ttha_aggie_09 said:

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I was under impression JV signed a 3 year deal

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tjack16 said:

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How much are Abreu and Montero making combined?

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Frok said:

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Astros talked crap about analytics and then made a series of bonehead decisions.

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Quote:

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After acknowledging his growing role in the franchise's makeshift front office, Hall of Famer Jeff Bagwell on Tuesday bemoaned the Astros' reliance on analytics and asserted that "this game is played by humans, man. It's not played by computers."

"The game has advanced so much," Bagwell said. "But at the end of the day, it's about driving runs in, scoring runs, getting 27 outs before the other team. That never changes. Trying to get a mix of both of those is what I'm trying to get some of up there because that's what (owner Jim Crane) wants."

Analytics built the Astros into a budding dynasty, but it's worth wondering if Bagwell's growing influence on Crane might shift the franchise back toward a blended approach.

"I talk to Jim a lot and the new assistant GMs and so forth just to give my opinion on some of the things I see and how I see it (from) a player's perspective and, I guess, a front-office perspective and how that all mixes together," Bagwell said. "You have to have a mix of both. You can't just be one way."

Asked whether the Astros had gone "too far one way," Bagwell replied, "Personally, for me, yes.

"There are certain things that go on that the numbers can't explain," Bagwell said. "This game is played by humans, man. It's not played by computers. There's a lot of things that go on stuff at home, a lot of things that can happen throughout the year that mean something, and it affects players in certain ways."

It's clear that since Click's departure, Bagwell wields far more influence than his current job title of community outreach executive.

"I don't know. I do the same thing," Bagwell said. "I bother Jim nonstop. I think he's tired of me. I'm just a voice of how I see baseball and how I see the other things in baseball that aren't just numbers. Numbers are important don't get me wrong. But there are other things that matter."

Bagwell's 15-minute conversation with reporters Tuesday sounded eerily similar to a general manager's mid-winter state of the union. Of Yordan Alvarez, Bagwell said, "I want Yordan to play 45 to 50 percent of the games in left field." He called Abreu "our number one target" and didn't rule out entering the catching market despite Martn Maldonado's return.

"I want to do whatever Jim needs me to do," Bagwell said. "I'm not pushing myself to do anything. I know I'm involved. I know I enjoy talking the game of baseball, and I certainly enjoy talking about us and getting better."

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