redline248 said:

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Ok, let's examine the potential addition of Cody Bellinger. Question #1 is where would he play? Along that line is how much? Start most days or platoon?

He returned from injury on June 15 he's slashing .353/.394/.577, 5 HR and a 158 wRC+ in 94 PA. A little over half those games have been in CF, the others at 1B.

In that same, one Chas McCormick is slashing .361/.446/.639, 5 HR and a 201 wRC+ in 83 PA.

According to statcast they are similar in Outs Above Average (90 for Cody, 87 for Chas) and OF Jump (44 to 45), and Cody has better arm strength.

Should they both be in the OF at the same time, and occasionally slide Bellinger to 1B or DH to get Yordan some games in the OF?

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Yes, Chas in LF and Bellinger in CF, Yordan DH should be the "normal" lineup. Occasionally go Bellinger 1B, Abreu DH, Yordan in LF.

redline248 said:

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Should they both be in the OF at the same time, and occasionally slide Bellinger to 1B or DH to get Yordan some games in the OF?

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If Bellinger comes to Houston, I would be willing to bet both Julks and Meyers are out. Between OF, 1B and DH he would be playing nearly every day somewhere.

I think Meyers and Julks have a little more value than most think due to their cheap contracts and years of control. I think that would be appealing to small market teams.. like the Royals. Would one of them plus a couple of mid-level prospects get us Scott Barlow? And then maybe you could include the other in a deal for a SP.

redline248 said:

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Ok, let's examine the potential addition of Cody Bellinger. Question #1 is where would he play? Along that line is how much? Start most days or platoon?

He returned from injury on June 15 he's slashing .353/.394/.577, 5 HR and a 158 wRC+ in 94 PA. A little over half those games have been in CF, the others at 1B.

In that same, one Chas McCormick is slashing .361/.446/.639, 5 HR and a 201 wRC+ in 83 PA.

According to statcast they are similar in Outs Above Average (90 for Cody, 87 for Chas) and OF Jump (44 to 45), and Cody has better arm strength.

Should they both be in the OF at the same time, and occasionally slide Bellinger to 1B or DH to get Yordan some games in the OF?

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If we get Beli he's the starting CFer, Chas is the starting LFer, and Yordan is the DH. If everything is perfect, that's how it should be. Beli should also get starts at first, Chas should get starts in CF, and Yordan get starts in LF.

I presume that it would be Belli in CF and Chas in LF with Yordan at DH.

In games where Yordan is more suited to play LF (home, Framber and Brown starts, etc.), you can also give Tucker, Chas, and Abreu DH days to spare legs. In fact, Belli could play more 1B (defensive upgrade) and allow Abreu to play more 1B.

Also.. I'm not completely ruling out Chas being moved.

I do think Meyers/Julks are more likely because the Astros asking price for Chas is a lot higher. But teams are calling to ask about Chas and Houston will move him if they get an offer too good to pass up.

As much as we like Chas, and rightfully so, he's going to eventually regress to the mean.

Cody Since 6/27

• 223 wRC+
• 1.203 OPS
• .504 wOBA
• .433 BA
• .273 xBA
• 20.4% HH% (only 11)
• 3.7% Barrel% (only 2)
• 86.2 EV

He's 3rd in the league in the gap between xwOBA and actual wOBA.

He screams red flag.

But, just because he is unlikely to live up to the great season he's been having doesn't mean he doesn't have value.

His splits are reversed this year, but over his career, he's hit better vs RHP. That is a need. He's a plus defensive option at CF & 1B. While we have good options in the OF, there is no reason to not improve them more. We saw how valuable the OF was yesterday with Chas in LF making plays that Yordan and maybe Julks do not. He has a good arm in CF which Meyers and Chas do not. If Abreu isn't truly back (but he's back IMO) then we have someone to plug in at 1B.

If we go after Beli it's about 1. not overpaying 2. setting expectations correctly.

Chas is obviously due some regression, but he is still a top 10 CF with 3.5 years of control remaining.

We have no business trading that unless it is for an All-Star caliber talent. If we are acquiring a 3/4 starter or middle reliever, it would be an undervaluation to trade him.

SpaceCityAg05 said:

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Chas is obviously due some regression, but he is still a top 10 CF with 3.5 years of control remaining.

We have no business trading that unless it is for an All-Star caliber talent. If we are acquiring a 3/4 starter or middle reliever, it would be an undervaluation to trade him.

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Agreed. Let him regress to a 115 wRC+ hitter.

Also agree, Chas shouldn't be moved unless its for a major piece with multiple years of control.

Trading Chas right now would be stupid. Especially given the bat you get in return will be more expensive, a rental, or about the same output level he has been at when healthy

Agree YA is better when playing LF, but his DH stats aren't exactly "average" :
.926 OPS and annualized RBI of 126!

I wouldn't trade Julks.

Decided to catch an As game tonight. In town for a conference. Any tips? Hotel is about 10 min and figured I'd Uber. Not sure if it's on the bart line.

JDUB08AG said:

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Decided to catch an As game tonight. In town for a conference. Any tips? Hotel is about 10 min and figured I'd Uber. Not sure if it's on the bart line.

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bring a fleece or a jacket. Otherwise, you will freeze your butt off.

Coldest MLB game I've ever been to was an August night game in Oakland

I think y'all must have stopped reading before I said " if they get an offer too good to pass up."

Their asking price is high.

Perusing C, what about Yasmani Grandal? FA in 2024 so purely a rental. He's not setting the world in fire at OPs of. .680 and wRC+ of 89, but he's better batting left than right and I would think he would be cheap.

MAROON said:

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JDUB08AG said:

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Decided to catch an As game tonight. In town for a conference. Any tips? Hotel is about 10 min and figured I'd Uber. Not sure if it's on the bart line.

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bring a fleece or a jacket. Otherwise, you will freeze your butt off.

Coldest MLB game I've ever been to was an August night game in Oakland

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Definitely bring a jacket. I was at a day game in May one year, it was sunny and beautiful, but windy and chilly.

Also, buy the cheapest ticket you can get. When I went in 2018, I bought a ticket for a buck. Then, it was so empty, I could sit anywhere. Ushers didn't check tickets.

The stadium is crap. It was strange to see such a well manicured field surrounded by the Astrodome now without a roof.

Farmer1906 said:

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Get Healthy

Play the Best Players

Add 1 Bat

1. Altuve - 4 (137 wRC+)
2. Tucker - 9 (138)
3. Bregman - 5 (108)
4. Alvarez - DH (166)
5. Abreu - 3 (77)
6. Beli - 8 (135)
7. McCormick - 7 (146)
8. Diaz - 2 (108)
9. Pena - 6 (90)
PH - Julks, Dubon

This lineup has no holes and is very good defensively.

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This lineup is pretty much what I've been saying. It's a very good lineup very capable of winning a title (given that we add another SP as well).

Mathguy64 said:

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Perusing C, what about Yasmani Grandal? FA in 2024 so purely a rental. He's not setting the world in fire at OPs of. .680 and wRC+ of 89, but he's better batting left than right and I would think he would be cheap.

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I see what you are getting at, but pass. Plus, I don't think his offense is worth the hit we'd take defensively.

Yuck.

I understand - I just don't know what that offer could hypothetically mean, unless we are back to talking about Luis Robert and/or Dylan Cease.

Perhaps for 1.5 years of Juan Soto, but I don't see the Padres trading him.

Most of the players that might be available are below All-Star caliber.

tjack16 said:

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Trading Chas right now would be stupid. Especially given the bat you get in return will be more expensive, a rental, or about the same output level he has been at when healthy

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Only package I would include him in is for LRJ

We asked fans if they had a favorable opinion of 80 different MLB players. The highest and lowest "YES" guys:

Shohei Ohtani, 97.3%
Adley Rutschman, 95.6%
Mike Trout, 95.5%
Corbin Carroll, 92.2%
..
Gerrit Cole, 31.6%
José Altuve, 26.6%
Alex Bregman, 24.3%
Carlos Correa, 21.5%

— Codify (@CodifyBaseball) July 17, 2023

Astros (52-42) have a 2-game lead for the last wildcard spot

over the Yankees (50-44) and Red Sox (50-44)

NYY begins a 3-game set in Anaheim tonight

Red Sox start a 3-game series at Oakland

checking in with the Mariners (46-46)...

Seattle's 10-game homestand continues after losing 2/3 to the Tigers.

the M's have 4 games with the Twins and then 3 against the Blue Jays

could be sellers at the deadline if they don't go on a hot streak this week

Dipoto will always be looking to wheel and deal.

That dude likes making trades just to make them.

I don't believe he'll be able to swallow his pride and be a real seller like we think of but he will be making deals.

Farmer1906 said:

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We asked fans if they had a favorable opinion of 80 different MLB players. The highest and lowest "YES" guys:

Shohei Ohtani, 97.3%
Adley Rutschman, 95.6%
Mike Trout, 95.5%
Corbin Carroll, 92.2%
..
Gerrit Cole, 31.6%
José Altuve, 26.6%
Alex Bregman, 24.3%
Carlos Correa, 21.5%

— Codify (@CodifyBaseball) July 17, 2023

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So we need Shohei to fix our image. I'm sold