texasaggie2015 said:

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I think we'll see less Yordan in left regardless of what he prefers.

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That makes sense to me, if for no other than to limit his risk of injury.

I agree we can have something awesome. And something needs to be done, there ain't squat anymore.

But the space the Braves have is like 5x the size of what we have available? I'd guess the Battery specifically is about the size we have, but when you add in other hotels, restaurants, etc.

So "If they do what Atlanta did then I'm all for this" may be a little impractical, IMO.

RC_57 said:

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Thanks Farmer.

Considering Stat was my favorite subject at A&M, I love exploring the #s side of this.

Any comments on the bats? Do we place all the decline on the approach at the plate, on not working counts, etc.? And if yes, is that, once again, the wish of departed management?

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Between injuries and a slow start the bats looked "so-so" early, but overall they were fairly strong.

If we compare straight 2022 to 2023 they bats got better.
.248 to .259 BA
.319 to .331 OBP
.424 to .437 SLG
.743 to .768 OPS

But that is a little disingenuous. Offense across the league was up. I wouldn't be shocked if MLB continued to mess with the balls. Plus the limits to shifting likely helped offenses as well (Astros BABIP went from .278 to .294).

A stat like wRC+ (any "+" or "-" stat) is better for looking year to year. We went from 113 to 112. About the same. But if you look deeper in 2023 you'll see the offense got better throughout the year. 99 wRC+ in the first half and 127 wRC+ in the 2nd. Tucker & Bregman were cold. Alvarez and Altuve were hurt. They all got back and going plus Chas lit up July, Dubon in Sept, Diaz started playing more after very limited PT early, and even Abreu got better.

tjack16 said:

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If yall want a pick me up today, here's a full game replay of the epic 2021 Astros comeback vs the Yankees but from the Yankee broadcast. Bottom of the 9th starts at the 2 hour 52 minute mark

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I was at that game. We were about to leave early in the Top of 9 but son made me stay. Best decision I've ever made at a baseball game.

jkag89 said:

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PrestigeWorldwideAg12 said:

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Lonestar_Ag09 said:

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PrestigeWorldwideAg12 said:

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Farmer1906 said:

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I need help. Someone talk me down off of Trever Bauer. Seems like a nice value play with serious upside. If we unload pitching to add a bat, why not?

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I was in on Bauer before it even came out that the whole story against him was BS

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I get what you mean here…but the dude is still a weirdo and I don't believe the story is just BS.

In order to be entrapped you still have to do something. Very simple to not be blamed for choking and beating a woman even if they want you to do it or whatever. You just don't do it. And even more insane don't "date" random strange

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The whole thing was a setup

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Even if true, he is a proven club house cancer. No thanks.

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Yup. He's nuts. Complete narcissist.

But he's good and not going to get paid like someone as good as him.

Farmer1906 said:

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htxag09 said:

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I mean I'm all for it, too....

But probably need to tone down expectations. Teams like the Braves and Rangers can go big because they're in suburbs. Astros are in the middle of downtown Houston, simply not enough room for some things. And the land that is there is $$$.

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They already own the land. There is plenty of room to do something awesome. Arlington has room but the footprint of their Bars and Hotel aint very big.



No reason we can't have something awesome.

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I haven't been in that part of South Oklahoma in a while and had no clue they left "The Ballpark" standing.

So now that the season is over what are everyone's thoughts on the pitch clock and other changes?

The pitch clock I didn't mind as the season went on. I do miss some of the gamesmanship between hitters and pitchers taking time to reset or throw the pitcher off their rhythm, but overall I think it was good for the game. Maybe increase the times by 5 seconds for no one on and runners on base.

The bigger bases didn't really bother me either, yes it lead to increased stolen bases but that led to increased excitement and offensive output.

Here's a cool piece on Altuve with the people involved in getting him on the Astros.

All I do is Nguyen said:

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So now that the season is over what are everyone's thoughts on the pitch clock and other changes?

The pitch clock I didn't mind as the season went on. I do miss some of the gamesmanship between hitters and pitchers taking time to reset or throw the pitcher off their rhythm, but overall I think it was good for the game. Maybe increase the times by 5 seconds for no one on and runners on base.

The bigger bases didn't really bother me either, yes it lead to increased stolen bases but that led to increased excitement and offensive output.

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IMHO the bigger base had nothing to do with the increases in SBs. It's 100% due to the pitch clock and limited disengagements.

Runners were timing pitchers as the clock ran down or just plain going on first movement. Or in the case of our pitchers, we just weren't doing anything to remotely care one way or the other. Framber and Urquidy just made no effort and CJ was so slow to the plate that they were run on at will.

I think we will see a safety base at some point and that will force runners into the running lane.

All I do is Nguyen said:

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So now that the season is over what are everyone's thoughts on the pitch clock and other changes?

The pitch clock I didn't mind as the season went on. I do miss some of the gamesmanship between hitters and pitchers taking time to reset or throw the pitcher off their rhythm, but overall I think it was good for the game. Maybe increase the times by 5 seconds for no one on and runners on base.

The bigger bases didn't really bother me either, yes it lead to increased stolen bases but that led to increased excitement and offensive output.

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I liked the pitch clock for the regular season, but wish there wasn't one for the playoffs. Sometimes the batter or the pitcher might need to take a little extra time to gather themselves. Looking at you Framber.

TarponChaser said:

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Farmer1906 said:

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htxag09 said:

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I mean I'm all for it, too....

But probably need to tone down expectations. Teams like the Braves and Rangers can go big because they're in suburbs. Astros are in the middle of downtown Houston, simply not enough room for some things. And the land that is there is $$$.

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They already own the land. There is plenty of room to do something awesome. Arlington has room but the footprint of their Bars and Hotel aint very big.



No reason we can't have something awesome.

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I haven't been in that part of South Oklahoma in a while and had no clue they left "The Ballpark" standing.

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They converted it to an XFL stadium.

Yeah, it's a very odd and shoehorned conversion. Their new stadium is nice and modern, but that place felt more like a ballpark and had a soul.

Bregxit said:

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Mathguy64 said:

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All I do is Nguyen said:

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So now that the season is over what are everyone's thoughts on the pitch clock and other changes?

The pitch clock I didn't mind as the season went on. I do miss some of the gamesmanship between hitters and pitchers taking time to reset or throw the pitcher off their rhythm, but overall I think it was good for the game. Maybe increase the times by 5 seconds for no one on and runners on base.

The bigger bases didn't really bother me either, yes it lead to increased stolen bases but that led to increased excitement and offensive output.

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IMHO the bigger base had nothing to do with the increases in SBs. It's 100% due to the pitch clock and limited disengagements.

Runners were timing pitchers as the clock ran down or just plain going on first movement. Or in the case of our pitchers, we just weren't doing anything to remotely care one way or the other. Framber and Urquidy just made no effort and CJ was so slow to the plate that they were run on at will.

I think we will see a safety base at some point and that will force runners into the running lane.

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I'd be interested to see an analysis of how many SBs were safe by within the margin of the new base widths. Surely some nerd with too much time on their hands will do that. It seemed like there were a bunch that just got fingers in before the tag.

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I think the more important change for base stealing is the combination of pitch timer & limiting pick-offs. It allowed the runners to time up the pitcher better and free to be more aggressive.

texasaggie2015 said:

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I do wonder if there's a correlation between the pitch clock and the uptick in injuries

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It felt like there was an uptick, but was there? Or did we just notice it more?

Everything I've read indicated there was an uptick

Jim Bowden mentioned it as something that will be discussed over the winter: MLB GM meetings primer with each team's key offseason needs as trade, free-agent talks begin - The Athletic

Farmer1906 said:

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Wabs said:

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Arozarena. What would it take to get him? Aren't they looking for a SS?

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In the short term, maybe.

Junior Caminero is one of the top prospects in baseball. He's more of a 3B, but can probably play some SS.

Carson Williams is another top 50 type prospect who's supposed to have an excellent glove. He' only 20, but cracked AAA last year.

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Taylor Walls will be TB SS for the foreseeable future. He was already a SS and moved the 2B for Franco. They need a 2B and probably a reliable 1B

Lonestar_Ag09 said:

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Farmer1906 said:

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Wabs said:

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Arozarena. What would it take to get him? Aren't they looking for a SS?

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In the short term, maybe.

Junior Caminero is one of the top prospects in baseball. He's more of a 3B, but can probably play some SS.

Carson Williams is another top 50 type prospect who's supposed to have an excellent glove. He' only 20, but cracked AAA last year.

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Taylor Walls will be TB SS for the foreseeable future. He was already a SS and moved the 2B for Franco. They need a 2B and probably a reliable 1B

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He has a -12 OAA at SS (part time) over the last 2 seasons. He's injured (questionable for opening day) and has almost a 1000 PA with an OPS under .600. I'm sure they like him as a part time starter vs LHP, but he's not who they want manning the position.

jkag89 said:

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PrestigeWorldwideAg12 said:

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Lonestar_Ag09 said:

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PrestigeWorldwideAg12 said:

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Farmer1906 said:

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I need help. Someone talk me down off of Trever Bauer. Seems like a nice value play with serious upside. If we unload pitching to add a bat, why not?

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I was in on Bauer before it even came out that the whole story against him was BS

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I get what you mean here…but the dude is still a weirdo and I don't believe the story is just BS.

In order to be entrapped you still have to do something. Very simple to not be blamed for choking and beating a woman even if they want you to do it or whatever. You just don't do it. And even more insane don't "date" random strange

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The whole thing was a setup

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Even if true, he is a proven club house cancer. No thanks.

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he has talked about having rough sex and choking etc women who wanted it….that isn't a set up. Yes she used that to entrap him but he's still a sexual weirdo

Farmer1906 said:

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TarponChaser said:

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Farmer1906 said:

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htxag09 said:

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I mean I'm all for it, too....

But probably need to tone down expectations. Teams like the Braves and Rangers can go big because they're in suburbs. Astros are in the middle of downtown Houston, simply not enough room for some things. And the land that is there is $$$.

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They already own the land. There is plenty of room to do something awesome. Arlington has room but the footprint of their Bars and Hotel aint very big.



No reason we can't have something awesome.

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I haven't been in that part of South Oklahoma in a while and had no clue they left "The Ballpark" standing.

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They converted it to an XFL stadium.

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Kind of the opposite of shoehorning a baseball diamond into old Exhibition Stadium in Toronto, with homers going over the RF wall and bouncing down the rest of the football field.

Imo, If we had Bauer this year we win the World Series.

That's what I care about.

If we don't add another legit starter to this club I don't think we make the playoffs in 2024.

I don't give a **** about his personality. If he's not in prison he can throw a baseball for all i care.

Around the league:

• Dodgers decline option on Lynn (18 M)
• Mets exercise option on Raley (6.5 M)
• Dodgers sign Muncy to 2-Year Extension (24 M)
• As decline option on Rucinski (5 M)
• Blue Jays / Merrifield decline mutual option (18 M)
• Lugo declines player option with Padres (7.5 M)
• Soler opts out of deal with Marlins (13 M)
• Narvaez exercises player option with Mets ( 7 M)
• Brewers decline options on Chafin (7.25 M) & Wilson (2.5 M)
• Twins exercise options on Kepler (10 M) & Polanco (10.5 M)
• Nelson Cruz & Ian Kennedy to Retire

Yainer Diaz To Be Astros' Primary Catcher In 2024

Quote:

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Astros' general manager Dana Brown spoke with KPRC 2 yesterday about the club's priorities. He naturally listed bullpen as a target area with Phil Maton, Hector Neris and Ryne Stanek set to become free agents. He also said that the club will need a backup catcher for Yainer Diaz, who is going to be "the main guy next year."

The Astros have been employing Martn Maldonado as their primary backstop in recent years, which certainly hasn't been because of his bat. Though he had a nice showing at the plate in the shortened 2020 season, he has hit .183/.260/.333 in 1,212 plate appearances over the past three years. That amounts to a wRC+ of 66, indicating he was 34% worse than the league average hitter over that stretch.

Despite that tepid offense, he has been a valuable member of the Astros in that time thanks to his glovework and his handling of the pitching staff. But his defensive numbers slid a bit in 2023, hardly surprising since he is now 37 years old. With his contract now expiring, it seems the club is planning to move on.

That decision has been made easier by the emergence of Diaz, who had a breakout year in 2023. His 2.9% walk rate is quite low, but he also limited his strikeouts to a 19.6% rate. He launched 23 home runs and produced a line of .282/.308/.538 for a wRC+ of 127. Among catchers with at least 350 plate appearances for the year, only Sean Murphy had a higher wRC+ mark, with his 129 just two points ahead.

But with Maldonado behind the plate most days, a lot of that production took place while Diaz wasn't catching. He did get 42 starts as the catcher but also 36 as the designated hitter and seven at first base. It's hard to get meaningful data from that small sample of work behind the plate but, for what it's worth, Statcast liked his blocking and work with the running game. However, each of Statcast, FanGraphs and Baseball Prospectus considered his framing to be subpar. Regardless of the details, the overall body of work was strong and it's logical the club wants to give him the gig next year.
Diaz is only 25 so it's entirely possible there's still room to grow. He has just over a year of service time, meaning he won't qualify for arbitration before the end of 2025 and isn't slated for free agency until after 2028. Perhaps the club will face some challenges in moving from a respected veteran to a far younger catcher, but those concerns could be ameliorated somewhat by bringing in a veteran to support Diaz.

Maldonado could perhaps be that veteran, though it might be tough for the club to bring him back and then limit him to a part-time role. Other options on the free agent market include Austin Hedges, Yasmani Grandal, Victor Caratini and Tucker Barnhart. The trade market could feature guys like Jacob Stallings of the Marlins or Kyle Higashioka of the Yankees.

As Brown outlines, targeting bullpen help will be a logical move with Maton, Stanek and Neris headed for the open market. Neris actually has a player option and no decision has been publicly reported on that, but it sounds like Brown is expecting him to turn it down. That's not surprising since Neris posted a 1.71 ERA in 2023. He won't be able to sustain a .219 batting average on balls in play or 90.5% strand rate, which is why his 3.83 FIP and 3.89 SIERA were more than two runs above his ERA. But nonetheless, he recorded 31 holds and a couple of saves while striking out 28.2% of batters faced. It's a net $7.5MM decision, with the option valued at $8.5MM with a $1MM buyout. He probably won't be able to get his ERA under 2.00 again but he should still be able to beat that guarantee on the open market.

Brown noted that some of the replacements could be internal but they may look to make some moves this winter as well. Josh Hader is the top reliever available but there are also names like Jordan Hicks, Matt Moore, Reynaldo Lpez, Robert Stephenson and many more.

Financially, the club may be walking a tricky line, unless they want to break their own tendencies. They have generally tried to stay under the competitive balance tax, which will have a base threshold of $237MM next year. The club is already at $231MM for next year, per the calculations of Roster Resource, though Neris opting out will drop that below $225MM. Adding a backup catcher and a reliever won't necessarily break the bank, but it doesn't leave a lot of wiggle room if they want to stay under the tax again in 2024.

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Lonestar_Ag09 said:

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jkag89 said:

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PrestigeWorldwideAg12 said:

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Lonestar_Ag09 said:

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PrestigeWorldwideAg12 said:

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Farmer1906 said:

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I need help. Someone talk me down off of Trever Bauer. Seems like a nice value play with serious upside. If we unload pitching to add a bat, why not?

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I was in on Bauer before it even came out that the whole story against him was BS

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I get what you mean here…but the dude is still a weirdo and I don't believe the story is just BS.

In order to be entrapped you still have to do something. Very simple to not be blamed for choking and beating a woman even if they want you to do it or whatever. You just don't do it. And even more insane don't "date" random strange

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The whole thing was a setup

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Even if true, he is a proven club house cancer. No thanks.

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he has talked about having rough sex and choking etc women who wanted it….that isn't a set up. Yes she used that to entrap him but he's still a sexual weirdo

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so he enjoys doing MUTAL sexual things different from you. Oh no. The horror. There are MILLIONS of people in the world who engage in these type of things in the bedroom. get over yourself.

AustinCountyAg said:

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Lonestar_Ag09 said:

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jkag89 said:

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PrestigeWorldwideAg12 said:

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Lonestar_Ag09 said:

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PrestigeWorldwideAg12 said:

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Farmer1906 said:

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I need help. Someone talk me down off of Trever Bauer. Seems like a nice value play with serious upside. If we unload pitching to add a bat, why not?

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I was in on Bauer before it even came out that the whole story against him was BS

---

I get what you mean here…but the dude is still a weirdo and I don't believe the story is just BS.

In order to be entrapped you still have to do something. Very simple to not be blamed for choking and beating a woman even if they want you to do it or whatever. You just don't do it. And even more insane don't "date" random strange

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The whole thing was a setup

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Even if true, he is a proven club house cancer. No thanks.

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he has talked about having rough sex and choking etc women who wanted it….that isn't a set up. Yes she used that to entrap him but he's still a sexual weirdo

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so he enjoys doing MUTAL sexual things different from you. Oh no. The horror. There are MILLIONS of people in the world who engage in these type of things in the bedroom. get over yourself.

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I'm sure there are mkinks on TexAgs. Personal life should stay personal.

Farmer1906 said:

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HarryRocket said:

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Imo, If we had Bauer this year we win the World Series.

That's what I care about.

If we don't add another legit starter to this club I don't think we make the playoffs in 2024.

I don't give a **** about his personality. If he's not in prison he can throw a baseball for all i care.

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Seems like a little much, here. Things went about as bad as they could and we still won the division and made the playoffs.

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I'm basing this on projection. Name one Astros starter who isn't projecting down right now.

Verlander? Dude is old, he's not getting better
Javier? Nope.
Valdez? Nope
France? Inning eater but clock may have struck midnight
Garcia? Still hurt, who knows
Brown? Nope.
Urquidy? Maybe? But nope. was injured most of the season.
LMJ? I wouldn't rely on him to have a snack day for my kids soccer team

We need 1 starter to make the playoffs, 2 if we're being honest.

This staff requires a 6 man rotation with another in the pen who can start in a pinch.

This was also unicorn year. Every single contention team will be better in 24. If 23 is your measuring stick, 24 will come up short.