I think some people just wanted to have the experience of going. Weird I know but its a possibility

iBrad said:

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Living in DFW, I have friends that attended the parade today that I didn't even know were Rangers fans. I know we had our fair share of bandwagon fans, too, but it's crazy seeing them pour out of the woodworks these past few days with all the look at me celebrating my team's championship Facebook posts.

When we won in 2017, I popped a bottle of champagne and had sex with the wife, neither of which was posted on Facebook.

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Rules

tjack16 said:

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Farmer1906 said:

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let's play... DO YOU EXTEND ALEX BREGMAN?!!?

Matt Chapman vs Alex Bregman

Last 3 Seasons:
WAR 12.0 vs 11.7
wRC+: 127 vs 110
FRV: 3 vs 15
HR: 60 vs 71
GP: 407 vs 446

This compares Bregman's age 27-29 seasons vs Chapman's 28-30. It's not quite an apples-to-apple comparison yet, but I think he's a good comp to Bregman. They'll hit FA at the same age, same position, similar #s. Breggy is better offensive while Chapman is better defensively.

Right now the projections for Chapman are:
Athletic #1 5/95 (19)
Athletic #2 6/127 (21.2)
Spotrac 6/103 (17.2)
Somewhere in the middle is 6/114

Bregman is owed 28.5 M for 2024. What would you be willing to tack on?

Assume Bregman gets ~10% more and an extra year.

Would you give him 7/147? [8/175.5]

Or 15% more, same years

Would you sign him for 6/132? [7/160.5]

If not these, what # would you feel comfortable giving him?

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I'd offer Alex 5 years/120MM as a start. Then negotiate from there as my starting point.

Wouldn't go above 6 years or more than 30M for AAV.

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Extensions are always a little confusing for me when discussing. I assume you mean 5/120 tacked onto what he has left. That would 6/148.5. It's slightly higher AAV than posted. It could get it done.

The Braves liked to tack on club options to the end of deals. I could see that as a possibility with Dana now. 5/120 with two 20 million club options make it look more impressive. He can say he got 7/170 or even 8/198.5.

A lot will depend on if they try to get it done this offseason or wait it out. If Breggy goes nuts, then we can throw this out the window.

Yeah adding 5 years 120 to his current deal. So you have him through age 36-37 season.

the one bugaboo with AB as he gets older...

he's going to be a GiDP machine

hit into 22 last year and he's not getting faster

which is why he can't hit behind Yordan -- needs to hit in front of him due to his high walks numbers

also...the new manager needs to help the GiDP situation with steal attempts, hit & runs, etc..,

Looks like the real Astro I slider is dropping some serious scoops.

I’m just a nobody who knows nobody. pic.twitter.com/85o1mUT0xi

— Bonda (@BenOndaTop) November 4, 2023

Hard to say. I’d say 95-100% on the legitimacy of this being the Astros intent. I trust the info. But, it takes two to tango obviously. https://t.co/Z1UdIivqM8

— Bonda (@BenOndaTop) November 4, 2023

Yeah I'd guess HB, Peña and Chas just to get the conversation started.

Some midseason Bonds tweets.

Just spit balling. But, I feel like if the Astros wanted to get done a deal for Cease AND Robert. We’d be looking at the largest departure of assets in franchise history. Prolly something like, Chas, Melton, Gilbert, Spaghetti, Leon and Luis Garcia OR Hunter Brown. PRICEY.

— Bonda (@BenOndaTop) July 20, 2023

The White Sox probably the worst run franchise in the league. They wanted a package of Framber/Peña PLUS top prospects for Robert/Cease lmaooo. The logic is crazy.

— Bonda (@BenOndaTop) August 3, 2023

I'd be willing to part with Pena for Cease or Robert for sure. I want Cease more though

Crazy how Pena was World Series and ALCS MVP and one year removed we're ready to get rid of him.

I understand it's business and Robert is better but damn.

Now trading Framber for Cease I'm all for.

All I do is Nguyen said:

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Crazy how Pena was World Series and ALCS MVP and one year removed we're ready to get rid of him.

I understand it's business and Robert is better but damn.

Now trading Framber for Cease I'm all for.

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I'm not ready to get rid of him but if he's the price to pay for a combo of Cease and Robert then sign me up. That's a cy young finalist and an all star bat added to this lineup.

Trading Cease and Robert would be a rebuild move for the Sox. Not sure why they'd want Framber in return. He has same amount of team control as Cease and less than Robert. Then he's probly gone and looking to get paid.

It would have to be Brown, Pena, Melton, Loperfield, & Arrighetti. And even then I don't know if they'd go for it.

Farmer1906 said:

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It would have to be Brown, Pena, Melton, Loperfield, & Arrighetti. And even then I don't know if they'd go for it.

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Yea it'd probly take more than that. Which would effectively push a lot of our chips in over the next 2 years. I'm more and more cool with that idea tho.

I'd personally just go for one of them and not both. Would be too much to give up.

Either one of them I'd be good giving up quite a bit for but I'm not sure I'd be okay with giving up pretty much the entire future for both of them.

Setting proper valuation aside as another argument, you would be acquiring 4 years of Robert control, which would offset the hurt of losing multiple OF prospects. In fact, you would have long term OF control with Robert and Chas, with Tucker's free agency in 2 years your only vulnerability. Robert is a stud with health being his only question mark.

Brown and Arrighetti for Cease is steeper in terms of control. 5 years of Brown and 6 years of Arrighetti for 2 years of Cease. I think Cease could be a Cole-like acquisition for us, which would obviously have strong value.

I think one of keys in such a discussion is what valuation you put on Brown moving forward.

I'm afraid I'm gonna turn into a broken record, but I'm super high on Brown.

Ag_07 said:

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If any one hasn't watched the Netflix Untold episode on BALCO go do it now. It's a wild story.

I remember when all that happened but I was too young to remember the details.

Victor Conte is one large POS and Barry Bonds ain't far behind.

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Thanks for the recommendation on this one. I watched it last night and it brought back all the hatred for Bonds and that whole era again.

I remember buying tickets in the Crawford boxes back in '07 when Bonds and the Giants came through and brought 250 sheets of paper I had printed with a giant asterisk on them. I started passing them out to everyone in the sections around me and then security came and took them all and threatened to kick me out if I did it again.

I am as well, which is why I would not make the trade for the package listed above. Cease may possibly be better than Brown the next two years, but giving up 5 years of cheap Brown PLUS more controllable pitching is not a trade I would make.

I would counter with Peña, Melton, Loperfido, France, Arrighetti, and one more decent prospect.

Farmer1906 said:

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Astros to break ground on entertainment district near Minute Maid Park in 2024

Quote:

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The Houston Astros are pumping new life into efforts to develop an area outside Minute Maid Park that could transform downtown parking lots into an entertainment and hospitality complex expected to draw visitors year-round.

...

The development could create an entertainment destination similar to Ballpark Village outside of Busch Stadium, home of the St. Louis Cardinals, and The Battery Atlanta next to the Braves' Truist Park. Those mixed-use developments, owned at least in part by the partners who control their respective ballclubs, attract visitors year-round for all types of events.

...

Astros owner Jim Crane had discussed plans for such a complex in 2021, but the pandemic put them on hold. While the plan's details are still being worked out, the project could include a 17-story, 300-room luxury hotel, Kibbe said in an interview Thursday.

The hotel would be connected to an estimated 60,000 square feet of stores and to bars and restaurants that would include a mix of high-end and casual spots.

"On the side of Minute Maid, there's going to be a massive jumbotron so people up and down the street could watch the game," Kibbe added.

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What St Louis and Atlanta have going on.

Ballpark Villiage




Battery Atlanta




Arlington has a spot like this too.

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https://www.reddit.com/r/houston/s/lxFqAafeE1

Deluxe said:

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Trading Cease and Robert would be a rebuild move for the Sox. Not sure why they'd want Framber in return. He has same amount of team control as Cease and less than Robert. Then he's probly gone and looking to get paid.

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I've got a good buddy that is a huge white Sox fan who follows them like we follow the Astros and he says Reinsdorf doesn't want a rebuild. That's why they want MLB ready talent for either of those guys.

This is true. This is rational thinking, which is why I don't see such a trade happening, despite Bonda's "expert" intel.

But then again there is a reason why the White Sox are the White Sox.

Beat40 said:

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Deluxe said:

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Trading Cease and Robert would be a rebuild move for the Sox. Not sure why they'd want Framber in return. He has same amount of team control as Cease and less than Robert. Then he's probly gone and looking to get paid.

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I've got a good buddy that is a huge white Sox fan who follows them like we follow the Astros and he says Reinsdorf doesn't want a rebuild. That's why they want MLB ready talent for either of those guys.

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If true then why would they trade Cease or Robert? Just don't see this happening unless we're willing to give up Pena, Urquidy, Chas, and a prospect or two. Personally I would consider it, but don't think Dana would.

Beat40 said:

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Deluxe said:

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Trading Cease and Robert would be a rebuild move for the Sox. Not sure why they'd want Framber in return. He has same amount of team control as Cease and less than Robert. Then he's probly gone and looking to get paid.

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I've got a good buddy that is a huge white Sox fan who follows them like we follow the Astros and he says Reinsdorf doesn't want a rebuild. That's why they want MLB ready talent for either of those guys.

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I've heard similar things. But yea, like others have said, if they aren't interested in rebuilding, seems like it would be odd to deal Cease and Robert.

And it would make very little sense for us to include Framber or any other "win-now" guy on our roster in a deal like that.

Obviously we have to give to get and guys like Pena, HB and France would be in play, as well as our best remaining prospects. But doesn't sound like Reinsdorf wants a deal like that.

Putting the Cease/Robert rumors in "believe it when I see it" mode.