Astros Hot Stove Topics
by Timothy De Block on Oct 28, 2011 10:45 AM CDT
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PrintAfter Game 7 of the World Series tonight baseball will enter it's next stage, the Hot Stove season. This fantastic World Series has been a nice distraction from some of the issues plaguing the Astros fan base. After tonight though the focus will shift to issues that will have a huge impact on this franchise.
Typically with a rebuilding team you figure to have a fairly quiet offseason. Not so this year. Not only are we waiting for an ownership change but a move to the American League may very well accompany that change. Throw in the problem of what to do at the short stop position and Hall of Fame voting for an Astro icon and we'll have plenty to talk about this offseason.
Approving Jim Crane
I only want to briefly touch on this because it's already been discussed at length. Reports indicate that Crane and Major League Baseball are negotiating compensation for an Astros move to the American League. If that isn't worked out Crane may not be approved as owner and we as Astro fans are back to square one.
The least likely scenario at this point appears to be that Crane will not be approved as owner. In which case Drayton will have to begin the search for a buy all over again. An even worse scenario is that Crane and MLB extend the negotiation window, thus further frustrating the fan base.
Front Office Reorganization
First on the agenda, should Crane be approved, is enacting a new direction for the Astros. Will Ed Wade be initiating that first phase or someone else.
As the approval process dragged on I began to believe that both Wade and Brad Mills would be around for the 2012 season. I didn't think Crane would want to start a general manager and manager search this late into the offseason. I'm now starting to believe that Mills has a good chance to be around but Wade won't be. The question then is who will be piloting this franchise back to respectability.
The favorite candidate is Andrew Friedman who has been flirting with the Angels. It appears now though that he won't leave Tampa Bay for Los Angeles. Would he leave Tampa Bay for his hometown?
I imagine if he's having discussions with the Angels there's a possibility he'll have one with Houston. The problem is the Rays and Angels are in better places than the Astros are. Is Houston being his hometown a strong enough draw to leave what he has or what he possibly could have. I don't think the Astros have to have Friedman to be successful. There are other candidate GM's available with Friedman's same mind-set, that I'd be comfortable with the Astros getting. The obvious difference being Friedman's proven track record.
Free Agency and Trade Market
With or without a new GM what does Houston do in the free agent market. They've got holes all over the field and in the pitching staff but the most glaring one is shortstop. Can the Astros sucker lure Clint Barmes into re-signing with the team. If not Barmes then who.
The in house options are scary. Angel Sanchez how bout no. I wouldn't mind seeing Matt Downs getting in the lineup at short, but I find that highly unlikely. Dipping into the farm system Jonathan Villar doesn't look ready. Wladmir Sutil is defensively sound but offensively lacking. Brandon Wikoff only got 15 plate appearance at AAA. Anderson Hernandez could be an option but he doesn't provide anything significant over Sanchez. What about the free agent market.
Jose Reyes and Jimmy Rollins are out of the Astros price range. Among the more interesting names are Alex Gonzalez, Cesar Izturis, Nick Punto and Jack Wilson. Clubs hold options on guys like Yuniesky Betancourt, Ronny Cedeno, Rafael Furcal and Marco Scutaro so one or two of those guys may become available. Several free agents will be out of the Astros price range. Others will be looking for a more competitive team. That limits what the Astros can acquire on the free agent market, however I think there's enough intriguing names available that they could snag a decent option.
There may be a couple low key, low risk signings or trades, but overall it should remain relatively quiet for the Astros on the free agent and trade market.
Jeff Bagwell and The Hall of Fame
it's another year and aside from some marital issues Bagwell has gone a full year without some sort of steroid controversy -- cause you know the first five years of waiting weren't enough.
Among some of the interesting newcomers on the ballot are Bernie Williams, Brad Radke, Carl Everett, Vinny Castilla, Phil Nevin and Jose Lima. None of them are any where near Bagwell in terms of wins above replacement player according to Baseball Reference.
Among those returning from last years voting are Barry Larkin, Jack Morris and Lee Smith.All of whom garnered more votes than Bagwell. Larkin looks to continue to gain support with a chance of being elected this year. This will be Morris' 13th year on the ballot . With 53.5% of the vote last go around he may require a couple more years to get in. For Smith he's never been able to crack 50% and probably won't with some of the players expected to be on the ballot in the coming years.
It will be very interesting to see how much support Bagwell get's this year as he's been the first true slugger to come out of the steriod area without any sort of allegations against him. I'll als be interested to see if Lima get's some sort of nod in this years voting.
Enjoy Game 7 tonight. It'll be a while before we see good baseball again.
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Crane will be approved. I wish it would coincide with a $100M AL move bonus and 4 compensatory draft picks, but I think $50M is all he’ll get. The shame is that from what little we can glean, it’s likely that $50M just comes off the books instead getting re-invested into the payroll or farm system.
I think Wade will be around 1 more year, but it wouldn’t surprise me either way. I’ve been kind of a Wade defender, so I wouldn’t mind seeing him be able to finish what he started with the rebuild.
I think Houston will only sign 1 free agent, an inexpensive veteran shortstop, likely Barmes (which is about best case scenario). I’d like to see them also add an inexpensive veteran catcher with an adequate and proven bat; someone like Ryan Doumit or Chris Snyder. I doubt they spend the money.
I expect to see Wandy Rodriguez traded, especially if Wade is retained and the ownership change is approved. I would rather wait until midseason because I think Wandy will have a good year and the long Houston waits to move him the more value they get out of him and the higher his trade value will get as teams get desperate at the deadline and Wandy’s $ remaining on contract gets smaller, but I predict he gets move during this offseason. If that happens, Wade may sign an innings-eating veteran for <$5M/yr who can take Wandy’s place.
I don’t think Bagwell makes the HOF, at least not for a few more years.
Month by Month Astros' Offseason Calendar:
November- Barmes gets re-signed
December- Wandy gets traded
January- Astros sign veteran pitcher
February- Astros sign 1 OF, 1 IF, 1 C, 1 RP, and 1 SP…all veterans for minimum or minor league deals.
March- Spring Training
April- Baseball’s back
by Snake Diggity on Oct 28, 2011 12:00 PM CDT up reply actions
Hope springs eternal...I can't wait for spring training ;)
Gotta admit though, Game 6 of the WS was the most amazing game I’ve seen (just beyond the Tampa Bay-NYY game at the end of the season)…I hadn’t kept track of the WS much, but I’m glad I tuned in last night.
That game was crazy! The defense was miserable though. One of my favorite games (Not because it's the Astros) that Ive watched was gm 4 of the nlds in '05, geeez that was insane! Berkman hit that slam in the 8th, then Ausmus.
If i were Arnold Rothstein id pay Ryan Braun all the money he
wants to stop going on homer streaks against the poor Astros....
am i the only one?
Personally I would like the Astros to sign no one this offseason
With these signings it will win us maybe 4 more games or maybe even less, You have Harrell, Sosa, Lyles, Myers, Wandy, Happ, Norries,
That can all start for us next year and you have some guys at AAA that can make spot starts. Would like to see a few RP’s because I think that is our biggest need at this time.
I want a new GM because I dont want Wade handleing the Trade for Wandy or Myers personally. I do not think Wade can handle the pressure of the trade especially after reading the article.
There is no point in signing any FA’s until we know where the Astros are going to be next year and what we actually have on the field with these young guys.
This fantastic World Series has been a nice distraction from some of the issues plaguing the Astros fan base.
More like a punch in the gut….
"In the biographies of men and nations, success often arrives in a mask of failure"
by hunterpencefan on Oct 28, 2011 12:08 PM CDT reply actions
Angel Sanchez...how bout no. LOL.
Id like Barmes back or wouldnt mind Alex Gonzalez.
Also, I’ve said this before, but I bet the house that Villar has a breakout season this year.
by YohannDookeyblue on Oct 28, 2011 12:55 PM CDT reply actions
If Barmes isn’t re-signed, I wonder if Jerry Hairston would be a possibility at shortstop. He played quite a bit of shortstop for the Padres in 2010, and his fielding wasn’t bad. Hairston was on a 1 year $2 million contract this year (signed with Nats; traded to Brewers). Hairston played well in the playoffs for the Brewers, so it’s also possible that they will try to bring him back.
I also think that Alex Gonzalez wouldn’t be a bad back up plan.
by clack on Oct 28, 2011 2:00 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
If Wandy is available this offseason which I assume he would be, then I would expect the Rockies to be interested again. The Yankees could also be interested, but maybe they make a run at signing CJ Wilson or go after Jon Danks. Other than that I’m not for sure. The Blue Jays expressed interest last year, and I’m sure there would be other teams looking for lefty help.
Myers on the other hand I’m not so sure about. He may be tougher to generate interest in. Maybe he can have a great first half and generate some value.
by conroestro on Oct 28, 2011 1:10 PM CDT via mobile reply actions
Paredes to SS?
What about Paredes at SS? He played there in the Yankees system before he hurt is shoulder, They were afraid his throwing arm wouldnt be strong enough after surgury but it looked plenty strong at third.
I think he would have to go back to the minors to learn how to play shortstop at an acceptable level. I don’t think it’s the shoulder that would be an issue if he were a shortstop. He looked awkward and and didn’t have smooth footwork at 3d base, and that would be a more difficult obstacle at shortstop. I think he can develop into decent fielding 3d baseman though.
by clack on Oct 28, 2011 1:53 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
Better be careful with that
clack’s rec stalker might flag you
"Hats for bats, keep bats warm."
by El Speverino on Oct 28, 2011 4:26 PM CDT up reply actions
I think they banned him or he lost his internet connection or he died or something. I haven’t seen the recs today.
Lol, Id rather see the first two.
If i were Arnold Rothstein id pay Ryan Braun all the money he
wants to stop going on homer streaks against the poor Astros....
am i the only one?
Id like to keep Paredes at 3B
Hes a speedy, defensively gifted 3B. There shouldnt even be a question between him and CJ. Resign Barmes or get Gonzalez.
Villar should be ready by the end of the year.
by YohannDookeyblue on Oct 28, 2011 3:53 PM CDT reply actions
I’m starting to get concerned that in the face of such a terrible major league club, the Astros might be rushing their more promising minor leaguers. I really don’t want Altuve, Paredes, and Villar to become like Delmon Young – rushed ahead from necessity and hasn’t really figured out major league life yet.
Funny you say that, I think I mentioned Kouzmanoff before. I think he’d be a good fit for a rebuilding team. He’s cheap, and if he doesn’t work out you just “Bill Hall” him and let CJ or Paredes ride out the year.
I just saw him on MBTR’s free agent list. He’s not coming off a good year like Hall was so he should be cheaper. He’d probably like to have a 1 year starting gig to try and establish some value, and he seems like a solid defender which I would like to see the Astros focus more on while they are rebuilding since defense is cheaper and it helps the developing pitchers. I like Punto as a super sub, but I think the Cards or another contender will be too interested in him.
Kouzmanoff had a horrible stint in Oakland, but he came on stronger after he was traded to Colorado. I wonder if Colorado will try to keep him.
by clack on Oct 28, 2011 10:54 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
Fine, they can do that
We’ll take Ian Stewart.
LOL. i thought you said Tony Stewart at first.
"This is a simple game, you throw the ball, you hit the ball, you catch the the ball, you got it?!"
Let's give Jonathan Villar a shot
After all, didn’t the Giants call up Brandon Crawford from A-Ball this year when Miggy went on the DL?
Villar is probably not ready for the Majors, but Angel Sanchez sucks.
It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open one's mouth and remove all doubt.
That would be a terrible idea. He had 36 errors last year. He struck out 28%. I think that’s a train wreck waiting to happen in the majors at this point.
by clack on Oct 29, 2011 11:45 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
Villar at only 20 is still too raw to be given a shot.
"This is a simple game, you throw the ball, you hit the ball, you catch the the ball, you got it?!"
At this point, any internal choice for starting SS is pretty much a terrible one.
Angel Sanchez
Anderson Hernandez
Jonathan Villar
Why the heck did we give away Manzella?
All I’m saying is to give Villar a look in spring training. Angel Sanchez is gag probably our best choice at this moment. But you know, try to evaluate talent in spring training and go from there. I hope the Astros do sign a free agent SS who is at least decent on fielding. Or perhaps use a rule 5 pick to grab a SS. Though if I were Ed Wade I’d use the rule 5 pick to get a relief pitcher. Position players usually don’t fare well after being picked in the rule 5 draft. And there were a few relief pitchers who were selected in the draft that had a good 2011 season in the majors.
It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open one's mouth and remove all doubt.
Acceptable shortstops are tough to find in the Rule 5 draft. Last year, I mentioned Justin Sellers (Dodgers’ organization) as a possible Rule 5 draftee who could play shortstop. He is a shortstop who showed some power in the minors. The Dodgers called him up at the end of the season and he performed pretty well. His offense wasn’t good in 135 PA, but his fielding was good enough that he accumulated almost 1 WAR in 35 games (3.9 WAR for only his defense). Though he didn’t hit well in a short sample, he did hit a HR against the Astros.
I wouldnt even give Villar a look because hes REALLY FREEKN raw still. No need to
get hopes up. Just let him start ST with his AA team and go from there.
"This is a simple game, you throw the ball, you hit the ball, you catch the the ball, you got it?!"
I'd like to see them resign Barmes
keep him for another year while getting someone ready. I don’t know which one the team needs more…pitching or hitting. I don’t expect a lot of spending though, probably next to none. I read on hardballtalk.com that the Rockies are going to continue talks about trading for Wandy.
If they’re going to keep him, I think it’ll take more than a one year deal. We’d probably also have to pay a crappy team tax which would probably mean an extra year or more money than another team. I’d love to keep him, but if he can get a starting job with another team I think he’ll take that.
I would offer Barmes arbitration. If he signs elsewhere, the Astros get a draft pick. If Barmes agrees to arbitration, it might cost the Astros an extra couple of million on a 1 year contract, but that may be a better outcome than a 2 or 3 year contract with a lower annual salary.
by clack on Oct 30, 2011 6:09 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
I’ll be extremely pissed off if they don’t at least offer him arbitration.
SS is looking like a complete disaster next season. I hate to say it, but at this point reading the tea leaves, another 100 loss season could be in the picture.
by Snake Diggity on Oct 30, 2011 7:36 PM CDT up reply actions
I doubt it
The Astros were very unlucky in terms of wins vs. expected wins for one so they’re due for a few added wins there. Even with potentially losing Barmes and losing Bourn and Pence, I think the regression to the mean (pythagorean-wise), improvement from young players like Lyles, Martinez, and Altuve, and improvement from down-seasons from Myers, Happ, and Lyon (joking on Lyon), and the return of Castro (even if he can only catch 100 games, that’s 100 games fewer with Q/Towles/Corporan behind the plate). If we lose Barmes and even Wandy, I still think we reach 60 wins (and I’d bet if we move Wandy we keep Barmes).
by Patrick Harrel on Oct 31, 2011 1:20 AM CDT up reply actions
Lyon can be a serviceable reliever, as long as he's not closing games.
I think the biceps injury had been bothering him since spring training this year, but stupidly, he decided to try and pitch through the pain.
I agree with the regression issues. As a general matter, teams that lose over 100 games will tend toward an improved record in the following year—unless the talent level declines more. However, if Wandy is traded and the middle infield defense is manned by Sanchez or Paredes, that would be a blow to the run prevention ability of a team that we already know will be among the worst offenses in the league.
Not sure Altuve, Martinez, Lyles, and the other young guys are due for all that much progression next season, especially the hitters. Don’t hitters typically start off hot, then cool down before getting to their plateau?
by Snake Diggity on Oct 31, 2011 8:57 AM CDT up reply actions
Just saw this. Very interesting
10:18 AM ET 10.30 | If new Sox general manager Ben Cherington wants someone who is familiar with the team and had a firm hand with the players when he was here, will Houston manager Brad Mills be considered? Mills has been part of a painful rebuilding the last two seasons in Houston, where an ownership change is also about to take place. “If it’s requested, we’ll deal with it as an organization,” said Astros president Tal Smith. “Brad is a terrific manager. We absolutely love the job he’s done for us.” But as of late last week, there had been no contact.
"This is a simple game, you throw the ball, you hit the ball, you catch the the ball, you got it?!"
ss barmes
this guy will be easy to sign…he wont be that popular…with astros, he is starter at ss ,,with others he will be backup… $3m per yr…2 or 3 yr deal with team option..we are rebuilding..can do without him…we are going to go through another rebuilding year…anyway??…so? barmes has never had a long contract….
mike h
realignment
agree it would be good to be 5,5,5,5,5,5,,,,….. al west should be sandiego, angels,, giants, oakland, and seattle…. nl west should be dodgers, dbacks, rockies, rangers, and astros… that is the best travel and tv alignment….also, rivalries…. i am old timer astro fan and do not want them in american league… i dont think crain should be or will be approved anyway…. ?? mike h
state of the astros
i think we are doing pretty good… rebuilding is productive….i like that we are keeping good starting pitching staff intact….we have clee for one more yr…that is ok… 20 hrs, 94 rbis….270 ba… and i think he suffered in lst part of last yr with poor lineup…once we got some young guys in there he woke up and at end of yr was really hitting good.. avg climbed from 240s to 270s….so, i expect mgr will use a more set and permanent lineup than last yr….some guys will go to AAA or AA…altuve, wallace, johnson, corporan, havent shown ability to hit ml pitching….corporan might be backup catcher…he is good defensively and a switch hitter and cheap..team should stay young…keep improving…mike h.
mary jane boy
how is our cf doing? will he get out of his predicament so he can play cf? what a dummy…..just tells cops everything… actually, that should help…if he doesn’t have a record he can probably get it knocked down to misdemeanor…he needs to shape up…stay clean…have good habits…on paper, he is 5 yrs younger than bourn and he is as good….defense is good… stolen bases are same as bourns when projected out…he had 200 abs…22 sbs…bourn had 600abs and 60sbs...3×22 is 66…. shepherd has a little more power than bourn…mike h
rebuilding
when you rebuild, you avoid established players…develop young guys..they are cheap..and old guys you end up with are mediocre at best…barmes is an exception..he is proven quantity… good defensively…250 hitter…some power…but, he is not worth more than $3m per yr..to the astros…offer it,,,take it or leave it…he is 31, young enough to be long term contributor and steady enough to go long term…maybe 4 or 5 yrs…he takes care of ss and an ‘old’ guy can be a steadying influence….he seems to be durable..mike h
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Current Series
Astros lead the series 1-0
| Fri 05/25 |
WP: Lucas Harrell (4 - 3)
SV: Brett Myers LP: Clayton Kershaw (4 - 2) |
3 - 1 win |
|
Houston Astros
Saturday, May 26, 2012, 9:10 PM CDT Bud Norris vs Chad Billingsley Mostly clear. Winds blowing out to right field at 5-15 m.p.h. Game time temperature around 65. |
||
| Sun 05/27 | 3:10 PM CDT | |
NL Central Standings
| W | L | PCT | GB | STRK | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Cincinnati
|
25 | 20 | .555 | 0 | Lost 1 |
|
St. Louis
|
25 | 21 | .543 | 0.5 | Lost 2 |
|
Houston
|
22 | 23 | .488 | 3 | Won 4 |
|
Pittsburgh
|
21 | 24 | .466 | 4 | Won 1 |
|
Milwaukee
|
19 | 26 | .422 | 6 | Won 2 |
|
Chicago
|
15 | 30 | .333 | 10 | Lost 10 |
(updated 5.26.2012 at 6:14 PM CDT)
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