Could this be another Peacock moment?

Way back in the spring of 2017, when we neither knew nor cared about video cameras and trashcans, the Astros had an unproven pitcher named Brad Peacock. Brad had come to the Houston organization from Oakland in the first Jed Lowrie trade with Chris Carter and Max Stassi. (Oh the Golden Era of Astros baseball). He then pitched mostly in the minors, when he wasn’t injured, and did have some small unsuccessful shots in the biggies. He pitched pretty well in a 30 inning trial in 2016, but it would be truthful to say that he was a candidate to be DFA’d in the spring of 2017. Then something wondrous happened (at least wondrous for Brad) and Collin McHugh went down with an injury and Peacock was a beneficiary of an open spot in the Astros’ pitching staff.

So, Peacock broke camp with the team and two critical things happened. Collin McHugh did not come back until the end of the season and Peacock pitched like a son of a gun. He started off kicking butt out of the bullpen and then made a dramatic one-hit spot start that put him into the injured Charlie Morton‘s spot in the rotation and was the impetus for a 13-2 3.00 ERA bolt of lightning out of blue skies season.

The point is that someone will have the opportunity to benefit from the exposure an early-season Justin Verlander injury will afford them.

So, will it be Josh James or Framber Valdez or Austin Pruitt or Bryan Abreu? Someone else? It will be one of the most interesting storylines of 2020.

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27 responses to “Could this be another Peacock moment?”

  1. We do not have much of a track record of any pitcher grabbing a chance to start and looking good at it. Usually one of our guys gets his shot, and turns into a gas can. So, if Peacock is ready to pitch, and can keep his ERA under 5.00 and his WHIP under 1.5 as a starter, he’ll be as much of a hero as we can expect.

    This is not a team that is anywhere close to ready to compete for the AL West. Maybe the other teams in our division will cannibalize each other until June, giving us a shot if we don’t totally collapse without Verlander.

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  2. Astros should win the division by 5 games at worst. All publications have us as the 2nd-4th most talented team in baseball. Losing Verlander for a few weeks shouldn’t matter as much. What would hurt is extended Alvarez issues!, but that would open the door for Tucker Straw and Toro to get more playing time (not a bad thing).

    Peacock only started throwing on the mound yesterday. If he is going to be ready by OD, it will be a rush job.

    Greinke
    LMJ
    Urq
    #4 Pruitt/James (Bulk Start)
    #5 Valdez/Abreu (Long Relief)

    Look for JV, and Peacock by mid-April at latest.

    Javier, Bielak and Whitley by June, and/or trade from a team out of the race.

    Panic seems to be the watchword gaining momentum, however.

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  3. I think it fair to say we have unanswered questions as it applies to our rotation. I’m high on Jose Urquidy, but he’s likely our # 3 guy when the season starts, having pitched 51 total Major League innings. And then the questions get bigger as we look at 4 and 5.

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  4. Obviously I’m a bit isolated where I live. And here, we’re starting to get concerned about what will happen if we get sick with only limited and basic healthcare available to us, and what will happen if the boat from Miami does not bring food to us weekly. Remarkably, 85% of what we consume comes from the mainland. Shame on us. But mostly, I’m starting to get concerned about my homeland. I really hope America comes together, even if what is happening right now is an overreaction. To hell with our starting rotation. Opening Day is going on the shelf.

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    • I’ve read you have a brother, and assuming family still in Houston? You should consider getting Stateside, because unlike Europe, the US has more wide open space & mobility. Something you lack on a secluded Island…? I’m sure you can decide what is best, but getting food/water is short supplies would worry me. Deciding while you still have a choice?

      All the best, dave!

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      • Five brothers, a huge extended family. I could leave tomorrow and go numerous places back home and be very comfortable. But after so many years here, it’s kind of like knowing a hurricane is coming. The visitors leave, but the rest of us stay and deal with whatever happens. We’ll be fine. Really, I’m more concerned with how America will adjust, however temporarily, to a significantly restricted daily life. You guys behave.

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  5. I’ve told this story more than once, but I remember when Porter was the manager and Peacock was on the mound imploding and sweating bullets.
    Brad would look over to the dugout and seeing Bo Porter glaring at him, and you could see him start shaking. I felt so sorry for that kid, I wanted to take a baseball bat to Porters head. I think Brent Strom took him under his wing and remade Peacock. You fellas lose me when you start talking stats! I’m just a girl, who loves baseball….ASTROS baseball. I hope with all my heart that these guys can ignore all the noise that will follow them everywhere they play this summer.
    Josh James
    Framber Valdez and Urquidy will get a chance to join the rotation this summer.
    I don’t doubt that the GM will look around for another established arm as well.
    Our country is facing something we can’t see….it’s going to get worse before it gets better. All we can do is follow directions and pray our Lord will keep us safe. Yes….daveb you might want to check to see if there is a way you can get back to the mainland, at least get the test kits. Our regulars had better step up, so far they don’t look like they can hit the broad side of a barn! Becky⚾

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  6. I see that Oakland does not allow gatherings of over 1,000. So these games might still be played with their poor attendance. But it begs the question, “What if you gave a “revenge” game and nobody came.”

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  9. And in this article….
    https://www.mlb.com/astros/news/pipeline-top-30-prospects-lists-breakdown

    The Astros are only mentioned twice.
    1) They are shown as the 30th and last farm system on the overall prospects list by their rating system
    2) Bryan Abreu is shown with the very best curveball of all prospects. Of course they label him as a NY Yankee prospect. Possibly they are thinking of Albert Abreu who went to the Yanks in the Brian McCann trade.

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    • Spring training results mean nothing and Verlander and Peacock will be ready for the start of the season.
      Old and sage.

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    • I think they will announce it because after people wore themselves out fighting a pandemic, hating on the Astros and manipulating an election, nobody will have the energy left to spank the Red Sox.

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      • I think they go another direction. I think they announce the Red Sox have been pioneers in the usage of electronic devices to improve the on field product and as a congratulations for this achievement award them the 2017 and 2019 World Series trophies. This will, of course, require two parades once the pandemic is cleared up.

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  14. Welp, this gives a thud to my fantasy teams. If there are no “practice” games before the season begins, all I can do is pick and hope the players do well. At least, in spring training, I can look at those minor leaguers who might have a legitimate chance to make a big league club and draft them. I won, BIG TIME, in 2001, by drafting Oswalt, Pujols, and Dunn. I lost only one game that year and it was the week of 9/11 as most of my players hadn’t started playing that particular week.

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