Astros’ offense: The black hole of 2016 returns

One of the wonders of the Houston Astros wonderful 2017 offense was the strength up and down the lineup. Even the weak link, DH Carlos Beltran put the ball in play and moved the runners over or hit a sacrifice fly once in a while. The Astros were first in almost everything (Runs, hits, BA, OBP, SLG, OPS) and were a true juggernaut. This season…..not so much.

One of the biggest differences in 2017 from 2016 was the “length” of the lineup. In 2016, there was not much behind the top three players for the Astros (Carlos Correa, Jose Altuve and George Springer). Carlos Gomez (.210 BA.594 OPS), Colby Rasmus (.206/.641), Jason Castro (.210/.684), Marwin Gonzalez (.254/.694) and Jake Marisnick (.210/.588) were all rally killers. 3B/1B Luis Valbuena was decent but only played 90 games and DH Evan Gattis did good things intertwined with interminable slumps. It seemed as if the team did not do something involving the top three, they were just as likely to do nothing in the games.

Sounds familiar. Even though the Astros are still number three in the AL in runs scored and top two to four in BA/OBP/SLG/OPS – there are serious underlying issues with their lineup.

  • George Springer. Was in a swamp deep slump for 6+ weeks of the season. Though his BA is slowly climbing now he is not coming near the .889 OPS he put up last season.
  • Jose Altuve. It feels wrong to complain about a guy hitting .329, but he is obviously down in HRs and RBIs and has not been good with 2 outs RISP. It feels like he is pressing to replace the injured Carlos Correa. Now he will miss some time with his own injured knee and that will knock his cumulative numbers down even more.
  • Carlos Correa. Correa was struggling for him in the first half of the season – down in all the major areas (.268 BA/.832 OPS), which would have been great numbers for an Astros SS in about 50 of the previous seasons. He is now in the midst of a one month and counting stint on the DL with a bad back. His numbers will be down for the year.
  • The black hole. The end of the lineup has been a mess, especially lately with inconsistent Evan Gattis, slumping Gonzalez and Max Stassi, overmatched Kyle Tucker and Tim Federowicz, and a fairly ineffective Josh Reddick. For a few weeks, the end of the lineup was pretty decent between a blazing Gattis, a fairly hot MarGo and a solid Tony Kemp. But lately the lineup has not been able to turn over and with the problems with Springer, Altuve and Correa it was no sure thing when they did.

Now a couple positives have been Yuli Gurriel with a good BA especially with RISP and the breakout season of Alex Bregman. Bregman is first or second on the team in Runs, doubles, HRs, RBIs, OBP, SLG and OPS. Where they would be without him? In deep doo-doo.

So is there any hope here for improvement? It was predicted here that Reddick and MarGo would regress this season. But not this much. They could get on a roll some time down the stretch. The returns of Correa, Altuve and to a lesser extent McCann could help a bunch. Another hot streak by Gattis and Stassi would be welcome. And if Jeff Luhnow went out and got some hitting help in the next couple days that might do something for this lineup too.

  • Where are you on this lineup and the black hole?
  • Will they get their hitting mojo back?
  • What do they need to do that?
  • Is this black hole expanding? Controllable?
  • Will the hitting be this team’s undoing?
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104 responses to “Astros’ offense: The black hole of 2016 returns”

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  3. 1) It was tough with the reg lineup throughout the season but they were winning series. It’s harder now with key guys on the DL. This offensive swoon the tm is in is no fun to watch with guys up & down the lineup pressing badly, taking hittable pitches, chasing junk out the zone, making weak contact or none at all, too many loud outs swinging for the fences.
    Minor is a lefty, mediocre & we will struggle (White just crushes a HR). We should spank this guy
    2) Not like 2017
    3) Remember who you are (WS champs). Remember how you made pitchers bring the heat by not swinging at their junk, by being patient & disciplined at the plate (as Drbill14 stated ‘lock in room & make watch Bregman at bats’, lol)
    4) Thus far it seems to be expanding, heck we can’t even outhit the Rangers! How do you control a lineup of ofers nightly? Quickly falling behind the 8-ball with 0-2 holes and SO? Staring at ‘hit me’ FB’s down the pipe then…well, we know the rest.
    (Mike Minor got his zero turn working thus far, really!)
    5) If we can’t score runs we don’t win, period! I do believe if we fall short the offense will be the reason why. I honestly believe our pitching will ratchet up even more when the offense returns. That is not an indictment against the rotation but they may feel they have little room for error with the off being so subpar.

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  4. And I wrote this and sent it to publish before vewill did his in depth analysis of KTuck – so I withdraw the overmatched statement….

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  7. I’m going to ask the Lord to forgive me tonight when I say my prayers, because I have said EVERY SINGLE CUSS WORD I’VE EVER KNOWN TODAY😠
    I’M soooo angry I’m in tears. ..ANYBODY!!! ANYBODY…BUT THIS TEAM😠
    I’m done…..I can’t watch anymore.

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  8. It is funny but this feels like improbable win day. I may be crazy but I feel like some kind of crazy comeback will happen.

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  9. I, we have not turned on the Astros. As fans we cannot play the game so we express our joy and pains on the state of their affairs electronically. Things will get better, hopefully sooner than later so I’m not ashamed to bite when they do bad or good.

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    • They had tons of shots – only one run out of consecutive innings with 2nd and 3rd with no out killllllllled them

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  14. Missed today’s game except for the 9th inning. So I missed today’s game.

    As to the black hole. This year, to me proves that Altuve is/was the MVP of the team. When he hits, they do well. When he stinks, they stink. The team did well when they intentionally walked Altuve to get to Correa and Carlos did something. This year, either he couldn’t come through or was injured. We now have both injured. I may have been over zealous saying they would win 8 of 15. I am a Jose apologist. His presence or absence determines the direction of the team.

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  16. Here’s my take:

    Overall:

    1. Too few of our hitters are willing to take a walk right now. The only walks we had today (apart from intentional to Gattis) were in the bottom of the ninth.

    2. Plate discipline is very poor (see above) we are chasing a lot of pitches that you just can’t do much with. If you show you are willing to swing at balls you are not going to see many center cuts to feast on (I’m talking to you Marwin, Altuve and George)

    3. Strikeouts are way up – we are striking out against pitchers who normally don’t get many K’s. (see # and #2 above). My teenage son has now renamed GS to CS (Chase Springer).

    4. We are turning into an extreme pull hitting team, even trying to pull outside breaking balls. Spray charts back up the increased tendency to pull. To an extent the increase in GIDP backs this up and backs up #2 as well.

    5. With Correa and Altuve out of the lineup there is no protection; making everybody worse.

    Home Specific:

    You just can’t have much success as a pull hitter at MMP. There just isn’t much real estate in the field of play to cover in either RF or LF and there is virtually no foul ground to worry about. Corner outfielders can cheat and close up gaps, knowing that to hit it over them is a HR or off the scoreboard. There is a lot of ground to cover from the 362 notch in left center over to the where the wall drops down in right center. This is the land of extra base hits. We need to get back to using it.

    Last season we saw a lot of our hitters going up the middle and opposite field. We several hitters strong enough to drive balls out to that part of the park. Just look at CC and GS spray charts from 2017 and you will see that the bulk of their homers were to that part of the park. Apart from White and Kemp today, I have not seen many of our hitters willing to be patient at the plate and willing to hit the ball where it’s pitched. In my opinion this is why we aren’t able to get many rallies going.

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      • I don’t always agree with me either!

        I think it was Teddy Roosevelt that said: “If two people never agree one of them is useless. If two people always agree then both of them are useless.”

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      • Found this quote on the Internet from Chewing gum magnate William Wrigley Jr circa 1931.

        “When two men always agree, one of them is unnecessary.”

        So if it is on the Internet, we know it is correct. Therefore one of you need to buzz off. 🙂

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  17. Seattle pounding the Angels today. Glad that the Rockies prevailed over the A’s. Since the All Star Break we are 3 and 5. Pitiful. Unless we snap out of this funk you can pretty well expect to be watching other teams in the playoffs. The mark of a great team is when your journeyman players step up when others go down or not playing well. For the most part that hasn’t happened. It did last year but don’t see it yet. I’m not complaining just to hear myself. There is an issue out there and I sure don’t know what it is, but the chemistry seems to be lacking. I don’t even know if a blockbuster trade will do it. These guys are going to have to reach way down to pick themselves up and I hope they can. I know they can but I don’t see any signs of it right now. Tomorrow we open an 8 game road trip starting with Seattle, then the Dodgers and Giants. It’s time to fish or cut bait so let’s see what happens. August will either make us or break us. And I saw a comment on the Astros site that I totally agree with. For the time being Kemp should lead off and have Spring bat 3rd or 4th. Put White after Springer and move Gattis and Reddick down.

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  18. Did some of you guys think we’d make it through the season without a real slump? That’s rare. On the last post this morning, I mentioned that it was time for Fresno to give us some help. Outside of Kemp, it’s been a couple of years since someone has come up and really had a positive impact. We need that now. I mentioned White. He needs to be in the lineup everyday for the time being. Besides Bregman, he’s probably got the best eye in the organization. I know it’s only been 35 at bats, but he’s got a .432 OBP after todays game. That’s why I’m still convinced he’ll be a real hitter. He knows the zone. He makes the pitcher work. I don’t think he should have been sent down. Tucker is the other guy that needs to be in the line up, at least against righties. He’s on the cusp. If you did not read it, check out vewill’s stats on Tucker posted this morning.

    Right now, the guys are having no fun. The game is work for them. It’s a grind. We’re missing the guy that our pitchers want to throw to. We’re missing the best DP combo in the game. We’re missing their bats. Not surprising the club is slumping. They’ll get over it.

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    • This is their first four game losing streak since last September.
      I agree that vewill made a great case for Tucker being allowed a shot to work his way through it.
      I’ve been hoping they would give White an extended shot of at bats. Right now he should be getting at bats instead of Marwin.

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    • It’s the dog days and everyone is tired after a long season/ short offseason and key players are injured. The team will be fine. They will rally back when the stakes go up.

      I agree on White. He has produced at the MLB level. They keep passing him up for others and all he does is out produce them every time he gets a shot. As a note, this is his third straight MLB start with a home.

      Tucker will be fine, but I would have no problem with them securing an insurance option in the outfield down the stretch. Problem is, apart from Adam Jones I don’t see anyone that would make a real difference.

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  19. We love Kemp , play him more and we need to get a legit professional hitter, besides Altuve and CC coming back , if we are going to win another WS, or even get past the first round!

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    • I don’t disagree kevin but I don’t see much out there that fits the bill. Maybe Abreu or Adam Jones, but it would be based more on past performance, as both are floating around league average this season. I’m not sure what the cost would be on either.

      Realmuto is the only difference maker I see. I don’t know that the Astros are willing to give up what it would take to get him.

      As a note, Realmuto has played 1B in only 16 MLB games over his career. 6 of them have been in the past month. Is it possible that they are auditioning his ability to be more than just a catcher?

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  20. I feel AJ lost the game today with his lineup. Gurriel at second??? REALLY??? The man has not played second but only once in the past three years!!! No prolonged practice. It showed with his mental errors today. I guess AJ thought, I am so smart that I am going to play this lineup and win easily. It appears the other teams are out thinking the Astros now in analyticals. Someone needs to stand up in the clubhouse and talk tough, like Verlander did last year in the WS after he left the game and came back to the dugout and yelled at the others to get tough. The guys are so tight they are squeaking when they walk. I am not giving up on them though.

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  21. Daveb…you are 100% correct. Not only are our pitchers missing “their guy” to throw to but ,I think the new catcher will lessen that problem. I thought he did a great job handling McCullers today, and says a LOT because he can be a REAL BRAT sometimes. The two guys the pitchers absolutely DEPEND on to gobble up those balls in the infield makes for a nervous pitcher. Springer is the captain in the outfield and there is a sense of relief when a guy like Verlander looks back their and pounds his glove in appreciation.
    I’m over being angry about this weekends game. I have a much bigger problem and losing to those *WORMS* in arlington.
    This next month is the most important month of their season and they know it.
    When I said where is Beltran, I meant it. Someone in that clubhouse had better step up and lead, or it will fracture this team. Luhnow is not afraid to send Tucker back to Fresno, if he feels like Tucker is pressing. They might have to bring Jake back up while they are playing in the West coast, simply because those vast outfields, can eat a kid up. Yuli had a couple of bad days this weekend, and the experiment having him play 2nd was a disaster. These guys need EVERY SINGLE ONE of them to play their best, with no more experiments. These guys have GOT to shed the stigma that “they can’t hit lefty’s.” I am having a most important test tomorrow morning, the results will be back on Thursday when I see my oncologist. Two things I don’t have control over, this Astros team, and cancer. I know the Lord hears my prayers, and I don’t think he will mind if I pray for the Astros❤ Becky⚾

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    • Becky we will be praying for you this week that your test turns out the way you hope.

      I think the one thing that flies under the radar is the affect on the fielding for this team with the injuries. I think I can point to at least three games lately that probably would have ended up positive for us if we were not playing 52 pickup with the positions. And who knows how the loss of McCann has actually affected the pitching staff. They are still good but they were great.

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      • Spot on Dan!

        Also, spot on Becky. I too think that Maldanado will work well with this staff. He will also control the bases. His pop time on the CS was out of this world!

        You’ll be in my prayers!

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  22. I know some people are down on Gattis. I went out and looked at every player listed as possibly being on the trade blocks. There is no one out there that gives you the production that Gattis does. In fact, right now if the Astros were to put him on the blocks he would generate a very healthy return. Gattis is not our problem. Put Altuve and Correa back in the lineup and Gattis will mash down the stretch.

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  23. Things I am most worried about:

    1) Stupid base running – the run you keep off the board from a base running gaff may be the difference in a playoff game.
    2) Free passes – way to many BB and HBP from both starters and relievers. Driving starter pitch count up and putting relievers in high stress situations. Free passes lead to runs. The run you give up from a free pass may be the difference in a playoff game.
    3) Strikeouts – the run you give up from an untimely strikeout with RISP may be the difference in a playoff game.
    4) Too many GIDP – the run you give up from an untimely DP may be the difference in a playoff game.

    It all boils down to plate discipline and FB command. Have it you win/ don’t have it you risk losing.

    I’m worried about defense in the short -term, but not at all when Altuve and if Correa both come back.

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  24. Yesterday’s loss is squarely on Hinch.
    The defense is horrible. Bring Jake back. His hitting is just as good as Davis or Tucker. The Astros possibly win yesterday with Jake in center and Kemp at Second.

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    • I agree with Sandy. Yuli had no business playing second base. As I said before, Kemp should be playing second, Yuli @ 3rd, Bregman @ SS, and White @1st. Jake in center, Springer in RF, and Reddick in LF. Reddick is not hitting either so it’s him, Tucker, or Marwin. We face Paxson tonight who owns us. Maybe a change in approach. Maybe we can “single him to death”. I know that I’ve been critical of Gattis but he looks like he’s trying to hit a HR every time. Maybe he just swings hard. Oh well, let’s hope for a good/great road trip.

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  25. I saw that Paxton was pitching tonight after being placed on the 10 day injured list on July 25th. I did not know you could take a guy off early, but I guess you can. So why not put any guy in the bullpen on 10 day when he pitches back to back or goes an extra innings. Sounds like this rule has a bunch of loopholes.

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  26. Why is Kemp not playing everyday? At least he gives us productive AB’s vs some of the other guys & his natural position is 2nd. As atrocious as the hitting has been, we need every productive bat we can get in the lineup. I’m with you Zanuda, Kemp would lead off for me & move GS back to 3 or 4. When he heats up he can feast on rbi’s off the guys on base in front of him. For me GS should hitting 1-4, 2-4, sprinkle in some 3-4 (6-6) daily, save for a few ofers (nobody is perfect). But this 5-70’s, 2 or 3 for 20-30 is a tough pill to swallow from my leadoff man, catalyst or no. His free swinging approach can really hurt during dry spells esp and hot streaks only last for so long. Of course when the lineup is back to full strength coach can adj accordingly. It ain’t about ego’s, salaries or expectations necessarily, but who is producing right now for me.

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  27. Richard Justice post: “Astros batting .198 since All Star break. 30th out of 30 teams. ”

    Jake at .192 and Fisher at .176 doesn’t hurt this current line up much.

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    • Never thought I’d see a call for Jake or Fisher to be brought in to help quell a slump. 45, do you really mean it or are you just trying to get the conversation going?

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      • I was not suggesting either one come back up, but how low can a team batting average go before you realize it is more than a temporary slump. Don’t know what it is, but it is tough to watch.

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  28. Good news – the Rangers stink and the results of that head-to-head won’t matter to them in late September.
    Bad news – the Astros have three other teams in the division that still have a chance to beat them.
    Good news – the second place Mariners have not gained any ground over the last ten games.
    Bad news – Oakland has gained 2 games and Anaheim 1 over the last ten games
    Good news – we get to beat the Mariners tonight!
    Bad news – crap, they’re throwing Paxton.

    I think it’s pretty simple. If Altuve’s knee gets better quickly and Correa continues to progress we’ll be OK. Bregman and Gattis are as streaky as anyone in baseball. We’ll get some amazing runs and some terrible stretches. Our bullpen still stinks despite what anyone might say about their ERA…but if we can keep that lead and make it to October we’ll be putting LMJ and Morton there anyhow.

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    • Bregman is about as steady as anyone on the team. You have to overlook his June, which was a hell of a streak in of itself. But overall, with his eye, he’s not going to be prone to a long slump like some of the other guys. He’s certainly not in the same category as Gattis.

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    • In response to your bull pen comment here’s my take and it just an opinion. It seems that the bull pen is on (everybody) or there’s somebody always stinking it up and giving up 2 – 4 runs which looses the game for us. Overall the ERA is good but it’s not consistent and that’s what we need and expect.

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      • As an example player A pitches 5 out of days and doesn’t give up a run. However, player B comes in and gives up 3 runs and we lose. The next time B is great but A stinks it up and we lose again. Same with relievers C, D, E, & F.

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      • And while I’m on a roll, I was watching on AT&T (MLB.com) for me, and I could really detect the frustration in bot TK’s and Blummer’s play by play and analysis. So it’s not just us who notice these things. Blummer was the one pointing out our league leading GDIP’s. It was mentioned that that means we’re getting guys on base. Big Deal! We could load the bases every inning but if we GDIP and don’t score, guess what?….we lose!

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  30. Jeez Louise…. We are supposedly sending Ken Giles and “other assets” to Toronto for shutdown closer Roberto Osuna who is about to come off suspension for physical abuse of his girlfriend and could be in for more legal ramifications which could lead to more suspensions….

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    • I hope not. This morning I read the story on Osuna and immediately dismissed with the thought that Luhnow would not go in that direction for obvious reasons.

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    • MLBTR is reporting Hector Perez AND David Paulino will join Giles to Toronto. That’s a pretty good deal for pre- woman beater Perez/ not so much for post version with a pile of legal troubles.

      He may or may not be out of legal trouble and has been on the shelf for 75 games so far this year.

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    • I do not like this trade. I mean Giles is a nut job and probably one bad inning away from pulling an Osuna himself but I do not like the idea of getting someone like Osuna regardless of how he has pitched in the past.

      Completely disgusted right now. I sure hope there’s information we don’t know about where it turns out it was self defense or something

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  33. I suspect the Osuna deal went down like this:

    A: “We want Osuna”
    T: “OK”
    A: “We want you to take Giles”
    T: “Giles? That’s going to cost you”
    A: “What about Hector Perez?”
    T: “More”
    A: “More?”
    T: “Yes, we are talking about Giles, right?”
    A: “Of course. We’ll throw in David Paulino as well”
    T: “You’re kidding, right?”
    A: ” No. Will you take it?”
    T: “Yes!!”

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  34. My 3 cents if we traded for him , I’m sure Crane , Jeff and AJ did their homework on all his personal issues and felt comfortable enough to make the trade.

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    • Paulino’s stock had really dropped post PED suspension, but Perez was only 22 and moving through the organization pretty quickly. He had to be the real headliner in the deal. I hate to lose him.

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  38. Slippery slope – this is not the same organization that let Julio Lugo go 15 yrs ago after accusations of domestic abuse
    I’m not happy about this

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  39. “We are excited to welcome Roberto Osuna to our team,” Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow said in a release. “The due diligence by our front office was unprecedented. We are confident that Osuna is remorseful, has willfully complied with all consequences related to his past behavior, has proactively engaged in counseling, and will fully comply with our zero tolerance policy related to abuse of any kind.”

    Link to full statement:

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  41. For what it’s worth, Jays fans seen to think they got fleeced. Also, Luhnow must be convinced the bullpen is in real trouble to be willing to make a move that will be so politically toxic with a significant portion of the fan base.

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  42. Kevin, I agree with you on the FO doing the due diligence before making this trade. Moving forward I doubt pending legal issues will further hinder his usage else this trade would not have been made.

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  43. Becky, you hang in there baby and my prayers are with you. I too am dealing with that C scourge but the Lord, as He told the seas, you go this far and no further…praying the same for you

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  44. This from Osuna’ wiki page:

    Personal life
    At the age of 12, Osuna quit school to help support his family,[44] picking vegetables with his father, also named Roberto, who pitched in the Mexican League for 22 seasons and taught him to pitch after work.[45][46] Osuna’s uncle, Antonio, pitched in Major League Baseball for 11 seasons, mostly with the Los Angeles Dodgers.[47]

    Osuna’s first child, a daughter, was born in September 2017.[48]

    On May 8, 2018, Osuna was arrested by Toronto police and charged with assault. He was placed on administrative leave by MLB commissioner Rob Manfred.[49] On June 22, he received a 75 game suspension, retroactive to May 8.[50]

    Now, I’m not going to ever going to condone abuse, but I am not opposed to second chances. He is a 23 YO kid that has lead a tough life and dealt with anxiety issues since leaving Mexico. This does not justify his behavior, but maybe it helps explain it a bit. Pro sports can be brutal. He was a 20 YO when he debuted for the Jays. Living in a strange country, by himself with probably not much of a support system and dealing with anxiety.

    His family is still together after the abuse incident. By all accounts I can find, he has owned up to what he did and has reconciled with the mother of his child. They are still together as a family.

    I’m torn over this signing, but I am willing to give a second chance if he has truly turned the corner in his life.

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    • Couldn’t one say the same about Danry Vazquez?

      Sorry but this guy is going to have a LOT to prove to me

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      • You are not alone Billy. He has a lot to prove to a lot of people, including me. However, you and I were not directly affected by his actions. The people he really needs to prove himself to is his family. If he can do that, then what we think is really irrelevant. I’m hoping and praying, for the sake of his young daughter and her mother, that he becomes a new man.

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      • Kudos Vwill that was a great post!!! Cheer for the young man and his family , maybe he can get all that back the right wa,. That’s way more important than a game

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  45. I know I have sinned and been given a second chance in life. I need to just let it be and pray that this is all in the past for this young man.

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  46. Sorry, I’m not on board with this trade right now. I’m generally a supporter of not convicting people in the court of public opinion, but this sounds like a dangerous situation. In my opinion, the lives and safety of his family and others who will see/hear this story are more important than baseball. Only time will tell if Mr. Osuna will be a stand-up guy, champion for his wife and daughter, and example to young men everywhere or not. If the Astros are convinced that Mr. Osuna has turned a corner, his situation will be cleared up to their satisfaction, and that he’s on the right path I would suggest the right start would be to park him in Fresno and pay for all of the mental counseling he needs. Don’t rush this.

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  47. On a lighter, and totally non- baseball note. On June 1st I fully ruptured my achilles tendon. After a couple surgeries I have been on crutches ever since. I’m a very active person and as a result of literally miles of walking on crutches my arms are totally ripped.

    My wife gave me a new sleeveless shirt to wear. It says: “Excercising My Constitutional Right To Bare Arms”.

    I love it!

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  48. Another disaster is waiting tonight…..Hinch is playing Yuli at 2nd again.
    Not Yuli’s fault, it’s guys who have come up from Fresno, who are limited to one position. That’s the knock on Jake, not being able to play any other outfield position has hurt this team. It’s games like this that you miss Altuve and Correa *B I G* time. Speaking of Correa, he’s looking to go to Fresno to play in a couple of rehab games…..think good thoughts folks, we REALLY NEED him back with the big club…..like YESTERDAY!! I figured Luhnow would trade Giles as soon as he could, but LORD I didn’t think we would be getting Osuna in his place!
    I’ll hold my opinion on him for now, and if God can forgive him I can. I can tell you Verlander is NOT impressed. I just hope these two young men can go forward with their baseball career and be successful. I had a PET scan this morning (my 4th) and I see my oncologist on Thurs afternoon. I will report the findings Thurs evening. My prayers for myself are if the cancer has come back, the Lord will see me through it. I thank all of you for remembering me in your prayers…..the Lord has indeed heard them. Love ALL of you❤! Becky⚾

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  49. I would think that we no longer have any intentions of trying to get Realmuto. We’ve already dished up about a half dozens protects for the 3 trades made thus far. As for this trade, the jury is out. I honestly don’t know what to feel except I sure ain’t excited.

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    • I agree. Troubling is the fact that what we have given up would probably have landed Realmuto. Is 2 role players and a stud with major baggage equal to one difference maker? I guess time will tell.

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  50. Just heard Jim Bowden say that CC was traveling West w/ team for a couple of rehab starts in Fresno and would be joining big league team in LA this weekend.

    I can’t find anything to confirm this. Has anyone else seen anything?

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