Have The Astros Made A Mistake Firing Ed Wade
by Timothy De Block on Dec 7, 2011 12:08 PM CST
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PrintNot only is he being paid for this season but he'll be paid for the 2013 season as well due to an evergreen clause that activated at the end of October. No doubt Drayton McLane on his way out hooked up his boys. But this isn't really about that. This is about a general manager search that has seen several high profile names decline to even interview with the organization.
The problem isn't the Astros, it's the timing. Sure the Major Leauge team's bad and the farm system is still pretty bad, but it seems to be more about the timing of the price. Which is why Andrew Friedman and several others have decided to decline an interview, they've got work to do and leaving in the middle of the offseason just wouldn't be fair to their current organization.
If this process were taking place in October or even November things probably are a little different. At this point thought halfway through the offseason Friedman and others have already put in significant time getting ready for next season. Leaving their current position would be hurting their current employers. It happens, but it's not an easy decision and it's a lot easier when you haven't already invested a significant amount of time into the offseason.
It's certainly not the only factor but it's quite possibly the biggest factor.
If the Astros had kept Ed Wade around and began the search early next year there's a bigger pool of talent willing to interview. Of course then you're operating with Wade for another 8-10 months. It's not ideal but it's not the worst idea either. Wade has done an admirable job and left the organization, or at least the farm system, in better shape than it was when he became general manager.
Then again another general manager might come in and accelerate the rebuilding Wade started. And there are certainly some interesting names being floated about.
Changes were necessary for the Astros as an organization. I'm just not so sure the timing of some of those changes were right.
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Ownership had to make a change
I agree completely that the timing put a handcuff on the Astros but I believe Crane had to make a move in an attempt to try and win over the fans. Plus, im not sure if i would want Wade handling the upcoming amateur draft. (1st overall)
I think having a new owner and an actual budget
We would see a different side of Wade. Remember that Dra had Wade’s hands tied with a diminishing payroll and a shrinking draft budget.
Now, Wade’s draftee’s haven’t really lit up the minors like you would hope a rebuilding team would but once again, without a budget to sign the high priced talents in the draft, what could we really expect him to do.
And you’ve got to wonder how much of the drafting was Wade and how much was Bobby Heck, who’s kind of flown under the radar through all of this. Here’s hoping he isn’t the problem
by Its Gonna Happen on Dec 7, 2011 2:26 PM CST via mobile up reply actions
If the owners and Selig hadn't dragged their feet so damn long...
by vicious-peanut on Dec 7, 2011 12:15 PM CST reply actions 2 recs
One more reason to despise Bud Selig
Astros fan for life
by Joe in Birmingham on Dec 7, 2011 5:30 PM CST up reply actions
Just another reason to be pissed at Selig.
I think it was a good move to send a clear message right away and as a fan I’m very glad to see that Crane and Postolos know exactly what they want to do with the organization.
It would have been nice if that message could have been sent earlier, though.
http://www.crawfishboxes.com
Agreeing
I am on record as saying Ed Wade was not that bad. I’m also on record as saying that to mollify the fan base, major changes had to be made, and replacing Wade was one of them. The timing of all this could seriously harm the Astros unless we luck out and get somebody amazing who hasn’t gotten a chance yet. Time will tell, but not having a solid front office together during the Winter Meetings could set the team back even more than it was.
GM
I think we should just keep the interim GM this year and wait till the start of the season to talk with other GM’s or assistants next year. I don’t want a second rate GM just to have a GM.
What makes you think Crane would settle for a second rate GM?
He’s under a lot of pressure with this hire, I’m sure he wants to make it count.
The bird is struggling out of the egg. The egg is the world. Whoever wants to be born, must first destroy a world.
by Stupendous Man on Dec 7, 2011 3:52 PM CST via mobile up reply actions
ed wade...trades...pitching...
geez… wade was doing good rebuilding… re wandy..well, his is a top dog pitcher.. $13 mil a yr is cheap…i am ok on a trade..but it deserves to be a blockbuster… ok to keep him…he isnt old…. myers.. i wouldnt give an inch.. he is worth 13 mil…200 reliable innings….his record last yr means nada…no support…pitching on a rebuilding team..record should have been at least .500….. clee… i am ok on eating half of his salary…i would see it as saving 9mil… still think he is good player…100 rbi man…they are sort of rare..90 rbi guys are rare too…but he is not in future plans…except maybe in 2013..as a low priced dh/lb….magnus
astros position
we are in good shape…we have a bunch of good prospects… cf we got from atlanta..is very good.. a young guy…. bogusevic looks like the real deal…a cannon arm… hernandez looks promising… downs is very good…he needs to be a STARTER…Somewhere…2b, 1b, 3b…?? jcastro was looking good before he got hurt… paredes looks promising..wallace has tons of power…melancon has proven himself as a starter..wandy, norris, happ, soto, myers…and others to pick a starting staff from…i think we are in happy shape…2012 we should put a more permanent lineup on field and see what happens first few months…then choose another yr of rebuild, or go for it….magnus
Im a little curious about the pitching coach situation?
The Astros arent actually going to consider bringing Brocail back are they?
He’s already been brought back for next year. They’ll be looking for someone to replace Quirk the bullpen coach, but that won’t happen until after a new GM is in place.
Follow my ramblings on Twitter .
by Timothy De Block on Dec 7, 2011 1:20 PM CST up reply actions
Wade gave all of the coaching staff new contracts shortly after the season, as I recall. Quirk was among them, but he was allowed to interview for the Cubs’ position as bench coach, which was a promotion. The fact that all of the coaching staff is under contract makes it less likely that Mills will be replaced this year, in my opinion.
I feel like that is a mistake
I dont have great confidence in Brocail. Guess it probably doesnt matter, the entire coaching staff will be fired after the 2012 season and the new gm will bring in his guys.
I’m willing to give Brocail another year. He was thrust into the role mid-season. Giving him a full season with an offseason to prepare isn’t a bad thing.
Follow my ramblings on Twitter .
by Timothy De Block on Dec 7, 2011 2:12 PM CST up reply actions
It’s hard to have confidence in a guy who described himself as an idiot compared to arnsberg & hooten.
I think I’d like to keep brocail in the organization but just not as the big club’s pitching coach. Maybe as a scout or a minor league coach if he’d take that kind of job.
by man07 on Dec 7, 2011 3:14 PM CST via mobile up reply actions
No doubt the timing is bad. But I don’t get the impression that the timing of the interviews is the major factor for Friedman. We’ve heard from the beginning that he would be unlikely to leave Tampa Bay. I just saw the interview with Gammon at astros.com, and he said that Friedman is likely to get an ownership interest in the Rays if he stays.
I think the word was already out on the street that Crane and Postolos intended to re-mold the organization’s front office and bring in “their own people.” It would have been a viable option to keep Wade in place for several months. But if everyone knows that he is likely to be replaced, there is a risk that the front office becomes dysfunctional, with personnel unsure how much loyalty they have to their boss. That’s one rationale for getting the change over with as quickly as possible, so that the uncertainty lasts as short a period as possible. It’s also highly possible that Crane doesn’t want Wade in charge of decisions any longer. I still think it was best to make a clean separation with Wade and Smith.
I think that Crane and Postolos may have underestimated how difficult it would be to attract GM candidates to the Astros. The professional baseball community is a closed group, and it doesn’t help that Crane and Postolos come into power without any real connections to that group. Add on top of that, the villification (even if unfair) of Crane as a war profiteer and EEOC violator, and the fact that he isn’t known well by the baseball community, it’s understandable that some candidates may want to take a pass. Tal Smith has a lot of friends in baseball, and Smith’s complaints about how he was treated may add to the wariness. I’m not sure what Crane can do about most of this, other than try to impress potential candidates with his vision for the organization. A lot of Asst. GMs may be put off by Crane’s frank statements that the payroll will be reduced before it gets better. Most GMs do not crave that situation.
That said, I doubt that the Astros have lost much in the winter meetings with Gottfried instead of Wade. My impression of Gottfried has been that he is one of the more competent Astros’ assistants, and the Astros wouldn’t be doing much at the winter meeting anyway.
by clack on Dec 7, 2011 1:12 PM CST reply actions 1 recs
I think they made a mistake. The only reason to fire Wade prior to the Winter Meetings would have been if Crane/Postolos already knew who they wanted and it was a done deal.
Wade has been a very strong GM when it comes to trades and player development, the 2 areas the Astros currently are focusing on. His weakness has been his Free Agent signings, something that Houston won’t be doing for quite some time.
It would have been smarter to let Wade finish the year, working the deals for Wandy, Myers, and Lee. Then they could have fired him between January and March and hired the new guy to take over with a totally clear slate and an upwardly moving payroll.
That said, I totally agree with clack above, “I doubt that the Astros have lost much in the winter meetings with Gottfried instead of Wade. My impression of Gottfried has been that he is one of the more competent Astros’ assistants, and the Astros wouldn’t be doing much at the winter meeting anyway.”
Absolutely Not
It is absolutely astounding how far some people will go to defend an atrocious GM. It’s even more astounding how some people care more about the Baseball America minor league rankings than the standings.
Ed Wade said the team could still compete when he first came on. Considering the level that Berkman, Oswalt, and Lee performed in 2008, he might have even been right. He blew it with the Tejada trade, he blew it with the Matsui signing, and he blew it with the smaller moves (Chacon, Villareal, etc.) “Going for it” in 2008 set the team up for even more failure (as anyone would attest to) and he certainly failed in his effort to go for it.
No team has less major league talent than the Houston Astros. No team would trade the Astros organizational talent for organizational talent (all major and minor league players). Ed Wade made minor upgrades to the farm system while completely gutting the major league team. The Bourn deal was a terrific example of the Pirates 1990s model. Trade for quantity over quality. Guys who are slightly better than your options in house, but guys who also do not project to be particularly good major leaguers.
Stop focusing on how the team went from the 26th best farm system to the 19th best farm system. Take a look at the cost that it took to make that minor improvement. Take a look a look at the big picture. Franchise greats have been replaced by unlikable wife beaters and unrecognizable B and C prospects…and bridges have been burned to do so. The team has suffered mild embarrassments (the Chacon fight) and major embarrassments (50 games below .500) at the hands of Ed Wade. The Astros have now seemingly replaced the Pirates/Royals as the joke of the sport.
It is not about mollifying the fan base. It is about getting the franchise back to winning. It’s not about marginal wins, baseball america rankings, etc. If the Astros have to settle for their 14th choice in replacing Ed Wade then so be it. Be thankful that he is gone if you are a fan of this team.
by kb10bu on Dec 7, 2011 2:18 PM CST reply actions 1 recs
All I see are unmovable contracts, spending restrictions, and a delusional owner during Wade’s entire tenure. I can’t kill the guy for the moves he made. My only beef were his questionable contract extensions.
What unmovable contracts aside from the Lee deal? What spending restrictions? He had the 20th highest payroll this season which was by far the lowest of his tenure. Why must you act like payroll constraints are something specific to only Ed Wade? He had a bunch of payroll tied up in good players in 2008 and spent an extra 25 million on Tejada, Matsui, Chacon, and Villareal. Don’t act like Ed Wade heroically overcame anything. He barely averaged 70 wins a season despite spending more money than over half the league. I’ll grant you 1 unmovable contract, but not spending restrictions. I certainly will not grant you “unmovable contracts and spending restrictions”.
Seriously?
Berkman and Oswalt both had full no-trade clauses. Between Lee, Oswalt, and Berkman,50% of his payroll was tied up in three guys, none of whom performed anywhere close enough to justify their contracts. He also was constrained by draft slotting by the owner, had an owner who every year refused anybody to even mention the word “rebuilding,” even in the face of overwhelming evidence that the Astros were on a collision course with a 106-loss season.
You can try to sweep reality under the rug if you want, but that doesn’t mean I have to.
Between Lee, Berkman, Oswalt, and Tejada there was little payroll room
And I remember hearing that Drayton/Tal had wanted Tejada for awhile, and basically told Ed Wade to grab him. That could be wrong, but it’s the rumor I remember.
http://www.crawfishboxes.com
stop focusing on how the team went from the 26th best farm system to the 19th best farm system.
This alone shows a supreme lack of understanding in just how awful the farm system was when Wade took over. It wasn’t the 26th best farm system. It was the worst farm system in baseball. And not only was it the worst farm system in baseball, it was the worst farm system in baseball by far—the next worst system wasn’t even close to as devoid of talent as the Astros’ was. Getting from there to being around 20th is a huge step, and that movement was as much due to improved drafting (still with big budget constraints) as it was due to trades.
I don’t think Ed Wade was particularly good GM. I think he was about average. I’m not satisfied with average, especially since the ML club doesn’t have deep pockets, so I’m glad he’s gone. But give him credit, at least, for being better by far than his predecessor and for at least aiming the organization in the right direction, albeit with some mistakes along the way.
http://www.crawfishboxes.com
You are most certainly an expert in splitting hairs. He’s had 4 years to improve the farm system. He’s had a much bigger budget and higher draft picks than his predecessors. He’s had a much bigger international budget.
The best Astros on the field last season were Wandy Rodriguez, Hunter Pence, Bud Norris, Carlos Lee, and Michael Bourn. Ed Wade was responsible for ONE major leaguer of consequence that contributed to last year’s team and it cost him a guy who had a perfect season on a championship team. The best minor league position player in the system was a Purpura holdover (Altuve) and the next best was a 20th round pick who Wade seemed completely unfamiliar with prior to the season (but he could talk your ear off about TJ Steele).
So in order to improve the farm system from terrible to mediocre, it cost the team Oswalt, Berkman, Pence, Lidge, and 4 years of accruing higher draft picks. Super impressive.
I don't think it's splitting hairs at all
That is a huge improvement to the farm system, especially if you factor in the graduations last year, which (had they remained in the minors) would have probably elevated the Astros to a top 15 system.
I don’t think you truly understand how much distance there is between where we were when he took over and where we are now.
In terms of what it cost, your argument is disingenuous in that Oswalt, Berkman, and Lidge had virtually no surplus value and our “higher picks” were basically ones close to the middle of the draft thanks to McLane’s directive to keep the team competitive.
http://www.crawfishboxes.com
How long do you think it takes to completely rebuild a farm system that is one of the worst in history with absolutely no Latin American presence??
4 years means a 17 year old being drafted out of High School would be 21 right now if Wade had drafted him in his very first year. How many major leaguers do you know of that are 21 and actually contribute to a championship team, other than the once-in-a-lifetime players like Justin Upton or Clayton Kershaw?
If Ed Wade had had TEN years, we might have a respectable farm system, but methinks your expectations were extremely unrealistic if you thought Wade could have turned us into a contender after inheriting the mess Purpura left him.
Worst in history?
I can see hyperbole has entered the discussion. Bud Norris is a brighter star than anyone Wade has drafted. Jose Altuve looks better than any position player Wade has drafted. That does not even mention that Pence/Wandy were both still pre-arbitration when Wade came in. Was the farm system bad? Sure. Was it historically bad? Probably not. Should it take a decade to recover from? Absolutely not.
What is it that you see in Ed Wade’s drafts that is so impressive in comparison to where the team was drafting and what other teams have done over the same time period? He can hang his hat on Lyles and Martinez (even though the latter looks accidental), but the sum of his 4 drafts look averagish at best. That is not enough to justify his job considering how awful he is at handling the major league roster.
Altuve has almost no chance at being a “star”, and Norris has almost as little. Even Baseball America says Altuve is going to be replaced by DDJ at 2nd base by 2015.
Yes, the farm system was historically bad, and that’s the point I think Orem has been trying to make.
Read this
Or how about this from Baseball Prospectus in 2008:
The team’s recent drafts have been downright laughable, and its once-fruitful Venezuelan pipeline has dried up, as other organizations had passed the Astros in Latin America in terms of committing resources. This is the worst organization in baseball, made even more dreadful by some early moves in the Ed Wade administration that merely upgrade the big-league squad from dreadful to bad. The future is very grim in Space City.
Read what I wrote below in another comment. NOWHERE did I say Wade’s drafts are impressive, those are words that you’re putting in my mouth.
Sure, Wade’s drafting improved the farm system. It improved it from “30th and not even close to 29th” all the way to “30th and within shouting distance of 29th, if there is no background noise”. The vast majority of our improvement came from trades. I’m not a huge fan of the Bourn trade, but Wade did great with the Berkman and Pence trades, and also the Oswalt trade if you pretend the Gose trade didn’t happen. But again, the drafting has been TERRIBLE the past few years. Not as bad as Purpura, of course, but still utterly terrible. I don’t care if you’re drafting 30th every year, no team should be pumped to have Castro, Mier and DeShields as 1st round draft picks.
by seanbergmanrules on Dec 7, 2011 6:13 PM CST up reply actions
You can’t judge his performance in a vacuum. Given the restrictions placed on him by the owner, I think he did an average to above average job. He probably was not the right GM for the job in 2008, as ownership still wanted to compete. He’s been pretty bad at signing free agents and giving out extensions, and those were 2 areas of focus in 2008, but once ownership realized the need to rebuild, Wade became much more suited to the task. Go back and review the trades he’s made that have enough time lapsed to really judge, he’s done VERY well. Also, he’s rebuilt the farm in a big way. I think 5 years from now when the team is a winner again, we will look back and realize that Wade was the GM when most of the core pieces were acquired.
by Snake Diggity on Dec 7, 2011 2:58 PM CST up reply actions
Ah yes. The 9 year rebuilding plan. What a hero Ed Wade would be if it only took him a decade to rebuild. After all, he was saddled with a middle of the pack payroll, veteran superstars, and a bunch of high draft picks.
The farm system is better because of Oswalt, Berkman, and Pence trades, not because the Wade/Heck combo has lit it up in the draft. How much of an idiot would Wade have to be to trade all his major league talent and not improve the farm system? How low are the standards you hold the GM to?
And finally...
You’re killing Wade for doing his job? Trading those guys when it was obvious the team was a disaster? There’s no pleasing some people.
Nope
I’m not killing him for trading those guys. I will kill him for a 56 win disaster when he was granted a Wandy/Bud/Pence head-start. I will kill him for needlessly and endlessly tinkering with his bullpen that always turns out to be horrific anyways. I will kill him for having to DFA guys and eat salary 3 years in a row (Matsui, Feliz, Hall) with a 4th (Lyon) sure to come this season.
But no, I won’t criticize him for trading Oswalt or Berkman. The Oswalt trade looks terrific right now though. An out of shape 1b the team has already apparently given up upon, a pitcher who is a non-asset, and an athletic shortstop high on tools but short on performance playing at least 2 levels higher than he should be.
We know Ed Wade has done a horrific job at the major league level. I would think that point is inarguable even for the staunch Wade defenders. So what exactly is your argument? His drafts have been great? Well, no they haven’t. The early returns from his trades have been great? Uh, well, no they haven’t. He deserves another 5-6 years to prove his case though right? Those are reasonable and normal industry standards right?
He traded feliz to the cards
It was the high point of his time here if you ask me.
by ntn on Dec 7, 2011 4:12 PM CST up reply actions
Feliz for carpenter was a pretty good trade. Carpenter is doing pretty good and should be a decent reliever
by Woodlands'stro on Dec 7, 2011 4:15 PM CST via mobile up reply actions
You wan to kill wade? Seriously? That’s a bit too much, don’t you think?
by Woodlands'stro on Dec 7, 2011 4:13 PM CST via mobile up reply actions
I think he was responding to a comment that he was “killing Wade for trading Oswalt and Berkman…” He just carried through with the previous commenter’s term to say what he didn’t like about Wade. I’m not in the argument, but it’s pretty clear that he wasn’t using the word “kill” in any literal fashion.
Not sure why it posted twice
by Woodlands'stro on Dec 7, 2011 4:34 PM CST via mobile up reply actions
You are far, far too early in your assumptions. You want a winner now, and you’re killing him for what he’s done. But your expectations are beyond unrealistic. Oswalt was an injury-prone fading star when the Astros traded him. Wallace is still only 25, Happ had never before posted an ERA higher than 3.75 and so stands to improve (and was never expected to be more than a fourth starter anyway), and Villar is the #4 or 5 ranked prospect in the Astros system right now. Honestly, what more do you want for an aging and expensive pitcher with a complete no-trade clause?
I never said Wade’s drafts were great. I said he was hamstrung by an owner who wouldn’t let him spend over-slot. Stop putting words in my mouth.
If you want to kill him for his major league signings, that’s fine. But I’d like to point out that bargain-hunting was about all he could do if he wanted to avoid signing Type A or Type B free agents, and thereby losing the draft picks that he so desperately needed. Signing better players in Free Agency would have further destroyed the farm system, and you’re already crushing him for taking too long to improve it and/or not improving it enough. You absolutely can not have it both ways on a rebuilding team!
Sorry, your anger-laden arguments are too full of holes for me to be swayed.
Speaking of assumptions….you are making quite a few yourself. I never said I wanted a winner now. I do want something north of 56 wins in the near future though.
Oswalt was the best starting pitcher by far on the market. He might have been the best pitcher in the baseball from the time he was traded through the end of the season. His no-trade clause was no longer any kind of stumbling block and the Phillies were far from his 1st choice. So yes, I do expect more than a 1b who can’t hit, a 5th/6th starter, and a lottery ticket especially since the team paid a huge chunk of his salary as well.
The Astros have a below average farm system. If you expand that to pre-arbitration players the Astros fall even further in the rankings. If you expand that to overall organizational talent the Astros are dead last. I see no reason why they should give Ed Wade more time to make marginal improvements. I am less interested in the Schafer/Wallace/Villar 10 year rebuilding plan than you are.
Things I will concede to you:
-Wade did a poor job with free agent signings.
-Nobody should ever lose 106 games. Ever. There’s never an excuse for that, no matter the restrictions. So in 2011 at the major league level, Wade failed.
-Wade did a poor job trying to make the ‘08 and ’09 teams contenders. The judgement here is slightly clouded because we can’t know exactly what restrictions the owner put on him.
Other than that, Wade has won virtually every trade he has made, gotten very good value out of the waiver system, and drastically improved the farm.
by Snake Diggity on Dec 7, 2011 5:27 PM CST up reply actions
Also, I would ask you, under the same payroll restrictions, what moves would you have made instead? Even with the benefit of hindsight, it’s hard to make significant improvements with the payroll and ownership demands.
by Snake Diggity on Dec 7, 2011 5:28 PM CST up reply actions
Dude, compare the ‘08 – ’11 drafts with the ’03-’07 drafts.
Unfortunately unless you have an owner ready to immediately inject $50+ extra into the payroll, yes, it does take 5 years to rebuild. Wade wasn’t allowed to actually start rebuilding until 2010. In 2008 and 2009 he was forced to try and compete with aging, overpaid former stars and limited payroll.
by Snake Diggity on Dec 7, 2011 5:24 PM CST up reply actions
‘03-’07 – old dog shit.
‘08-’11 – old dog shit with some sparkles on it and a happy meal toy.
Just because thing B is better than thing A doesn’t mean it is good, or even close to average.
by seanbergmanrules on Dec 7, 2011 6:18 PM CST up reply actions
Not our fault that the timing was bad.
Blame that on Selig.
As for firing Wade in general, I couldn’t care less about the timing. The point is that we got rid of him so we can get a GM who best fits our current situation.
I have faith that either Picollo or White can turn us around. Their strengths are scouting and player development, and that’s the way we’re going to improve our future.
"Hakeem couldn't kick your ass cuz you were too
close kissin his!"- Sir Charles to Kenny Smith.
Buerle signed with the Marlins for 4yrs 58
You guys think this might have an effect on how Wandy’s contract is viewed. I can’t remember the specifics of his contract, right now.
I think it makes Wandy’s deal look better. His #‘s compare favorably to Buerhle, but his reputation doesn’t; still, I think he could fetch 4yrs $48M if were a free agent, which means he has surplus value and should fetch a decent prospect or two even if Houston doesn’t eat any money.
by Snake Diggity on Dec 7, 2011 5:33 PM CST up reply actions
Yeah. That's what I'm thinking. Levine just tweeted something.
@zacharylevine
Zachary Levine
Buehrle deal helps clear logjam, might help Wandy trade, but Gottfried still murky on having any deal done before leaving winter meetings.
Apparently the Nationals were heartbroken that they didn’t get Buerhle, that’s where I’d look 1st if I were Gottfried. Wandy for AAA SS Steve Lombardozzi, MLB SP Brad Peacock, and A SS Jason Martinson?
by Snake Diggity on Dec 7, 2011 5:46 PM CST up reply actions
I always thought Wandy was a good fit for the Nationals
That return again, sounds unrealistic to me though. I think you’re overshooting his surplus value by about 2x what people would actually be willing to pay. I’d consider Wandy for Peacock straight up, given that it’s been stated that the Astros are refusing to pay any salary in a Wandy trade.
http://www.crawfishboxes.com
I don’t see Lombardozzi or Martinson as big prospects, fringe org top-10 guys. And I don’t think Peacock is a top 50 prospect, although he is definitely a top 100 guy. I’ve mentioned before that I think Wandy should bring in close to what Houston got for Oswalt, which was a top 100 prospect (Wallace/Peacock), an org top 10 guy (Villar/Lombardozzi), and an org top 30 guy (Happ/Martinson). But I guess since Houston ate money in the Oswalt deal they shouldn’t expect as much in a trade involving Wandy that doesn’t involve them sending money along.
by Snake Diggity on Dec 7, 2011 5:53 PM CST up reply actions
I think you may be undervaluing Lombardozzi a bit. He’s a fringe top 10 guy in the Nationals’ system, but the Nationals’ system is a lot stronger than ours. He would probably be a top 5 prospect in our system.
http://www.crawfishboxes.com
To clarify: I don't think he's that far from top 100 status
The Nationals have one of the strongest farm system this year.
http://www.crawfishboxes.com
What’s the story on this Lombardozzi guy? Is he pretty close to being a big league guy? With middle infielders like Desmond and Espinoza and Rendon, do you think they’d be willing to part with him?
He's a MLB-ready guy with an average bat who reportedly is a reliable but unspectacular defender
http://www.crawfishboxes.com
He could probably play shortstop
He’s very good at second base. Profiles sort of like Jeff Keppinger with a better glove.
http://www.crawfishboxes.com
Marlins sure are making
The off season fun for their eight fans. Maybe in ten years out two remaining fans can have the same pleasure.
by ntn on Dec 7, 2011 5:24 PM CST up reply actions
Problem with this reasoning......
…the first question the new owner would get would be to clarify the status of the GM….and if he doesn’t give him an unequivocal vote of confidence, everyone would know he’s a lame duck just waiting to get fired….more instability would ensue, and the job would become even less attractive…..
Regarding those who passed on the interview process: Friedman has a good gig in Tampa, no burning reason for him to move. As for Hahn, Levine and Ng: yes, it’s a real tough job, and they might fail…..So what ? Who says any job is going to be easy ? What we know know is that, as talented as they may be, these folks (with apologies to Miss Ng) don’t have the pair necessary to take on what will be an enormous challenge……Better for them to wait for an easier spot.
Ill take Logan White or Piccollo over Geivett.
Actually jsut hire Logan White, he has done an OUTSTANDING job w the limitations he has – ahem, unlike one Mr. still-unemployed-Ed-Wade.
by YohannDookeyblue on Dec 7, 2011 8:54 PM CST reply actions
Wade is probably in the Bahamas or something
After all, he’s getting his full salary through 2013.
I saw on twitter that it's going to be Jeff Luhnow.
Good for the Stros.
by Willie McGee's Twin on Dec 7, 2011 11:26 PM CST up reply actions
the new astros GM appears to be jeff luhnow, previously
vice president of player procurement for the st louis cardinals. he is a great fit for the astros, in my opinion, having built up the cardinals’ farm system from basically nothing to a top ten system in about four years. if the astros are going to go the player development route, and it seems they must, this guy is going to do very well for the astros.
he’s a savant at player evaluation, basically.
we at viva el birdos are incredibly sad to see him go but we wish him the best. hope he can help you guys become the powerhouse you once were, again.
here’s a link to discussion on VEB, and here’s my retweet of the initial tweet. the woman has since deleted it because it seems she jumped the gun on her announcement. she used to work for the cardinals, knows luhnow personally, and seems reliable. take this all with the caveat that no national media types have yet broken the story so there is a non-zero (perhaps even significant) chance this is not true.
it is what it is, not what we thought it'd be
mlb sources are now reporting the same
Thanks. This is good news for the Astros. Surprised to see the search come to an end so soon.
by conroestro on Dec 7, 2011 11:55 PM CST via mobile up reply actions
he's rock solid as far as what i perceive the astros' needs to be.
it is what it is, not what we thought it'd be
one more, pretty much as official as it gets.
@MLB Astros have named Jeff Luhnow general manager. Luhnow was VP of scouting and player development with Cardinals. #WinterMeetings
it is what it is, not what we thought it'd be
by the way, here is a Q&A luhnow did in 2009 with beyond the boxscore.
gives you a good sense of the guy, very transparent for a front office type.
it is what it is, not what we thought it'd be
Thanks for the link. That was a good read.
by conroestro on Dec 8, 2011 12:50 AM CST via mobile up reply actions
Astros hire Jeff Lunhow.
Wow. Well, they did just win a WS. And I must say I am a fan of the Cards system and drafting process.
by YohannDookeyblue on Dec 8, 2011 12:01 AM CST reply actions
Yeah, Im pretty ecstatic about this now!
Reading this guys bio and knowing what he did over there in Red Bird Land, and he jsut won a WS. Awesome, awesome job Crane and Co!!!!!
by YohannDookeyblue on Dec 8, 2011 12:11 AM CST reply actions
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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 |
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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. |
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| Sun 05/27 | 3:10 PM CDT | |
NL Central Standings
| W | L | PCT | GB | STRK | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Cincinnati
|
25 | 20 | .555 | 0 | Lost 1 |
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St. Louis
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25 | 21 | .543 | 0.5 | Lost 2 |
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Houston
|
22 | 23 | .488 | 3 | Won 4 |
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Pittsburgh
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21 | 24 | .466 | 4 | Won 1 |
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Milwaukee
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19 | 26 | .422 | 6 | Won 2 |
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Chicago
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15 | 30 | .333 | 10 | Lost 10 |
(updated 5.26.2012 at 6:14 PM CDT)
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