Yeah we have gone back and forth on Martinez more than once. It definitely wasn't foreseeable that he would become the hitter he did.

At the same time we cut him before a 70-win season to give ABs to Robbie Grossman...who we then also cut. My only point is that we did not need to cut him. In the subsequent seasons we gave major playing time to Grossman, Preston Tucker, Jake, Rasmus, Carlos Gomez and Nori Aoki.

What's done is done, but now with little to no farm system we need to give guys with potential their shot, and I think we all agree on that.

Not a terrible thought. They don't really have anyone there that's worth a damn. I would expect any money they spend will be on pitching.

Let's assume we don't sign George and Reddick is gone. I think I would try very hard to keep both Yuli (I like what I've seen from Jones, but not ready to turn it over to him) and Brantley, so let's also assume that happens. 1st problem to solve is leadoff batter. That's not Straw, at least not yet. Altuve would be the logical choice if he looks more like his career than the 2020 version.

Altuve
Bregman
Brantley
Yordan
Tucker
Correa
Yuli
Catcher/Straw
Straw/Catcher

If Yordan can't go then use Jones + Diaz? That's not really that bad.

I hate to say it...but Diaz is important for next season. He is still relatively cheap. ~ $3 MM or so.

I know it's likely not in the cards but when I picture the Astros in my head the first player I see is George Springer.

Not Altuve,
Not Bergman
Not Correa
Etc

I see George... and I hope they find a way to make it work

J.D. Martinez is rocking a .660 OPS in over 200 plate appearances for the Red Sox this year.

still owed $19 MM for 2021 (age 33) and $19 MM for 2022 (age 34).

I bet the Red Sox would gladly trade him for a bucket of balls (and not much else)

Yeah what a terrible deal for them. Especially that one year he led the league in total bases, came in 4th for MVP and they won the World Series.

Harry Dunne said:

---

Yeah what a terrible deal for them. Especially that one year he led the league in total bases, came in 4th for MVP and they won the World Series.

---

The only reason he was ever good was sign-stealing. This is the baseball gods getting revenge...

/Marvin and Martin Blank a lot of other self-flagellating Astros fans

2019 Straw 128 PA .720 OPS

BB - 19 K's - 24


2020 Straw 78 PA .540 OPS
BB - 4 K's - 20


There is promise for Straw, but he's got to get back to drawing walks and being more difficult to strikeout
His Minor league numbers show a great BB-K ratio

I think the expanded playoffs going forward keeps our window open longer. I personally believe it will stick around, whether I believe it's good or not I think that is where we are headed

Farmer1906 said:

---

Harry Dunne said:

---

Yeah what a terrible deal for them. Especially that one year he led the league in total bases, came in 4th for MVP and they won the World Series.

---

This type of deal kept them from keeping Betts and keeps them from being able to go get a guy like Springer.

Warning - Painful for Red Sox Fans

In 2021 they have 85 M locked up with JD, Eovaldi, Sale, Benintendi, & Pedoria. Combined those guys have a negative 0.3 WAR this year. Say the Sale & Pedoria inclusion isn't fair because they don't play. It's still really really ugly. Benintendi was supposed to be their future. He sucks. Eovaldi needed to be a 2/3 type and he's been more 4/5. JD is one of the worst DH's in the league this year. They have no money and no way to get much better in a division with monsters.

---

First of all eff the Red Sox. The only reason I don't wish total suck on them is because it helps the Yankees.

But dude, they got a ring and the best DH in baseball for the first 2 years of that contract. If they could fire up the DeLorean, they would still do that deal every time...just like we'd take the complete JV package even though he's going to be massive dead weight the last 2 years.

JD has also just turned 33, is a DH and has had 1/3 of a bad season. It's a little early to say he's toast. He's making $19M per the next couple of years, which won't even make him a top-50 highest paid player. It's not like he's Pujols or Miggy both @ $30M and on massive declines.

I hate to say this, but it might be easier for them to trade JD than it would be for us to trade Altuve ($29M per for the next 4 years)...and I have high hopes that Altuve is going to come back to some semblance of himself soon, but it's not out of the question that we could be saying that his deal "was the type of deal that kept us from keeping Springer and going out and getting a guy like (whoever)".

Please tell me that's a joke.

If not George is definitely gone.

Yeah. That trot around the bases on his second Springer Dinger just took it out of him.

JFC. He's a professional athlete and Dusty is basically he can't sprint 360 feet (120 freaking yards) without resting a day.

Our manager is completely clueless. I mean if I'm George I'm offended by that statement.

If I'm dusty I use the "it's a scheduled day off, I want him fresh because we are going to really need him this next week" quote

Instead he basically called him soft

Settle down Karens, he's joking.

Harry Dunne said:

---

Settle down Karens, he's joking.

---

You sure? I didn't see the presser. Context?

Guess Houston won that trade... I don't remember, was this Lunhow or Click?

Luhnow

Doesn't surprise me re: Yuli. He came over from Cuba and we're the only team he's MLB team he's ever known. He's had basically nothing but good experiences here (on the field anyway) and we should be in the playoff mix for a while. Not sure why he'd want to mix it up and go somewhere else at this stage of his career.

Speaking of jokes...

Straw leading off and Correa hitting 7th

Harry Dunne said:

---

Settle down Karens, he's joking.

---

This tweet doesn't sound like he's joking

Dusty. There is this thing in the world of using a DH. It's called a double lead off. An example here would be parking Miles Freaking Straw in the 9 hole.

What a dumbass.

And he's a much better player than people realize.

The strides he's made at 1B are impressive.

I can't believe he wasn't kidding. I didn't think that being serious was even a remote possibility because it is such an incredibly stupid logic chain.

Dusty, surprising me again. Not in a good way...again.

I do not much understand resting people when you need to get into the playoffs for sure and you've had a bad road record. We have an opportunity to bury the Ms and then rest people. We should be taking that.

At this point bat Correa 2nd.

Altuve is an auto out and Reddick, Machete, Straw behind Correa doesn't scare anyone.

Possible dumb question.

Do the cutouts at Minute Maid stay there for the playoffs? It would be weird to have 2 NL teams playing in a stadium of astros cutouts

Our starting lineup's career numbers versus Gonzalez are unbelievable...so we will probably get shut out.

what? Springer not in the lineup