9.5 MM ALTUVE $29 MM
SS CORREA (ARB) $8 MM CORREA(ARB) $13 MM
3B BREGMAN $1 MM BREGMAN (ARB) $6 MM
C MAX STASSI $800 K STASSI (ARB) $2.5 MM
DH EVAN GATTIS $9 MM GURRIEL $8.4 MM
OF KYLE TUCKER $560 K TUCKER $600 K
OF GEORGE SPRINGER $12 MM SPRINGER (ARB) $16 MM
OF JOSH REDDICK $13 MM REDDICK   MYLES STRAW $13 MM   $600 K
SWISS ARMY KNIFE MARWIN GONZALEZ $8 MM GONZALEZ $8 MM
BENCH TONY KEMP $560 K TONY KEMP $600 K
BACKUP CATCHER GARRETT STUBBS $560 K STUBBS $600 K
SP VERLANDER $20 MM PEACOCK (ARB) $7 MM
SP GERRIT COLE (ARB) $12 MM COLE (FA) $20 MM
SP LANCE MCCULLERS (ARB) $6 MM MCCULLERS (ARB) $9 MM
SP CHARLIE MORTON (FA) $16 MM MORTON (FA) $16 MM
SP COLLIN MCHUGH (ARB)  

$8 MM

 FORREST WHITLEY  

$600 K
RP HECTOR RONDON $4.5 MM HECTOR RONDON (FA) $8 MM
RP CHRIS DEVENSKI (ARB)  

$3.5 MM

 DEVENSKI (ARB)  

$5 MM
RP KEN GILES (ARB) $6.5 MM GILES (ARB) DEAN DEETZ $600 K
RP JOE SMITH $8 MM  

JOSH JAMES

 

 $600 K
RP WILL HARRIS $5.5 MM FA PICKUP  

$8 MM
RP BRAD PEACOCK (ARB)  

$4 MM

 ROGELIO ARMENTEROS  

$600 K
RP CIONEL PEREZ  

$560 K

 CIONEL PEREZ  

$600 K
RP 2018 TRADE DEADLINE PICKUP  

$6 MM

 2018 TRADE DEADLINE PICKUP  

$6 MM
MISC. ???  

$2 MM

 PART OF REDDICK, ETC  

$6 MM
TOTAL 2019 Total $176 MM 2020 Total $173.3 MM

Discussion

The guess at the 2019 opening day roster was an educated shot. The 2020 roster is more a wing and a prayer. But the bottom line is that there could be a lot of movement involved just if the folks who are turning into free agents go elsewhere.

Gone

  • Justin Verlander. I love the guy. You love the guy. We all love the guy. But he will be 37 years old heading into 2020 and something tells me he is not going to take a discount to stick around and they need to use his salary elsewhere. This could be a terrible mistake if he is the next Nolan Ryan and is just getting going at 37. But looking ahead the bet is they will bet that he isn’t.
  • Collin McHugh. He will be 33 during the 2020 season. But he looks like one of those guys who will sign a four- or five-year contract at that time that will be an anchor after a couple years into it.
  • Will Harris. Will is not a sure thing to be back in 2019 and so 2020 looks even less likely. He will turn 36 during the 2020 season and likely will turn it elsewhere.
  • Evan Gattis. OK in the 2019 post we had the Astros signing Gattis to a 3 year / $27 MM contract. But if 1B Yordan Alvarez is ready for the biggies in 2020, then this comes down to whether you want the more powerful, but more sporadic Gattis manning the DH spot or the clutch line drive machine named Yuli Gurriel manning this spot. The guess is that they will try to trade Evan for prospects.
  • Josh Reddick. This is a total guess, but it could well be that the Astros might look to see if they could get someone to swallow part of Josh’s last year at $13 million and put a youngster like Myles Straw in that spot. Maybe go halfsies on the salary and roll forward with a little more flexibility.
  • Ken Giles. Another shot in the dark here, but if Giles is not good enough to hang onto a late-inning spot, might they just let him go rather than be at the $8 MM level after a second arbitration round?
  • Joe Smith. There is a good chance that he will never earn close to the $15 MM he is getting for 2018 and 2019, so he is not a likely candidate for a return engagement.

Looking to Keep

  • Gerrit Cole. He will be 29 years old heading into 2020 and if he continues to be a fine pitcher for the Astros they may want to wave a 5 year / $100 million contract at him. Of course, it might cost them much more than that and then they may have to choose a different path. They may try to extend him between now and that day…
  • Hector Rondon. The guy has shown filthy stuff, especially lately in a closer’s role. He will be 32 y.o. when the 2020 season comes around. Would he take 2 years / $16 million?

Assumptions

  • The biggest changes between now and 2020 will be in the bullpen. Collin McHugh will likely move to the rotation in 2019 and elsewhere in 2020. Brad Peacock will likely move to the rotation in 2020. Joe Smith will likely move on and it says here they may part ways with Ken Giles. Two of those spots may be veterans brought in to help, but there is no doubt the Astros are going to have to fill in with a Dean Deetz, Josh James, Francis Martes, and/or Rogelio Armenteros.
  • If they can re-sign Cole or McHugh then they only need to add a 5th starter (Forrest Whitley?) to the rotation, along with moving Peacock there. If they can’t sign Cole or McHugh they may be out digging for the next Charlie Morton.
  • The bottom line here is that with Verlander, McHugh, Gattis, Giles and part of Reddick coming off the payroll under this scenario they would have a slightly lower payroll even with all the arbitration folks getting raises and Jose Altuve‘s big contract kicking in. Of course, this does not take into account if the team tries to do some early signing on a Correa, Bregman or McCullers.

So, folks, what do you think this team will look like heading into 2020?

←
→

131 responses to “Future Astros part 2: Three-year look ahead at 2020”

Newer Comments »

  1. Another great post Dan! However I hope Uncle Jeff has an ace up his sleeve , especially if the Yankees get Machado. Teh road to the WS is going to be a lot harder than last year !

    Like

    Reply

  3. Good job keeping the payroll under control in 2020 Dan! All your prognostications seem logical and well founded. No arguments here. Something to keep in mind as to payroll considerations: MLB has TV contracts and the current CBA expiring in 2021. By 202o and certainly into 2021 those looming events will no doubt have a major effect on the salary market. But what those effects will be, who knows?

    Like

    Reply

  4. Marisnick back up – at least for awhile. Please, AJ – don’t throw a 21 y/o long-swinging lefty rookie to the wolves against southpaw menace Sean ‘Da Kid’ Manea!

    Like

    Reply

    • So I guess Marisnick is up until Cole is back from bereavement leave – unless they decide to send the Kid back down ….I hope not

      Like

      Reply

  5. Off subject what happened with Brother Tim, haven’t seen him for a while, Astros champs, his predictions correct on Crane and Uncle Jeff?

    Like

    Reply

    • Let’s see he is 6′-4″, good looking, 27 y.o. He’s turned his .224 BA / .276 OBP into $4.5 million in salary thru the end of this season. He has a World Series championship ring and probably a girl in every port (I think he’s single). All for playing a game we all would love to play for just one day in the bigs. Oh and he is likely to make more money in the upcoming years. I just can’t get there daveb…..

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

      • Plus, the paper carried a story the other day about how popular he is with the geezers who go in groups to the juicebox and can’t wait to see him cause he’s so cute. I’ll refrain from describing how explicit they were. And yes, I can say “geezers,” being a card carrier myself. And no, I can’t get there with you, Dan.

        Liked by 1 person

  7. This is my guess as to what the team will look like in 2020
    Rotation:
    McCullers
    Patrick Corbin or Charlie Morton.
    Frances Martes
    Forrest Whitley
    Cionel Perez
    Bullpen:
    Corbin Martin
    Rogelio Armenteros
    Framber Valdez
    Brandon Bielak
    Josh James
    Brett Adcock
    Riley Ferrell
    LF Yordan Alvarez
    CF George Springer
    RF Kyle Tucker
    #4 Josh Reddick
    #5 Myles Straw
    1B Taylor Jones
    2B Jose Altuve
    3B Alex Bregman
    SS Carlos Correa
    DH Yuli Gurriel
    Catchers:
    Garrett Stubbs
    Max Stassi
    Utility- Free agent signee from 2019.

    Like

    Reply

      • Because he is still a baby in experience. We all saw him pitch in the majors before he ever got hardly time to pee in AAA. In all the time he was a top prospect he got all hype and no pitching. He has only 51 innings in Fresno spread over two seasons and in between time the Astros fooled around and let him sit in their bullpen.
        The guy is only 22 years old, hasn’t thrown a pitch since April and has a total of 372 innings in six years of minor leagues. He has never, never been put in a place as a starter and told to give the team 150 innings and lets see how he develops his pitches. He has been handled terribly.
        Give him the ball in AAA, give him and the coaching staff particular instructions as to what you want him to work on and let him work on it, for cryin’ out loud.

        Like

  8. I think our infield will remain intact, even in 2020. Yuli at 36, having played a much lighter load than the typical 36 year old MLB player, will spend most of his time at first. He moves very well at 34. He’s gotten pretty good over there and in two years, will remain a better defensive option than Alvarez. In the meantime, Alvarez is playing mostly outfield. Do they want him out there because they are realizing he’s not so good at first? If Alvarez keeps pounding the ball, he might also turn into the best 500K DH in MLB.

    Reddick could be gone in 2020 with the various other much younger options available to us. Alvarez, Tucker and Springer does not sound bad in the outfield. I think Marwin is gone too, with Straw taking on a back up role that might include some infield. He played four innings at short the other day. Just a fluke? Tony Kemp seems a sensible lefty back up to compliment Straw, but I don’t know he’ll be a good enough defender to stay on the roster.

    Who becomes our emergency catcher in 2020 assuming Stassi and Stubbs are the regulars? Do you risk going without one? Bregman seems the only guy that might take on an emergency behind the plate.

    And in the back of my mind, Springer could be gone via trade, if not after the 2019 season, maybe during 2020.

    Like

    Reply

    • 1. I struggled putting Jones at 1B in 2020 but I figured he would be a good choice with power, and I am so disappointed with our AAAA first baseman and Jones is tall and lithe and I thought Yuli would make a good DH because he just hits.
      2. Alvarez has shown a lot more athleticism in the OF than most were expecting and scouts are encouraged at his play in LF and his arm matches there.
      3. Most teams don’t carry three catchers, including the Astros. Lorenzo Quintana will be in Fresno next year and he will be the third catcher while there.
      4. People get upset when we talk about Springer leaving, but we haven’t gotten to the 2021 discussion yet.

      Like

      Reply

      • Good post op. I certainly would not carry three catchers, but every team has got another guy that can put the gear on and go back there in an emergency.

        Like

  9. Wow, A.J. Really? The Astros had one player on the roster who is hitting over .280 vs. Manea. lifetime That is Reddick [3-6 lifetime]. Altuve is hitting all of .154 against ‘da Kid’. Marwin is at .188, Bregman at .200. Jake is the ‘bomb’ at .211. Stassi is hitless in 2 tries.

    Manea must be smiling from ear to ear.

    Like

    Reply

  10. Well Mr. Bill – on the bright side – a number of the Astros have hit Manaea tonight including Tucker and Jake for a 2-0 lead.

    Like

    Reply

  11. Altuve gets on….no outs. He steals 2nd, and three of his buddies can’t get him in.
    You *K N O W*…. what I’m gonna say don’t you? SITUATIONAL HITTING.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  13. If the past is a prologue to the future, let’s look at the playoff team of 2015. Starting 9, gone C Castro, 1B Carter, 3b Valbuena, LF PTuck. Also, out of 13 on bench, 11 are gone. 3 of 6 starters, 3 of 5 main Relievers, and Bench pitchers 13 were used at least some with 12 gone. So going forward, we can expect JL to roll over the 25 man.

    Like

    Reply

  19. WHEN??? IS IT GONNA DAWN ON HINCH THAT GILES IS * D O N E*?????
    I’M SO ANGRY.😠 AND I JUST YELLED AT MY HUSBAND!!

    Like

    Reply

  21. This is not optimal. But then again, the A’s seem to want this game a whole lot more than our guys do. I call it ‘Settle’.

    Like

    Reply

  22. Tony Kemp had better be in the lineup tomorrow…….did you hear me Hinch.
    Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr😠

    Like

    Reply

  24. Unless Giles is sent down, it’s hard not to use him. But he’s a mental mess. I would guess some club might get him cheap right now.

    All that said, baseball is remarkable. When you think you’ve seen everything, something new happens. And Bregman did such a good job making sure he stayed just outside the line going to first. I’ll take that win.

    Like

    Reply

    • I only got to see the verybend, but I can tell you Bregman is just a “Baseball player”. PERIOD. That play alone gets him in the All Star game!
      I agree 100% that Giles is a mental mess, and I’m sorry but I don’t want him on this team anymore. He can’t be trusted with a *10* run lead. Luhnow is trying to go back to back with another championship, and he’s taking up a spot in the bullpen that could be used by another arm. He is *D O N E*.

      Like

      Reply

    • I think that Giles has been selected to pitch to the guys during the Home Run Derby part of the All Star game. His fastball and slider have no movement on them what so ever. I don’t understand how he can go from a 99mph fastball with movement and a devastating slider to what we see now.

      Like

      Reply

  26. Now I can’t sleep. I just saw a bit of video of Giles stalking off the mound. Apparently he told Hinch something with the F word attached. Becky, you’ll be pleased to know that if that is the case, he might well be gone tomorrow.

    Like

    Reply

    • Invent an ingury and let him sit by himself for a couple of weeks, then “try” to trade him in the middle of the night. His attitude about himself is probably a minus -100. A new team, a new city will do him wonders. I’ll even help him pack.

      Like

      Reply

  27. For all the people who want Giles dispatched, there is probably just as many saying Blake Treinen needs to not be used again this season in a save situation.
    The Astros were:
    First good, then
    bad and then
    lucky.
    The people who don’t watch baseball would never understand that inning, let alone how incredible it was.
    The A’s are a really hot team and Cole and Verlander both pitched against them and didn’t give up a run and still the Astros almost lost two games.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • OP, what you do with Giles right now? If Luhnow is working on a deal to strengthen the back end of the pen, it just got more expensive. Giles on the other hand has pushed his own value at an all time low. And if the employee tells the boss to F off, do you dismiss that?

      Like

      Reply

      • If I’m Hinch I take him aside and work it out privately and to my satisfaction. If the situation deteriorates, then the personality side becomes an issue for Luhnow to handle.

        Like

      • Unfortunately, going back to late last year, the situation has deteriorated to the point where the guy might need a change, and certainly Hinch can’t feel comfortable using him in any kind of situation where he might have a chance to screw up a game. It’s a shame because the guy will have success again someday but I don’t know if it will happen while playing for the Astros. I doubt his his lack of composure plays well in the clubhouse either.

        Like

    • And there is absolutely no comparison between Treinen and Giles this season. That was a tough inning for him last night. He screwed up by walking Reddick, but the Tucker hit was a seeing eye grounder, Reddick then scored on an infield grounder and of course on the last play of the game, he had Bregman beat had his catcher simply made a play.

      Like

      Reply

      • I wasn’t comparing the two pitchers as much as I was comparing fans who get upset about their own team’s players having a bad night, while not accounting for the blessings of the opposing team’s players having a bad night.

        Like

  28. Daveb……I just saw what you were talking about with Giles. BUT..it ain’t the first time Giles has had words with A.J. I looked up his antics with Ryne Sandberg when he was with the Phillies. I wonder if Luhnow knew about his explosive personality. The outburst in P hilly was…WOW! Can’t have a guy like that showing up the manager……makes for a cancer in the clubhouse. There was a similar problem with Gomez, that guy was a true cancer in that clubhouse.

    Like

    Reply

  30. It’s a shame that it has evolved to this. The fans were booing him too which isn’t good but I understand it. If he did what he is alleged to do then he has to go. The camera showed him in the dugout sitting all alone. That must be a terrible feeling but he can’t feel sorry for himself. I thought he should have been brought in for the 8th inning instead of the 9th. Maybe less pressure to perform.

    Like

    Reply

  31. Is it just me or is it more disturbing that Giles punched himself in the face than cussing out AJ walking away from him.
    Heck if Giles is capable of punching himself in the face maybe he is capable of telling himself f*** you….

    Like

    Reply

  32. I’m actually going to defend Giles. Despite what I’ve written about him in the past, I don’t see his outburst last night as that big of a deal. Hinch has responded to it perfectly in my opinion. The real problem is that we have a history of his emotions getting the better of him. As I mentioned above in a comment, this hurts his trade value. I don’t know if Luhnow really wants to trade him though. Unfortunately, lost in the discussion is that Rondon put the tying run at second base with a wild pitch. Oakland did all that damage with 4 singles, a wild pitch, and a MMP double.

    Like

    Reply

    • Devin, I don’t know what industry you work/worked in, but in mine, even in a very stressful situation, if I said F you to my boss, I’d expect to be fired. I’ve fired at least one employee for the same thing. We’ll probably never know exactly what Giles said and if it was actually directed at Hinch, because Hinch correctly keeps that stuff in house. I want Giles gone simply because he’s not reliable.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  34. To everyone who wrote from 6:47 on: Together you composed a masterpiece. Seriously, it was like reading a novel. Didn’t see game to speak of and reading what you wrote, it was we’re winning, shoot we lost again, what? you mean we won in the end? I am telling you the truth, my heart is pounding just from reading this blog. Thank you so much and what a game!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  35. There was a little hurler,
    Who had a little curler,
    When he threw a slider.
    When he was good,
    He was very, very good,
    But when He was bad, he was horrid.

    (Apologies to Henry Wadsworth Longfellow)

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  36. To Devin –
    Thanks for being like “Tim” and sticking up for Giles even though it is not that popular.
    I would like to throw a few things out there in Giles defense that may not be that popular either.
    – I understand that he felt like he was on too short a leash – he is blamed for the collapse, yet he was not allowed to really work through it. They still had a 3 run lead when he was pulled and I’m sure he felt like he could have held it given a chance.
    – Giles problems this season are rather bizarre. Almost any time a closer has real problems – HRs are the problem. In Giles case he has only given up 2 HRs and his 0.6 / 9 IP is identical to last season when he was a very good closer. What is bizarre is his hit rate and walk rate change. He has gone from a pretty average 3 walks per 9 IP to a tiny 0.9 walks per 9 IP. His hits allowed has gone from a solid 6.3 hits per 9 IPs to a terrible 10.3 hits per 9 IPs.
    – His K rate has dropped from a great 11.9 K / 9 IP to a good 9.1 K / 9 IP.
    – Blummer mentioned this on the broadcast – but he probably was a better more feared pitcher when his control was worse. He is putting too many balls in the zone and they are hitting them. He also is having a bit of bad luck – his batting average against on balls in play is .366, when .292 is the average for pitchers in the AL.
    – Bottom line – he is as tradeable right now as Tony Sipp was at this time last season. In fact he is headed towards taking Sipp’s spot from last year as being given the lowest leverage game situations to pitch in.
    – I’m betting they sit down with him and read him the riot act a bit and maybe even stick him on the DL to sort out his problems.

    Like

    Reply

    • I have not seen a lot of Giles, because I have to get up and walk away when he comes in. He appears to suffer from the same disease that got Gregerson last year. When he releases the ball, you can tell if it is a slider or fastball. He is not consistent with his pitches. And MLB hitters use this to their advantage. And their is no movement on his fastball.

      Like

      Reply

    • In theory the Geek Cave is providing Mr. Giles some worthwhile feedback, but consider the following:
      2018:
      First pitch: 9-18
      Leadoff hitters: 11-33 with 1 BB
      Ground balls: 9-35
      Fly balls: 5-31
      Line drives: 22-28

      2017:
      First pitch: 10-23
      Leadoff hitters: 9-60 with 2 BB
      Ground balls: 17-63
      Fly balls: 6-46
      Line drives: 21-30

      In 24 1/3 fewer innings thus far this season he’s allowed 8 fewer hits than all of 2017. The big thing that sticks out to me, however, is that the first guy he faces is getting a hit with much higher frequency. It suggests to me that the hitters have a better gameplan for the at bat than Giles and his battery mate. I want to make clear I don’t condone throwing at someone, but this is where Giles should go out the next time and try to throw something 98 mph inside to make the hitter uncomfortable. Don’t let them dig in and take a good rip at the first offering.

      Like

      Reply

  37. Today, the Astros bullpen is 3rd in ERA (2,78) and 2nd in Batting Average Against (.214). But individually, the ERA goes from 1.02 all the way to 4.13, 4.50, and 4.99. We have a crappy bullpen until we compare them to all the other crappier bullpens.

    Like

    Reply

  38. Some notes last night not regarding Giles
    – Lucroy may have had a worse 11th inning than Giles and Rondon had a 9th inning. First he dropped the throw on Reddick’s slide home on Kemp’s grounder (though Reddick probably would have been safe anyways). Then on the final play of the game – he loses the handle on the ball trying to tag Bregman when all he had to do was calmly walk towards him – since he had no where to go. Then after bouncing it around, including off the umpire – he does not take his time to get a good angle to first base and glances his throw off Bregman’s helmet for the game winner. I think he may have used the f- word a few times walking off the field himself.
    – Reddick did a nice job working the walk against Treinen and then used great hustle to go from first to third on Tucker’s single and home on Kemp’s ground ball up the middle including a terrific slide.
    – Tucker had a good game at the plate and came close to a good catch up against the wall. he had a double against Manaea and was HBP and scored two runs early. His 11th inning hit was in the right place, but it was a hit and not a K which could have killed the inning. He got over the Mendoza line for the first time, scored 3 runs and had his first mlb SB.
    – Verlander deserves a much better fate. He has 7 no decisions on the season….
    –5.2 IP and 3 ER against Baltimore
    — 8 IP and 1 ER ( 1 hit) against Rangers
    –8 IP and 0 ER against Yanks
    –6 IP and 2 ER against Bosox
    — 6.2 IP and 1 ER against Rays
    — 7 IP and 2 ER against Chisox
    — 6 IP and 0 ER against A’s
    And he has 2 losses where he gave up 1 ER in 6 IP

    And no – my post on JV is not to blame …. I swear

    Questions to chew on with the first place Astros

    Like

    Reply

  39. I will neither defend nor condemn Mr. Giles. It was a tough game, against an extremely tough opponent. I trust Mr. Hinch and Mr. Luhnow to read the situation correctly, and do whatever they feel is best for the team. I am happy not to have to form an opinion on that, based on the limited information I as a fan possess.

    I will, however, say that as of 11:00 pm last night I think I personally would rather have been Ken Giles than Jonathan Lacroy. OUCH!

    Like

    Reply

  40. In bowling there is a saying that “trust is a must or your game is a bust”. The same applies true for most sports. Giles has not only lost his pitching prowess but his mental focus, and composure also. I’m sure our brain trust will come up with a plan. And as Devin pointed out, Rondon was also pretty stinky last night.

    Like

    Reply

  42. Okay, this is my last. It looked to me like Lucroy touched Alex with the ball. Is it because the ball fell away? Also, an announcer said, “This is not a reviewable play.” What did that mean?

    Like

    Reply

    • Diane – what I saw was the ball coming out of his glove before he tagged towards Alex – so I did not think he was even close to having control when the tag occurred – if it occurred. I am not sure what part of the play was reviewable or non-reviewable. I would assume you could look and see if he tagged him with control. I would assume you could check to see if he stayed in the proper running lane – but I could be wrong.

      Like

      Reply

    • Diane: The only thing that could have sparked a reversal would have been Bregman getting hit while running on the fair side of the first baseline but he was clearly in the lane. Perhaps they were also looking to see if it was a foul ball that may have made contact with Bregman in the box.

      Like

      Reply

  43. They posted a stat about Giles that showed his ERA in non-save situations was near seven. That was before the three runs he was charged with last night. It speaks perhaps of a spirit of entitlement that if he doesn’t get the glory opportunity then he just won’t show up. IMO Rondon is not quite the closer I would like but pretty darn close and a guy who performs whenever he’s called. He has EARNED the closer role whereas Giles thinks it should be bestowed on him.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  44. I thought they we re checking to see if Bregman was running in the proper running lane when the throw grazed his helmet, wasn’t out of the base path?

    Like

    Reply

  45. Our lead over Seattle is back to 4 games, and our lead over Oakland is back to 10.

    If we win at least 4 out of 5 going into the ASB [2 more games vs. the As and 3 vs. the Detroit Tigers], we should be pretty much guaranteed to go into the break leading the M’s by 4 or 5 [they have 2 more with the Angels and then 3 with the Rockies], and leading the Athletics by 10 to 12 [they conclude this half with 3 games against cross-town rival SF].

    If, however, we play stupid ball, well . . . ask Jonathan Lucroy what happens.

    Like

    Reply

    • Bill, Lucroy arguably had the worst night of all and I suspect he probably felt worse than anyone, but his mistakes were not stupid. They were not mental errors. He dropped a throw, he fumbled a tag, he threw a ball away. Pretty incredible in such a short period of time. But he did not make a decision to do those things. I’m always far more offended by a player who makes mental errors. Those are the stupid ones.

      Like

      Reply

  46. So Dan, reverting back to the theme of your 2019 post, do you still see Giles in the pen at 6.5 million a year?

    Like

    Reply

    • daveb –
      Well going back to my previous post – under the tile “On the Cusp” I wrote…
      “It is hard to see the Astros sticking with Ken Giles through arbitration, which could end up as a $6.5 million or more salary in 2019, if he cannot return to a late and close role, whether it is closer or set-up. But they may think he just needs to be tweaked to return to the guy who saved 34 of 38 in 2017.”

      So… if I had a problem seeing them sticking with him half a week ago – I have a problem now seeing any scenario they would stick with him for 2019 or if they could get a taker – through the rest of 2018 after the latest circus act….

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  48. One of the things I like so much about our club is that a great group of team players has been assembled. Everyone respects each other. Ken Giles just found out how important that is.

    Like

    Reply

  50. This Front Office is not afraid to do the right thing, which you have to respect. Let’s see how Giles starts acting after riding around in team buses for a bit. Or he could refuse to report and head home to do things he is better qualified to do. “Would you like some fries with that burger, sir?”
    (And Dan is only having fun here as he is a proud alumni of Whataburger in his younger years.)

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
Newer Comments »

Leave a reply to Dan P Cancel reply