Author: Chip Bailey
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Porter’s planning for future, but how much rope does he have?
Clearly, Bo Porter is making plans to manage the Houston Astros in 2014. He’s having season-ending conversations with players even before the season ends. He’s begun to whittle down the likely players who he’d like to write into his lineup next April. Truth be known, he’s probably also planning some season-ending conversations with some of…
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Could Luhnow use prospects to upgrade the 2014 Astros?
As many of you have pointed out, Jeff Luhnow may face a challenge to lure free agents to Houston this winter. At least quality, viable, contributing free agents. That’s just the fact when a team hasn’t made the playoffs since 2005, has suffered through five consecutive losing seasons and loses more than 320 games in…
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Surprise! Our conversation coulda, woulda, shoulda been different
Well, friends, we’ve come to the end. The end of the major league baseball regular season. Only a handful of games remain and there is little suspense, at least for the Astros. Well, at least if you’re talking about how this season will end. (Granted, there’s plenty of suspense for the future.) The Astros have…
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Three wishes: You’re on the clock with Dan Peschong
As the Astros streak toward perhaps their worst season in history (again), we continue our look at next season. Dan Peschong sticks to the basics today, inquiring on the three biggest items on your 2014 wish list. • •• ••• •• • There is this old joke about an ever optimistic manager taking questions during…
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Rookies, quality starts no good when bullpen leaks like a sieve
Whether it’s little league, high school, college or professional, pitching and defense are the keys to any successful baseball team. Few teams win without those elements and no team wins consistently. Throw in a anemic hitting group, one of the worst defenses in the AL, and you have a 100-loss team. But, as you know,…
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Why are you — yes, you! — still paying attention to the Astros?
Barring a late-season “collapse”, the Astros are on pace to lose an organization-worst 108 games and clinch an unprecedented third straight #1 pick in next June’s draft. With 19 games remaining, neither Miami nor the White Sox have been able to keep pace with Houston’s continued slide over the past quarter of the season. Houston’s…
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Astros next quandary: Setting the winter roster
It’s been a few years since the Astros have faced the conundrum of which players to protect in preparation for the Rule 5 draft. Actually, you have to go back to 2004 to find the last player taken from the Astros in that December draft. Can you say D.J. Houlton? But as the team inches…
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The Springer Watch is on for Astros
The George Springer Watch is on! Now that the Oklahoma City Redhawks are out of the playoffs, there are no longer any obstacles to Springer’s major league debut with the Astros. Right? RIGHT? Most true baseball aficionados have agreed with Jeff Luhnow in allowing Springer to fully incubate in OKC after starting the season in…
