"This is going to test Joe Espada as a manager...Ryan Pressly was aware of this."

-@Chandler_Rome on @sportstalk790 on the arrival of Josh Hader to the @astros

— Adam Clanton (@adamclanton) January 19, 2024

Chandler is on 790 taking about it now

The Astros pursuit of Hader is no surprise to anyone on the team or in baseball. They spoke with Pressly about it at the deadline last year about their plans and they've been in contact with him over the last few days as well.

mwm said:

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"Astros signed Josh Hader? No big deal. I'll let him throw the 6th inning only if he's facing righties."

Probably.

Dusty.

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"Everyone want the new guy, but Montero been doing big things in Houston under my watch for a long time, that's why I went to him in the 8th with the heart of the lineup and all lefties. Matchups are fan stuff"

Thank me later"

So glad our gut punch season destroying ego driven manager is gone in 24….

Chandler on 790 telling everyone how underappreciated Pressly has been in Houston.

He's not wrong

Beau Holder said:

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And just in time. The way he would've mangled having Abreu, Pressly, and Hader all together would be impossible to fathom.

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As long as Espada doesn't manage like Bob Melvin.

Padres up 1 in an elimination game going to the 8th. The heart of the Phillies lineup is up, including lefty Bryce Harper.



Harper has the biggest moment of his career.

Quote:

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"At that point in time," Manager Bob Melvin said, "I had confidence in Suarez."

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The season ends without firing your best bullet.

Josh Hader in the 2022 Postseason:

• 5 games
• 5.1 IP
• 1 Hit
• 0 R
• 0 ER
• 1 BB
• 10 SO
• Opponents had a .229 OPS (that's ****ing insane)

I'm positive that Avery, Presley and Hader will be used due to matchups and feel confident that Espada will manage accordingly. One night the closer could be Hader, the next night could be Presley. We will see but it's a nice problem to have these kinds of arms in your bullpen. Thank you Jim Crane!

EastCoastAgNc said:

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Hader wore No. 71 with the Padres, and there was no 71 on the roster the Astros sent out earlier today. The only players to wear 71 in Astros history are J.C. Gutierrez, Carlos Sanabria and Peter Solomon.

— Brian McTaggart (@brianmctaggart) January 19, 2024

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The bullpen with the highest K/9 in baseball last season? The Houston Astros (10.0)

Josh Hader's K/9 for his career? 15.0 😳 pic.twitter.com/BvEShztzDq

— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) January 19, 2024

More from Jim Crane to https://t.co/mDPUQE6013 on Astros' approach: "We try to make moves to win. That’s what this one is about. That was the going rate and that’s what got it done. We’re happy we did and if we have to do something else down the road, that’s a possibility, too."

— Brian McTaggart (@brianmctaggart) January 19, 2024

A 5x All-Star is set to join the bullpen in Houston 🔥@brianmctaggart weighs in on Josh Hader's reported 5-year deal with the Astros. pic.twitter.com/PDBYkHduTD

— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) January 19, 2024

texasaggie2015 said:

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The Astros pursuit of Hader is no surprise to anyone on the team or in baseball. They spoke with Pressly about it at the deadline last year about their plans and they've been in contact with him over the last few days as well.

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I believe back in Oct you said Hader was the Astros top priority so I've been waiting for this moment. Big kudos to you on that.

I'm excited. Great job and kudos to Jim Crane.

cc10106 said:

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Biggest free agent signing since Carlos Lee?

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Carlos Lee was quite a bit bigger than Hader

texasaggie2015 said:

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cc10106 said:

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Biggest free agent signing since Carlos Lee?

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Carlos Lee was quite a bit bigger than Hader

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Both in size and how big off a bust he was

Biggest Contract in Astros History per Spotrac and players I could remember.

1. Altuve - 7/163.5 M - Extension
2. Alvarez - 6/115.0 M - Extension
3. Bregman - 5/100 M - Extension
4. Lee - 6/100 M - FA
5. Hader - 5/95 M - FA
6. McCullers - 5/85 M - Extension
6. Bagwell - 5/85 M - Extension
6. Berkman - 6/85 M - Extension
9. Javier - 5/64 M - Extension
10. Verlander - 2/66 M - Extension
11. Abreu - 3/58.5 M - FA
12. Reddick 4/52 M - FA
13. Verlander - 5/50 M (2nd year option) - Extension
14. Gurriel - 5/47.5 M - FA
15. Montero - 3/34.5 M - Extension
16. Brantley - 2/32 M - FA
16. Brantley - 2/32 M - Extension
18. Petitte - 3/31.5 M - FA
19. Presslty - 2/30 M (2nd year option) - Extension

I probably missed some because Spotrac doesn't show players as Astros if they left the team eventually.

I counted players returning as FA as extensions even if its maybe not technically accurate.

I’m not super pessimistic on him, even with reliever volatility, but it’s a ton of money in the bullpen for a team starting Jake Meyers and J.P. France.

— Mike Mitchell (@MikeMitchNH) January 19, 2024

I keep seeing things like this and it's so insanely stupid.

How many teams in baseball have a better 9-hole hitter than Jake Meyers? And how many teams in baseball have a better 5th starter than France?

Maybe a couple.. but those are not liabilities.

How many teams even have a better FOURTH starter than what France gave us for most of the regular season?

Beau Holder said:

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How many teams even have a better FOURTH starter than what France gave us for most of the regular season?

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I don't think what he did is repeatable without some kind of improvement. I know that is not the point you're making, but our starting 1-2-3 of Verlander-Framber-Javier is about as good as anyone. We have solid options at 4-5-6 and the best "4" in baseball if LMJ comes back.

I think Hader is a smart move. Pressly is starting to get up there at 35 and this ensures the back end of the bullpen will remain elite moving forward. I understand the want and need for another bat but I think this is the smarter move at the moment.

I just don't understand how someone can react to signing the best reliever in baseball with "BUT OUR 9 HOLE HITTER ISN'T AN ALL STAR"

texasaggie2015 said:

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I just don't understand how someone can react to signing the best reliever in baseball with "BUT OUR 9 HOLE HITTER ISN'T AN ALL STAR"

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Some Twitter dork suggested we trade CJ Stroud a week or so back. As long as there are idiots there will be idiot takes.