Absolutely. There is no quick fix at this point to fix the farm and get more high level major league talent. This is where the penalties for the sign stealing and trading away talent are coming to roost
***Official Houston Astros 2023-24 Offseason Thread*** [Staff Warning - OP]
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Last: 7 mo ago by Lonestar_Ag09
Wabs said:The window IS closing. My hope is that we can slow the pace of the closing.Bulldog73 said:
The downside is the QO & tax on him. I think his signing would be a potential admission the window is closing.
The window can close
By going from Pennant favorite to a 50/50 division winner in a few years as we build back up with players we aren't even aware of now
That should be the goal
Sustained success
With 6 playoff teams now, in three years we may be fighting for the playoffs, but that is still fun baseball with a punchers chance at winning it all (see 2023 Rangers)
Joey Loperfido is cooking it up this spring. Through 11 games, he's slashing .381/.458/.619 with 4 XBH. pic.twitter.com/dNsGqh2ueL
— Astros Player Development (@AstrosPlayerDev) March 16, 2024
The window is open this year as were the favorites in the AL.
Assuming we sign Snell, even with some issues, we'll likely be favorites next year unless someone like the Os take a big step.
After 25 is where things get weird. Hopefully, we've developed a little to fill some gaps but we have 100+ M off the books to reshape the team. Assuming Crane spends back to normal Crane levels, there is no reason why we fall off a cliff. The team will just look very different. We'll probably no longer be the favorite, but we should be a postseason team.
The window is wide enough to drive the team bus thru this year and next. Just because that may not be the case in 2026 doesn't mean the window is closed. If we trust Brown and Crane, we'll be competing for a long time.
Assuming we sign Snell, even with some issues, we'll likely be favorites next year unless someone like the Os take a big step.
After 25 is where things get weird. Hopefully, we've developed a little to fill some gaps but we have 100+ M off the books to reshape the team. Assuming Crane spends back to normal Crane levels, there is no reason why we fall off a cliff. The team will just look very different. We'll probably no longer be the favorite, but we should be a postseason team.
The window is wide enough to drive the team bus thru this year and next. Just because that may not be the case in 2026 doesn't mean the window is closed. If we trust Brown and Crane, we'll be competing for a long time.
First time ever at @THEPLAYERS ! pic.twitter.com/q96wHwOgWC
— Todd Kalas (@RealToddKalas) March 16, 2024
TK living the good life.
Astros remain among teams very much involved for Blake Snell. If they land him, their off-season/spring is only trumped by Dodgers.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) March 16, 2024
From your lips to the baseball gods ears.
&ct=g
&ct=g Farmer1906 said:Astros remain among teams very much involved for Blake Snell. If they land him, their off-season/spring is only trumped by Dodgers.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) March 16, 2024
This guy and Bob Knightengale are often mouthpieces for Boras, so take what he says with a grain of salt
You're 100% right on Heyman. I like to give Bob a little more credit even if he's a big of a goof.
I think this is basically a signal to the rest of the teams, you better come over the top with an offer in the next few min or it's OVER.
I think this is basically a signal to the rest of the teams, you better come over the top with an offer in the next few min or it's OVER.
Yeah. He may as well have added: "So Brian, hurry up and get your next best offer in quickly. Blake will look great in pinstripes."EastCoastAgNc said:Farmer1906 said:Astros remain among teams very much involved for Blake Snell. If they land him, their off-season/spring is only trumped by Dodgers.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) March 16, 2024
This guy and Bob Knightengale are often mouthpieces for Boras, so take what he says with a grain of salt
Think you underestimate how hard that fall could be in 2026.
What will be interesting in 2024 is whether Crane and Co are still going to try to stay under the second tax threshold. Not many moves I can imagine that will get them there that don't also harm your 2024 team.
What will be interesting in 2024 is whether Crane and Co are still going to try to stay under the second tax threshold. Not many moves I can imagine that will get them there that don't also harm your 2024 team.
MaxPower said:
Think you underestimate how hard that fall could be in 2026.
What will be interesting in 2024 is whether Crane and Co are still going to try to stay under the second tax threshold. Not many moves I can imagine that will get them there that don't also harm your 2024 team.
I don't think it'll be that crazy of a fall.
After 2025 we will still have Pena, Chas, Yordan, Diaz, Javier, Brown, Bryan Abreu, Hader, LMJ, and Garcia. Not to mention a couple of our prospects like Loperfido, Melton.
I think if we lose Tucker and Framber both then yeah we will be a team scraping for a wild card. But we won't become the White Sox overnight.
Post 2027, who knows.
There are a very wide range of outcomes with so many variables.
Unless there is an injury, we'll have a core of Alvarez, Altuve, Pena, McCormick, Diaz, Hader, Javier, Brown, France, Garcia, & McCullers. Maybe Snell too. That's a solid group.
Add in anyone we've developed. No reason to think we shouldn't have 1 or 2 of Loperfido, Melton, Baez, Dezenzo, Wagner, Arighetti, etc.
Plus 4-5 free agents or guys extended. I'm not exaggerating when I say we'll be about 100 M from the first tax. Crane isn't going to just sit on his hands with guys like Vlad Jr, LaMonte Wade Jr, Luis Arraez, Ozzie Albies, Matt Chapman (possibly), Bo Bichette, Cody Bellinger (possibly), Kyle Tucker, Cedric Mullins, Ozuna, Dylan Cease, Zac Gallen, Framber Valdez, Brandon Woodruff, Kodai Senga, Chris Bassitt, and more all expected to be free agents. (Making that list makes me feel good about pitching options. Less so on hitting ones.)
No reason that potential team can't push for 85-90 wins, especially if the Rangers have a bunch of bad contracts with DeGrom, Seager, Semien as they age out. Seattle will have to start paying all those pitchers which you know they won't so they'll have to unload them.
Unless there is an injury, we'll have a core of Alvarez, Altuve, Pena, McCormick, Diaz, Hader, Javier, Brown, France, Garcia, & McCullers. Maybe Snell too. That's a solid group.
Add in anyone we've developed. No reason to think we shouldn't have 1 or 2 of Loperfido, Melton, Baez, Dezenzo, Wagner, Arighetti, etc.
Plus 4-5 free agents or guys extended. I'm not exaggerating when I say we'll be about 100 M from the first tax. Crane isn't going to just sit on his hands with guys like Vlad Jr, LaMonte Wade Jr, Luis Arraez, Ozzie Albies, Matt Chapman (possibly), Bo Bichette, Cody Bellinger (possibly), Kyle Tucker, Cedric Mullins, Ozuna, Dylan Cease, Zac Gallen, Framber Valdez, Brandon Woodruff, Kodai Senga, Chris Bassitt, and more all expected to be free agents. (Making that list makes me feel good about pitching options. Less so on hitting ones.)
No reason that potential team can't push for 85-90 wins, especially if the Rangers have a bunch of bad contracts with DeGrom, Seager, Semien as they age out. Seattle will have to start paying all those pitchers which you know they won't so they'll have to unload them.
Anyone think the Snell news could be a smokescreen by Crane to get the Yankees to offer stupid money? I can't help but think Montgomery makes more sense for this team as a cheaper option with no QO attached. Not as much noise about Crane being fascinated with Montgomery but he got a couple first hand demonstration of what he can do with the bright lights on.
MaxPower said:
Anyone think the Snell news could be a smokescreen by Crane to get the Yankees to offer stupid money? I can't help but think Montgomery makes more sense for this team as a cheaper option with no QO attached. Not as much noise about Crane being fascinated with Montgomery but he got a couple first hand demonstration of what he can do with the bright lights on.
I think it may be aimed at getting other clubs to pony up, but not the Yankees. I think he's trying to squeeze the Angels and maybe the Giants.
Gerrit Cole said he has three to four weeks of no throwing. Dealing with nerve inflammation.
— Chris Kirschner (@ChrisKirschner) March 16, 2024
Nah. Crane has had an interest in him for a while now.
FWIW I haven't heard anything involving Montgomery and the Astros.
The names I've heard linked to the Astros recently are Adam Duvall (would have been an Astro if Atlanta didn't match from what I understand), Mickey Moniak, Blake Snell, and just about every middle relief option still available. I'm sure they're talking to other starters as well but nobody specific has been mentioned to me.
The interest in Snell goes back to the trade deadline last year where they had a deal agreed on with San Diego to send Snell and Hader to Houston. It fell through on San Diego's side but it was very very close. Pretty much just a signature away.
The names I've heard linked to the Astros recently are Adam Duvall (would have been an Astro if Atlanta didn't match from what I understand), Mickey Moniak, Blake Snell, and just about every middle relief option still available. I'm sure they're talking to other starters as well but nobody specific has been mentioned to me.
The interest in Snell goes back to the trade deadline last year where they had a deal agreed on with San Diego to send Snell and Hader to Houston. It fell through on San Diego's side but it was very very close. Pretty much just a signature away.
Montgomery is a Boras agent so I imagine he is keeping him in the background until Snell signs. Then he will be the only one left. If Snell does sign elsewhere it will be interesting to see if we pivot to him.
Does Montgomery have a QO attached to him?
No. He wasn't eligible due to the trade so Arlington doesn't get anything for him leaving.
texasaggie2015 said:
FWIW I haven't heard anything involving Montgomery and the Astros.
The names I've heard linked to the Astros recently are Adam Duvall (would have been an Astro if Atlanta didn't match from what I understand), Mickey Moniak, Blake Snell, and just about every middle relief option still available. I'm sure they're talking to other starters as well but nobody specific has been mentioned to me.
The interest in Snell goes back to the trade deadline last year where they had a deal agreed on with San Diego to send Snell and Hader to Houston. It fell through on San Diego's side but it was very very close. Pretty much just a signature away.
Any idea who it would have cost?
n_touch said:texasaggie2015 said:
FWIW I haven't heard anything involving Montgomery and the Astros.
The names I've heard linked to the Astros recently are Adam Duvall (would have been an Astro if Atlanta didn't match from what I understand), Mickey Moniak, Blake Snell, and just about every middle relief option still available. I'm sure they're talking to other starters as well but nobody specific has been mentioned to me.
The interest in Snell goes back to the trade deadline last year where they had a deal agreed on with San Diego to send Snell and Hader to Houston. It fell through on San Diego's side but it was very very close. Pretty much just a signature away.
Any idea who it would have cost?
I'd guess about what JV cost.
.5 seasons of Snell & Hader = 1.5 to 2.5 of JV plus 50-70 M.
Snell would be a good addition obviously but costly in terms of losing draft picks. If this is just a ploy to force the hand of the Yankees, Angels and Giants to sign Snell then I'm all for going after Montgomery.
Does anyone believe this? There would be no reason to see Dr. ElAttrache if this was only nerve inflammation.
aggiederelict said:
Does anyone believe this? There would be no reason to see Dr. ElAttrache if this was only nerve inflammation.
Given what we've experienced with Lance, I certainly don't believe it until I see him pitch in a major league game.
BCEDAg said:
Snell would be a good addition obviously but costly in terms of losing draft picks. If this is just a ploy to force the hand of the Yankees, Angels and Giants to sign Snell then I'm all for going after Montgomery.
Our future isn't going to be mortgaged away by the picks we lose. We have plenty of time to shore up losses in existing talent on the market, and Crane is willing to spend as long as fans pay up for seasons.
I'm more likely to get Snell because he's not going to command a 9 year mega deal like he wanted going into the season. If you can get his talent, even for just a year (preferably 2+), then that seems like a good deal to me.
The issue with draft picks can be settled later. I do think we should probably look at Montgomery if Snell talks fall through.
Domingo German is going to the Pirates pic.twitter.com/vCNKEL3mJj
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) March 16, 2024
Pirates assembling a team of domestic abusers between him and Aroldis
Sign Snell
Go all in for 2024 World Series
Trade Framber + Urquidy in the 2024-2025 offseason to get some good prospect capital. See if anybody wants to take on Jose Abreu or Montero final year. Would be possible if they both have a good 2024 season.
How realistic or positive would that scenario be? That is very MLB the show franchise mode-esque but just curious.
Go all in for 2024 World Series
Trade Framber + Urquidy in the 2024-2025 offseason to get some good prospect capital. See if anybody wants to take on Jose Abreu or Montero final year. Would be possible if they both have a good 2024 season.
How realistic or positive would that scenario be? That is very MLB the show franchise mode-esque but just curious.
Our hit rate on guys like yordan and yainer through trades bought us some wiggle room on draft picks, in my opinion. The fact we still have a decent young core group makes the snell trade off completely worth it.
Will all depend on how this injury plays outtjack16 said:
Sign Snell
Go all in for 2024 World Series
Trade Framber + Urquidy in the 2024-2025 offseason to get some good prospect capital. See if anybody wants to take on Jose Abreu or Montero final year. Would be possible if they both have a good 2024 season.
How realistic or positive would that scenario be? That is very MLB the show franchise mode-esque but just curious.
The guys impacted by signing Snell and Hader wouldn't make a big league impact until 2027 most likely. It's not affecting the short to mid term window.
As to tjack's proposal, I would say throwing in an Abreu or Montero in deals to send out Framber & Urquidy would negate the return significantly. The 1 year rental haul is about half of what 2 years gets you. I wouldn't bank of restocking the system by dealing Framber and Urquidy next year.
As to tjack's proposal, I would say throwing in an Abreu or Montero in deals to send out Framber & Urquidy would negate the return significantly. The 1 year rental haul is about half of what 2 years gets you. I wouldn't bank of restocking the system by dealing Framber and Urquidy next year.
Astros vs. Mets pic.twitter.com/9JSoKy2Oyl
— Brian McTaggart (@brianmctaggart) March 16, 2024
The move would be to sign snell and Bauer the same day. The amount of butthurt created would be glorious.
Snell + Montgomery would be glorious
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