It's a shame there isn't much synergy in a Reddick/Tucker platoon. Like the idea of splitting RF reps between them next year would be alot more appealing if one of them mashed lefties and the other mashed righties.

Well ****

Come on Arte. Never thought I'd be hoping Cole signs with an AL West foe.

Cole is going to be hated more than Beltran was here

A Reddick/Tucker platoon is a really stupid strategy and waste of money, don't need advanced analytics to figure out why

the last of the bohemians said:

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A Reddick/Tucker platoon is a really stupid strategy and waste of money

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Except it's really not.

We have to pay Reddick regardless and Tucker makes damn near nothing.

When I think of a platoon it is usually, 1 guy hits righties, 1 guy hits lefties or one guy plays plus D and is ok with a bat while the other has pop but is subpar defensively. In this case, they're more similar. Both can play avg to above avg D. Both are lefties. Both are just okay at the plate (so far, TED should improve).

Honestly I think NY is willing to overpay because maybe he will spill the beans on any potential cheating this past year. If I'm Cole I'd say, offer me a record deal and I'll sign and tell all...then after the checks clear, yea I don't know anything, we didn't cheat

Also Cole wasn't here in 2017, and so far that's when all/most of the examples are coming from. It's an easy out for him too if a team or reporters starts dogging him to make a statement on the Astros cheating. "I wasn't there in 2017."

Holy hell!!

Saw quite a bit of activity on the Ranger thread and thought they were making some traction on Rendon.

Turns out they're just discussing the ridiculous dimension tributes going in at MMP North.

If you want a good laugh go check it out.

Ag_07 said:

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Holy hell!!

Saw quite a bit of activity on the Ranger thread and thought they were making some traction on Rendon.

Turns out they're just discussing the ridiculous dimension tributes going in at MMP North.

If you want a good laugh go check it out.

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Oh my. Dimension tributes...at least they're doing something to make it stand out from MMP.

Farmer1906 said:

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When I think of a platoon it is usually, 1 guy hits righties, 1 guy hits lefties or one guy plays plus D and is ok with a bat while the other has pop but is subpar defensively. In this case, they're more similar. Both can play avg to above avg D. Both are lefties. Both are just okay at the plate (so far, TED should improve).

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Yep. Reddick/Tucker would be among the least synergistic platoons of all time.

if Cole ends up in New York...that makes winning the AL West easier.

the Angels will be a non-factor for another 3 years

W said:

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if Cole ends up in New York...that makes winning the AL West easier.

the Angels will be a non-factor for another 3 years

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That would be a silver lining, although word is that the Angels are after Strasburg too. I tend to think Arte is going to get one or the other to bite at a ridiculously huge deal.

Still, I don't see a threat to us winning the AL West next year. But if the Angels pickup Cole or Stras and Rangers get Donaldson and Gibson, winning 100 games could be a little more challenging.

W said:

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if Cole ends up in New York...that makes winning the AL West easier.

the Angels will be a non-factor for another 3 years

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I guess that is looking on the bright side, but the way I see it, NY is the primary obstacle when it comes to a WS title. Cole could go to Texas, Seattle, LA, or maybe even Oakland and I'd still expect us to win the AL West fairly easily the next 2 years.

ESPN article about who should trade who and where:

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The Milwaukee Brewers should trade Josh Hader to the ...

Houston Astros for RHP Josh James and 3B Abraham Toro: Hader's presence in a bullpen changes the dynamic of any game; it looms particularly large in a postseason setting, as we saw when the Brewers played the Dodgers in the 2018 NLCS. That is precisely the dynamic the Astros lacked during a 2019 playoff run that came up one game short.

The real question here is whether the Astros have enough ready-to-win talent in their pipeline to engage in a trade sweepstakes involving Hader. Frankly, it might be tough to pull off. While the Brewers certainly need a starting third baseman, it remains to be seen if Toro could be that guy. They'd need to acquire a stopgap to cover themselves. But I'm more sure about James, who owns a powerful arm and the versatility to work in either the rotation or in a number of bullpen roles. He also has the kind of cerebral approach to embrace and maximize the benefit from the Brewers' pitching program.

The other thing here that has to be mentioned is money. The Brewers' concerns over spending have seemingly fueled much of their behavior since the World Series ended. Yet with Lorenzo Cain and, especially, Christian Yelich still on board, you have to think David Stearns is planning to somehow restock for another run in 2020. So perhaps he would see James as a Hader replacement, but at a much lower price point, and he could then use the savings to address the holes at third and in the rotation.

But the Astros are financially pinched as well and might not want to acquire Hader just as he's about to become expensive -- even if he is exactly the kind of pitcher the Houston roster is crying for. -- Doolittle

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That's a really interesting idea.

1) The whole Hader tweet incident last year was no big deal IMO, but it would be kinda funny if we paired him with Osuna in the back of our bullpen. We're already the most hated team in the league...

2) On a more serious note, I was kinda thinking that James and Toro might be two trade chips this winter if we're going to make a move for pitching help. IMO this might be the right time to sell on James. He clearly has electric stuff but there hasn't been much improvement in his command over the past couple years. Another team might still see him as a work in progress and be willing to pay a premium for his raw talent.

3) Like the article mentions, I'm not sure we can afford him in the long term. He's owed $5 million this year but that will likely rise to $15-20 million over the next couple years if he performs well. Given that we were in on Wheeler til the end, it seems like we have enough ammo to add one high caliber guy like that. But if we use that bullet on Hader, we won't have much leftover to address starting pitching.

Quote:

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But I'm more sure about James, who owns a powerful arm and the versatility to work in either the rotation or in a number of bullpen roles. He also has the kind of cerebral approach to embrace and maximize the benefit from the Brewers' pitching program.

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What do the Brewers provide that the Astros don't, that will somehow help James overcome his occasional spotty control?

I don't think ownership wants anymore noise this offseason so I can't see harder happening.

Could be an interesting back of the rotation guy to roll the dice on. High spin. Pitched very well in Korea the last few years but struggled in the bigs before that. Wouldn't be too expensive though (2 years, $8 mil was his MLB trade rumors projected salary).

Basically the money we save from Jake. We absolutely need arms. We love spin and projects. Why not.

1B coach got a bench coach job

n_touch said:

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redline248 said:

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To bad for him. Maybe if he did he would be a hall of famer...

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Yeah Pete but when you played a pitcher didn't take 5 minutes between every pitch while the batter strolls around the box adjusting his batting gloves and taking a few practice swings. Wanna keep the other team from stealing your signs and relaying them to the batter? Get the ball back from the catcher and pitch.