Astros’ off-season: Would you rather?

Today we revisit an oldie, but a goodie with an Astros quiz called “Would You Rather”?

Dan P comes up with some impossible Sophie’s Choices (Well, not that dramatic) and our minions – you – tell us which choice you would rather have occur.

And in reality, you are not minions, but rather our clients in this venture. On to the questions….

  1. Would you rather the Astros ….
    1. Hire an old school hitting coach and assistant hitting coach
    1. Hire a high tech modern hitting coach and assistant hitting coach
    1. Hire a mix of old school and high tech in the two coaches
  2. Would you rather the Astros….
    1. Fill in their starting pitch needs internally from pitchers on the roster plus youngsters from the minors
    1. Add free agent pitcher(s) in the off-season – maybe two – third men in the rotation types
    1. Trade some prospects for a younger top pitcher
    1. Other
  3. Would you rather the Astros ….
    1. Trade Christian Walker even it they pick up half his paycheck
    1. Trade Jose Altuve even if they pick up half his paycheck
    1. Trade Carlos Correa even if they pick up half his paycheck
    1. Trade Yordan Alvarez and bring back three major league ready prospects
  4. Would you rather the Astros….
    1. Not even talk to Framber Valdez in the offseason
    1. Make a sham offer that Framber and his agent won’t consider
    1. Wait him out and come in late with a short-term deal
    1. Other
  5. Would you rather the Astros….
    1. Play Isaac Paredes at third base and move Correa
    1. Play Isaac Paredes at second base and move Altuve
    1. Shuttle Pena, Correa, Paredes, Altuve and Alvarez in some odd-wad deal filling third base, shortstop, second base, left field and DH
    1. Other
  6. Would you rather hate….
    1. The Mariners
    1. The Rangers
    1. The Yankees
    1. The Dodgers
  7. Would you rather the Astros….
    1. Forget about the luxury tax and go all Dodgers/Mets in blowing their budget for a short-term run
    1. Blow it up ala 2011-2014 and re-set things for another sustained run at the top
    1. Get out the bubble gum and patch the boat enough to get to the playoffs and pray for a miracle run
    1. Other
  8. Would you rather the Astros….
    1. Spend more on their bullpen in the offseason
    1. Spend more on their starting rotation in the offseason
    1. Spend more on their positional players especially in the outfield
  9. Would you rather the Astros (after an unsuccessful 2026 – if it happens)….
    1. Send Dana Brown and Joe Espada packing
    1. Send all the unofficial hangers on in the front office (Jeff Bagwell, Craig Biggio) packing
    1. Have Jim Crane sell the team
    1. Other
  10. Would you rather….
    1. Go back to the 2017 season and experience it all over again
    1. Go back to the 2022 season and experience it all over again
    1. Go back to November 2019 (when “IT” broke) go into a heavy coma and wake up for the start of the 2021 season?
    1. Other

It is your turn – what would you rather?

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23 responses to “Astros’ off-season: Would you rather?”

  1. #1. I would rather have the Astros hire a combination of hitting coaches. Hire a guy who knows how to fix hitters’ problems and let him hire a guy who is open to the new methods of using high-tech provided data and feeding it properly and in a streamlined method to the pitching coach.

    #2. I’m going to choose “Other”. a.) Sign a #3 free agent pitcher. b.)Sign a couple of free agents who the Astros feel they could fix and use them at appropriate times during the season when others falter or go on the IR. c.) Use their younger starters to fill out the BOR. Keep and maintain the development of their current pitching prospects. They are a large part of their future pitching staffs.

    #3. Trade Yordan because his contract is reasonable, he is desirable for a team needing a big bat, he cannot help us in the field, and we have a future HOF batter to plug into the DH role for a few more years before he retires as an Astros legend. Yordan would bring a big return.

    #4. Offer Framber a QO. He will turn it down. I think he wants a multi-year deal and doesn’t want to stay here.

    #5. I would rather play Paredes at 3B and move Correa to 2B. I believe Correa has more mobility than Paredes would at 2B and we could use that. We need both of their bats.

    #6. I would rather hate the Titans than divide it up between the Yankees and the Dodgers equally.

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  2. Dan, hope you got some rest last night rather than going double overtime.

    This is one of may favorite Dan themes.

    1. Will high tech and old school mesh? I don’t know, but you’ve got to reach the most players and get them to buy into the plan, so I think this would be the best way to go. But you’ve got to find guys with small ego’s that will get along and not throw each other under the bus.
    2. Other; all of the above.
    3. That’s a tough one. But I’m looking towards the future. Get the three MLB ready guys for Yordan. That also resolves the Altuve issue. He’s not going anywhere, but as full time DH, it gives him a home. And it makes us a better defensive term. But don’t stop there. Move Walker and eat half the salary. Infield would be solid with Issac at first.
    4. Another tough one Dan. I don’t want Framber back. Had he given us a mediocre performance in August and September, we win the division. He mailed it in. He was healthy too. But if he’s sitting around (sort of like Bregman) looking for a job in March and our rotation looks grim, then what does a team do?
    5. This is the easiest one for me. One of those three kids we get for Yordan is going to be the second baseman, ideally a lefty. And up above in #3, I’ve already moved Walker out of the way for Paredes. Urias is probably my infield utility guy. That leaves us with a solid infield.
    6. I was kind of pissed off at Seattle for going after George Springer. That was obviously a mistake. But the Dodgers pretty much have a monopoly on Japanese talent. So I’m hoping they get upset by the Jays. I don’t hate them though.
    7. Jim Crane is a good businessman. The team is worth 3 billion plus now. He won’t get reckless with money. He is not a GM though. But if Dana brings a deal, he should listen to him and do what’s best for the long term interests of the club.
    8. Rotation, rotation. The pen will falter without the rotation being stable. This might be a place where Jim Crane surprises us.
    9. Dana and or Joe might go during the season if things are not going well. I really think both are on the clock. And it’s not outlandish to think that Crane wanted to pull the trigger a couple of weeks ago but could not get the deal he wanted done. And maybe those guys hanging around impacted Cranes ability to sign the GM he wanted.
    10. I don’t want to go backwards, but if I had one shot that I was forced to take, I would have sent Cole out to pitch. Otherwise though, I’d like to see the Astros become a dominant group again in my lifetime. The clock ticks!

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  3. #7. When I recommended the Astros go after Tucker a couple of weeks ago, I was basing that on Roster Resources figure which had the Astros payroll for 2026 at the $154 million mark! The have now changed it radically upward, thus putting the Astros way too close to the luxury tax line for what might be 3 straight years. We can’t do that! We have to try to be very creative this season with filling out our team with smart, but not too expensive short-term additions and then see what the CBA changes mean for us in 2027 while we start to load up for a good run starting in 2028. That means my answer for #7 is “other”.

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  4. OP – When you say Titans – you are talking about the Tennessee Oiler Wannabes? I think you are right to point at the CBA as a critical milepost of the future

    Daveb – This is one of my favorite posts to write because it requires no stat research, which adds hours to my posts. This just pours out of me – wrote this in about 45 minutes. I think I would rather see them get three pitchers back in the Yordan trade than taking up a spot with a left handed second baseman – but that is just my knee jerk reaction. We could get three pitchers for Yordan and have them all with TJ surgery in May.

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  5. #8. Other. I think they have enough pitchers for their bullpen. Find a reasonable lefty hitting outfielder and a reasonable starting pitcher and stay under the luxury line and reset their payroll situation for the new CBA.

    #9. Other. Keep the same front office and owners. Focus on great replacements for the coaches they have already let go.

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  6. I don’t understand the trade Yordan thing. He’s 28 yr old and has a career OPS+ of 163. That type of hitting is hard to find and he is not yet 30 yr old. I know he’s had the injury thing. Can’t predict the future of course. Maybe he falls off the cliff. Maybe the injury thing continues. Then again, maybe he stays healthy. And how do you know if “major league ready” really means you get that. If he is as attractive a target for other teams as people say, then I want equivalent production back in a trade. i.e. Already established major leaguer(s).

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    • We have two DH’s who make will be making $25 million or more. Qne would be coveted and young. One not coveted and not young but can still hit. Trade the one who brings you a big return.

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    • We’ve got Yordan for three more years. He might do remarkable things through 2028, but moving him, while certainly both controversial and risky, could help make this team younger, healthier and much more athletic. He’s given us 118 games a year in his full seasons. He’s got a recurring hand issue and has had knee and ankle problems. He’s not a quick healer. Both he and Altuve are best suited for the DH role. Both are defensive liabilities. We only want to have one full time DH.

      All that said, Yordan has given us many remarkable offensive moments. And I don’t think he’ll be going anywhere. But I’d be okay with it. He’s got more value than everyone on the roster besides Brown and maybe Pena.

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    1. Hire a hitting coach that has been shown to improve hitters, don’t care their style. Also get a coach and maybe an assistant, I don’t think co-coaches work very well.
    2. None of the above; better to fill from org and trade for lower level pitchers (not major prospects). They have infield glut and can probably get flyers for OF’s they are going to not pick up again.
    3. Trading Walker, sure won’t get back anything for him so might as well see if he can have a good full year. Trading Altuve won’t happen. Trading Correa, see Walker. Trading Jordan would bring back a haul but it would also signal a fire sale. Trading Paredes and either Dubon or Urias makes more sense.
    4. Wait him out and come in late with a short-term deal
    5. The most real scenario is trading Paredes, see 3 above.
    6. Yankees, Dodgers – not close then Rangers and bringing up the rear are the Mariners
    7. Get out the bubble gum and patch the boat enough to get to the playoffs and pray for a miracle run – while at the same time, continue building the farm system.
    8. Pitchers are too volatile. Spend more on their positional players especially in the outfield.
    9. Send Dana Brown and Joe Espada packing and Send all the unofficial hangers on in the front office (Jeff Bagwell, Craig Biggio) packing.
    10. Never go back, only forward. Retool and come back while still staying competitive.

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  8. Interesting comments everyone

    • Noisilyclassy – Hey, trading Yordan would be a tremendous risk as you point out. He is one of the best hitters in the world (when healthy). That potential trade would set up the team for the biggest “I told you so” ever or it could help them re-set quickly if….they got the right return. The key is totally tied to whether they believe he has just been unlucky or if he will never be totally healthy with his soft tissue issues – hands, knee, etc. It is rather amazing that he has never driven in more than 104 runs in a season. He reminds me a bit of Yao Ming for the Rockets. Tremendous talent who was cut down because those bones in his feet could not support that huge body long term.
    • OP – the problem the Astros have is that they do have two full time DHs that are liabilities in the field. Tough to figure that out.
    • Daveb – It comes down to – if you knew you would have Yordan for 140 games per year for three years – you would certainly take that deal. The last three years he’s averaged 103 games and that just won’t cut it.

    So, I guess I am saying that if Nostradamus shows up and gives us a rhyming prediction that comes true on Yordan’s availability – that would help. Or if the new head of the medical staff finds a miracle cure for what ails him – that would help too.

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    • I think the comparison to Yao is a good one. And Yordan’s injury history would impact the return somewhat. But again, I’d be open to it.

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    1. Mix…but you can’t really answer this without knowing the candidates. The correct choice is someone who can convince Altuve to use all fields.
    2. I think our payroll problems make finding a middle of the road free agent who can be counted on to make 25+ starts and eat some innings the best choice. Ideally this leaves some July flexibility.
    3. My crystal ball is broken again. If you trade Walker then who plays 1st? Yordan, if healthy, is an MVP candidate. You can only trade him if the other team is giving up a king’s ransom. I don’t want 3 MLB ready players…I want future All Stars.
    4. Talk to Framber’s agent to let him know they are extending a QO. It could be a problem if he accepts it though.
    5. Wish that crystal ball wasn’t on the fritz. I’ve listend to some national media folks talking recently about teams overpaying for defense right now (see Urias, Ke’Bryan Hayes). I fully believe Correa is the superior defender at 3B and the only reason Pena the better option at SS is due to those prior injuries. Paredes only has about 100 PA as a DH in his career and hasn’t posted good results. I don’t know if he can play LF or 2B anymore. It might be worth the gamble. If we’re keeping either Dubon or Urias then some sort of rotation putting Alvarez in LF for half the starts and utilizing Altuve/Paredes/other for those other half and giving them DH opportunities otherwise might work. This, of course, assumes Caratini is too expensive to keep.
    6. Dodgers
    7. Are we locking out after 2026? The only reason to exceed the luxury tax is for a legitimate shot at the WS in 2026. If that’s not there and we’re not redoing a lot of the collectively bargained things like draft positioning and international bonus pool money you have to get the finances under control and start repopulating the farm system. If things deteriorate in 2026 then blowing it up in 2027 is likely a reality.
    8. Can Hader pitch 50 games? If so, look to shore up the rotation. I don’t think we can fill the OF needs without being really creative with the finances or blowing past the cap. I think telling Altuve to play better when in LF is the place to start there.
    9. I don’t want Crane to sell the team. I’d rather have an owner who cares about winning and makes some bad decisions than one who cares only for the bottom line. I don’t know about Espada or Brown. Sometimes they look good. Other times they do not. If the 2025 draft class doesn’t look good to start the 2026 MiLB season I’ll start grumbling a bit. We barely saw any of them in action this summer.
    10. Can I go back to the 1986 season instead?

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      • I’ve given it some thought. He’s played there, but my recollection is he only has about 150 PA there in the majors. Honestly, I’d rather see a guy like Dezenzo there, but Paredes is only slightly shorter than Walker and definitely taller than Bagwell so it could work. It all comes down to moving Walker off the roster for that to happen though. Given there were only two players with worse OPS there it will be difficult to find a partner for such a trade. Also, Paredes OPS puts him middle of the pack among 1B so it’s less of an upgrade than you would think, but there is some potential added value going from 27% to 17% K rate and seeing more pitches (3.93 P/PA v 4.43 P/PA). I just don’t think you can eat the $20M in salary to get there.

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  10. As for Yordan (and others) a lot depends on how the season is going. If we are in the playoff picture they will be staying but if we’re out of it the value that we could receive could be “Big”. Of course he has to be having a good year. Our priorities has to be a quasi rebuilding while remaining competitive. That’s a tough one but a challenge.

    I try not to “hate” anybody/any team but I immensely despise the Dodgers and the Yankees. Seattle and Texas are a close second. The new definition of Karma is Springer getting hit on the knee and the fans booing him, and then he hits the winning home run against them. How do you like that now Seattle fans? As for “IT” I’m so tired of hearing it. Makes me want to “B…..” slap those who continually bring it up.

    I think we’ll regret bringing Correa back. I didn’t like the trade but I understand it. We’ve saddled ourselves with another bad contract just like Abreu, Walker, Montero, and a couple of others. We are not the Dodgers or Yankees who seem to have an endless amount of money to throw out there. Winning teams as a rule are built from the bottom up, not top down.

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    • Z, I’d move Yordan this winter for the right deal, especially if it included a really intriguing starting pitcher. With Crane we’re always buyers at the deadline, at least to some degree.

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  12. Texans and Rockets with disappointing starts.

    Kept up with Game 1 last night but did not watch it. Two wealthiest teams in baseball.

    John Lodge, bass guitarist of the Moody Blues, passed away on Oct 10th. Justin Hayward is the last one left alive of the HOF five.

    In my humble opinion, the Astros need better International free agent signings and higher draft picks for two or three years to get back to being a legit contender.

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  13. Here is my ranked list of all 30 franchises in MLB:

    Astros

    …

    …

    …

    …

    …

    …

    …

    …

    …

    …

    …

    …

    …

    …

    …

    …

    White Sox

    …

    …

    …

    …

    …

    …

    …

    …

    …

    Rangers

    Dodgers

    Yankees

    So last year, rooting for the Dodgers. This year rooting for George Springer’s Blue Jays of course!

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  14. I need to apologize for “abandoning” y’all for most of this last week. I have been in writer’s block hell and decided it was better to take a few days off than put out some junk. Aiming to put something out this afternoon.

    Thanks for your loyalty.

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