69 days until spring training.

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carry on

Swanson is an interesting case.

his best feature is playing in 160 games the past 2 seasons.

but very low walk rate...very high strikeout rate.

not a good combination when batting in a mediocre Cubs lineup.

had a ton of talent around him in the Braves lineup

Farmer1906 said:

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BeaumontAg05 said:

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The braves did some financially smart moves locking in the young guys long term, but it's super risky to do that with so many early in their careers. It will be interesting to see how it pans out.

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They have a chance to be the a top 2-3 team in the NL for the next 6 years after being a top 2-3 team in the NL for a couple of years now. I would expect them to make and win at least 1 more WS.

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Then we better win one more WS so there is no denying our supremacy

EastCoastAgNc said:

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JD Martinez to Dodgers. Believed to be $10M.

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) December 17, 2022

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I would have liked to have gotten him here on that deal. Low risk, high reward.

We don't have room for DH only players when you have guys like Abreu, Alvarez, and potentially Brantley & Gurriel. We need versatility.

Part 2 of my review of the Astros 2022 season

April 19th -29th
Record: 5-5
Overall Record: 11-9
AL West Position:T-2nd, 2.5 games behind Los Angeles

Game #11, April 19, 2022, Angels 7, Astros 2
@ Minute Maid Park
Attendance: 30,212
Record: 6-5

Just like that, the Astros dropped from first to third, falling to the Angels 7-2 as they gave up 13 hits. After a fast start in which he allowed just 1 run in the first four innings, Framber Valdez became completely unraveled in the top of the fifth. He allowed four straight singles that plated two runs, and reliever Bryan Abreu gave up three more as the Halos jumped out to a 7-1 lead. Jeremy Pena blasted a solo home run in the bottom of the seventh, but it was too little, too late. Pena batted leadoff for the first time. Alex Bregman drove in the other run, his team-leading eighth.


Game #12, April 20, 2022, Angels 6, Astros 0
@ Minute Maid Park
Attendance: 29,049
Record: 6-6


It was bad news all around as the Astros dropped to .500 on the year and Jose Altuve was placed on the 10-day disabled list retroactive to April 19. The Angels lit up Jake Odorizzi like a Christmas tree, feasting on two hits, four walks, and a Yuli Gurriel error to score all six runs in the top of the first.Shoehi Ohtani destroyed Astros hitting, allowing 1 hit, walking 1, and striking out 12 batters in 6 scoreless innings. Peter Gammons orgasmed on live television when reading Ohtani's stat line. It was a combined one-hitter for the Angels, with only Astro hitting sensei Jason Castro reaching base with a single.


Game #13, April 21 2022, Blue Jays 4, Astros 3
@ Minute Maid Park
Attendance: 36,757
Record: 6-7


The Astros fell under .500 for the first time as the Blue Jays scratched out a run in the top of the ninth as Matt Chapman doubled in Vladimir Guerrero Jr. with the go-ahead run off Hector Neris with two out. The Astros had lots of chances to tie things up or win it outright in the last of the ninth as Yuli Gurriel led off with a single and Aledmys Diaz singled pinch runner Jose Siri to second with one out. But Jason Castro and J.J. Matijevic, one-half of the dream team known to fans around the world as C.J. McMatijevcormick, both struck out. Houston blew a 3-0 lead after getting RBI singles from Alex Bregman and Yuli Gurriel in the bottom of the third. "The season is officially over," said Angry Poster Jones on TexAgs. "Back up the truck."


Game #14, April 23, 2022, Blue Jays 3, Astros 2
@ Minute Maid Park
Attendance: 36,075
Record: 6-8


The Astros' losing streak reached four, which would be the longest of the entire season, wasting a quality start by Jose Urquidy as the Blue Jay pitchers struck out 10 Astros batters and allowed just one baserunner over the last three innings. George Springer greeted his old team with a leadoff home run in the top of the first, but Alex Bregman gave it back with a two-run blast in the bottom of the inning. Houston never scored again while household name Santiago Espinal hit a homer off Blake Taylor to give the Blue Jays a 3-2 lead in the seventh.


Game #15, April 24 2022, Astros 8, Blue Jays 7, 10 innings
@ Minute Maid Park
Attendance: 39.534
Record: 7-8


In the biggest win of the early season, the Astros broke a four-game losing streak and rallied from deficits of 6-5 and 7-6 to take an 8-7 walk-off victory. Trailing 7-6 headed to the last of the 10th, the Astros' rookie phenom shortstop Jeremy Pena belted a 2-0 fastball from Jordan Romano to deep center field, scoring himself and courtesy runner Kyle Tucker to produce an 8-7 victory.





It was Pena's third home run in the first 15 games of the season. Houston pounded out 11 hits, including a two-run homer by Michael Brantley, and two hits apiece from Chas McCormick, Alex Bregman, and Yuli Gurriel.


Game #16, April 25 2022, Rangers 6, Astros 2
@ Home Depot
Attendance: 17,420
Record: 7-9


The Astros regressed about 25 years from their win the day before with a frustrating loss to the AA Arlington Rangers, 6-2. Framber Valdez gave the Astros a great opener, pitching 6 innings and allowing one unearned run, but Uncle Phil Maton tossed that onto the trash heap, allowing 2 runs in 1/3rd of an inning, and Parker Mushinski gave up 2 more in 2/3rds of an inning as the Rangers took the victory. The Astros struck first in the top of the second inning on Yordan Alvarez's fourth home run of the year. They led 2-1 on Kyle Tucker's RBI single in the top of the sixth, but Maton pissed all that away by allowing a double and two singles. Ryne Stanek added a single and a wild pitch to put the Rangers up 3-2. Adolis Garcia launched a bases-loaded double off Ronel Blanco. Garcia improved his career average against the Astros to .983 with the hit.


Game #17 April 26 2022, Astros 5, Rangers 1
@ Home Depot
Attendance: 16.469
Record: 8-9


Jake Odorizzi showed that his stuff can overwhelm a minor-league lineup as he pitched 6 innings of one-hit ball to earn his first win of the season. Kyle Tucker was Big Daddy Kane in this one with a three-run homer off Taylor "Don't Call Me Chick" Hearn in the fourth inning to give the team all the offense it would need. Martin Maldonado recorded a single to raise his season average to .086 and get his slugging percentage up to an even .200. Niko Goodrum felt the pressure of Maldonado's effort, going 0-for-4 to drop his average to .087 with a "I can't believe that's possible" slugging percentage of .130. Adolis Garcia hit a solo home run for the Rangers' only run. It was the 135th home run of his career against Houston.


Game #18, April 27 2022, Astros 4, Rangers 3
@ Home Depot
Attendance: 20,399
Record: 9-9


The Astros got back to .500 thanks to a three-run double by Kyle Tucker and a leadoff home run by Chas McCormick, mixed with a quality start from Christian Javier who recorded his first win of the year. Ryne Stanek, the upjumped Astro closer, gave up a run in the bottom of the ninth but held off the Rangers. McCormick was 2 for 5 for the Astros and Tucker recorded his 9th, 10th, and 11th RBIs. Jason Castro went 0 for 4 to lower his season average to .053, telling Martin Maldonado, "stay in the shallow end, kid."


Game #19, April 28 2022, Astros 3, Rangers 2
@ Home Depot
Attendance: 19,484
Record: 10-9


There's no tonic for a losing streak like playing the Texas Rangers, and the Astros drank it up with 3 runs off the Texas bullpen to scratch out a 3-2 win despite getting only 5 hits. Yordan Alvarez broke a scoreless tie in the top of the seventh with an RBI single. Adolis Garcia tied things with a sac fly vs. Justin Verlander in the bottom of the inning, breaking his streak of reaching base against the Astros 437 times in a row. In the top of the eighth, a clutch two-run homer by the red-hot Tucker made it 3-1. Verlander gave up 1 run in seven innings and struck out eight to get to 2-1.


Game #20, April 29, 2022, Astros 11, Blue Jays 7
@ Rogers Centre
Attendance: 35,066
Record: 11-9


The Astro bats woke up in a big way as they pounded out 11 runs on 14 hits to beat the Blue Jays on the road. Alex Bregman, Jeremy Pena, and Yordan Alvarez all hit home runs, as Pena and Alvarez drove in three runs apiece. Jose Urquidy got the win despite allowing 4 runs in 5 innings, and Phil Maton proved to be consistently terrible, allowing 2 more earned runs in 1 inning. Down 1-0 after 2 innings, the Astros scored 4 in the top of the third thanks to an RBi single by Alvarez, a two-run double by Yuli Gurriel, and a sac fly by Tucker. Pena had a three-run blast in the sixth and Alvarez a solo shot to make it 10-4.

This project of yours would really become elite if you featured the worst Astros thread take of the week on each week.

I remember a lot of really, really bad ones when we got off to the slow start.

Harry Dunne said:

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This project of yours would really become elite if you featured the worst Astros thread take of the week on each week.

I remember a lot of really, really bad ones when we got off to the slow start.

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I believe there was a trade Bregman take at one point.

Harry Dunne said:

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This project of yours would really become elite if you featured the worst Astros thread take of the week on each week.

I remember a lot of really, really bad ones when we got off to the slow start.

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Agreed!

Mathguy64 said:

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The Dodgers are taking a step back to the field. They have a really good staff but the gap back to the Padres is much closer. The Padres are going to hit the ball.

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Saving for Ohtani

Quote:

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Jason Castro went 0 for 4 to lower his season average to .053, telling Martin Maldonado, "stay in the shallow end, kid."

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Harry Dunne said:

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This project of yours would really become elite if you featured the worst Astros thread take of the week on each week.

I remember a lot of really, really bad ones when we got off to the slow start.

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I really thought about it, but it's just too much. Just finding the right page for each game would be tough enough. And to really make it accurate I would have to un-ignore Jet Black, and I'm just not ready for that kind of commitment.

Drew Gilbert is going to play all three outfield spots and bat 1st, 3rd, and cleanup. No worries.

OPAG said:

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One more thing, isn't Hensley like 6'6 or something like that. This is great for the outfield, not so much the infield. That extra reach can turn some homeruns into long outs.

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Well he's not playing right or center and I don't think anyone other than Reed Richards can reach the top of the Crawfords

No reason that Hensley shouldnt be getting priority over Dubon

Dubon should not be on the opening day roster