Anyone who still devotes actual mental energy of their own to caring deeply about that seven years later always will. And that's their own issue.
***** 2024 Houston Astros Season Thread ***** [Staff Warning]
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Last: 6 hrs ago by maca1028
https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/beltbr01.shtml
Will the price on Brandon Belt come down at some point? Hard to think of a better landing spot for him, if he wants to keep playing.
Will the price on Brandon Belt come down at some point? Hard to think of a better landing spot for him, if he wants to keep playing.
I would like to see Caratini, Dubon, and Abreu share equal playing time at first base, each playing 2 games a week
The Beef01 said:I'd love it b/c it would just cause absolute lunacy from the idiots that still troll every X thread yelling "cheater" no matter what the topic is.tjack16 said:
How awesome would it be for Altuve to win another MVP this year and cement his HOF candidate.
That's Manfred's fault and his pathetic handling of sign stealing in baseball. Jomboy is largely to blame, as well.
Altuve is a once in a generation superstar that MLB should be promoting the hell out of. He's the smallest player in the majors, yet also one the bests, and could arguably be the greatest playoff performer of all time.
But who knows, maybe the boos are what drive him. Maybe without the treatment he gets in opposing parks, he wouldn't be the player his is today. I guess we'll never know.
Man Caratini has been a pretty big surprise so far this year. He can handle a bat pretty damn well for a backup catcher.
I don't have a feeling either way on his defense but for a guy who's getting spot starts at catcher he offensive production is nice to have.
I don't have a feeling either way on his defense but for a guy who's getting spot starts at catcher he offensive production is nice to have.
wcrew93 said:
https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/beltbr01.shtml
Will the price on Brandon Belt come down at some point? Hard to think of a better landing spot for him, if he wants to keep playing.
What's the estimate on his AAV this year? Can't be more than $6.5M since he's lost a month
We have a major pitching problem (yeah, no ****).
18.4% - K% (#29)
11.2% - BB% (#27)
7.2% - K/BB% (#29)
The only saving grace is soft contact.
34.8% HH% (#4)
4.8% Barrel% (#2)
88.4 EV (#11)
Hunter Brown really needs to figure it out. He's been the biggest WTF this season.
Javier has pitched well, but the #s show it's not sustainable without getting more whiff. He needs to get the slider going.
Ultimately we need JV, Framber, and later LMJ back. And we need them pitching well.
18.4% - K% (#29)
11.2% - BB% (#27)
7.2% - K/BB% (#29)
The only saving grace is soft contact.
34.8% HH% (#4)
4.8% Barrel% (#2)
88.4 EV (#11)
Hunter Brown really needs to figure it out. He's been the biggest WTF this season.
Javier has pitched well, but the #s show it's not sustainable without getting more whiff. He needs to get the slider going.
Ultimately we need JV, Framber, and later LMJ back. And we need them pitching well.
Tucker seemed to have a little bit of fire this weekend that he hadn't really shown before. The bat spike on Friday was good to watch.
It would be awesome for Tuck to step up and fill the vocal leader void and to make getting an extension a must-do.
It would be awesome for Tuck to step up and fill the vocal leader void and to make getting an extension a must-do.
Only for him to leave after this season 
No matter what!
Epstein didn't do, you know, the thing...
I'm the rare Astros/Cowboys/Spurs fan. We do exist
Epstein didn't do, you know, the thing...
I'm the rare Astros/Cowboys/Spurs fan. We do exist
If you're putting eggs in that basket, I'm afraid you're going to be disappointed. I like the guy's heart, but his arm seems to be made of paper mache.Farmer1906 said:
Ultimately we need JV, Framber, and later LMJ back. And we need them pitching well.
https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/savant-player/brandon-belt-474832?stats=statcast-r-hitting-mlb
He made $9.3 million last year on a 1 year deal with Toronto. Strikes out a lot but .859 OPS last year.
He made $9.3 million last year on a 1 year deal with Toronto. Strikes out a lot but .859 OPS last year.
Booma94 said:If you're putting eggs in that basket, I'm afraid you're going to be disappointing. I like the guy's heart, but his armFarmer1906 said:
Ultimately we need JV, Framber, and later LMJ back. And we need them pitching well.seems to beis made of paper mache.
FIFY
We needs Ks. He gets Ks. Simple as that. Injury from 2021 was finally addressed properly. No reason to think he can't come back in some way this year and back to normal in 2025.
Farmer1906 said:
We needs Ks. He gets Ks. Simple as that. Injury from 2021 was finally addressed properly. No reason to think he can't come back in some way this year and back to normal in 2025.
Problem is that normal for him is injured.
Especially if he beat out Juan Soto for it.tjack16 said:
How awesome would it be for Altuve to win another MVP this year and cement his HOF candidacy
Life is better with a beagle
JV missed all but 1 start in 2020, all of 2021, missed the start of 2023, and now the start of 2024.Ag_07 said:Farmer1906 said:
We needs Ks. He gets Ks. Simple as that. Injury from 2021 was finally addressed properly. No reason to think he can't come back in some way this year and back to normal in 2025.
Problem is that normal for him is injured.
Urquidy dealt with shoulder injuries multiple times in 2021 and 2023. He now has a forearm strain.
Pitchers get hurt. Often.
LMJ is injury-prone. That doesn't mean he'll never pitch again like some of you act.
I'd like to see HB go back to the pen. It's not like we don't need help there as well.Farmer1906 said:
We have a major pitching problem (yeah, no ****).
18.4% - K% (#29)
11.2% - BB% (#27)
7.2% - K/BB% (#29)
The only saving grace is soft contact.
34.8% HH% (#4)
4.8% Barrel% (#2)
88.4 EV (#11)
Hunter Brown really needs to figure it out. He's been the biggest WTF this season.
Javier has pitched well, but the #s show it's not sustainable without getting more whiff. He needs to get the slider going.
Ultimately we need JV, Framber, and later LMJ back. And we need them pitching well.
Another outing like his last and I think HB may need a stint in Sugarland to figure something out. His off speed stuff right now has no bite and it's getting hammered.
The top 40 guys in each league make 25 starts a year. Lance has done this once in his career, and that was in 2021, when he then got hurt in the playoffs.Farmer1906 said:
LMJ is injury-prone. That doesn't mean he'll never pitch again like some of you act.
He's a better version of Brandon Backe. Fiery, phenomenal at the top of his game, but can't stay healthy. At these we didn't back up a Brinks truck to Backe's house though.
McCullers got paid $15.9 million to pitch 8 regular season games in 2022
He got paid $15.9 million to pitch in 0 games in 2023.
He's pitched zero games this year with a salary of $17.7 million.
Then he has $17.7 million more guaranteed in 2025 and 2026.
That's not injury prone, that's highway robbery.
Life is better with a beagle
I don't know why, but I really feel like Spaghetti is going to have a good first outing at home tonight. We need to win this game with really tough pitching matchups in the next 2. Would love to win this series, but I'll be honest and be "satisfied" with taking 1 of 3.
texasaggie2015 said:
Not everyone is a leader. It's very much a natural thing. Some lead by example and others are vocal leaders. They don't have many (if any) vocal leaders in the clubhouse.
I mentioned this a few times and got **** on about it. And that's fine. But it's a serious issue and will likely continue to be.
I wouldn't bring it up if it hasn't been mentioned to me numerous times by someone who is in that same clubhouse often.
Interesting point about the lack of leadership. Any feedback on who might have the ability to step up? Pressly? Doobie? Maybe even Caratini?
How are the Indians and Red Sox already in the 7th inning? Did that game start at 8:30 a.m.?
Life is better with a beagle
Yet, neither of them were there when we won the crown in '22.Quote:
I mentioned lack of leadership numerous times last year as it was brought up to me often as a part of the issues. There was some key voices in the clubhouse last year that aren't there this year- but guys like Carlos Correa and George Springer played a huge role during this run.
11:00 AM EDT/10:00 AM CDT. Seems to be a Patriots Day game start.
I never said it can't be overcome. I'm literally just repeating what I've heard from someone I'm close to who is in that same clubhouse pretty often.
That 2022 team had key voices like Neris, Brantley, Maldonado.
Again- feel free to disagree. But I'm just repeating what I hear like always. Sorry it's not always good news.
That 2022 team had key voices like Neris, Brantley, Maldonado.
Again- feel free to disagree. But I'm just repeating what I hear like always. Sorry it's not always good news.
I don't think that he'll never pitch again.
I do think that he won't ever be healthy for a prolonged stint.
Yeah we know pitchers are injured often but c'mon. You can't compare JV to Lance. JV has been a workhorse his entire career, is a future first ballot HOFer, and is 43 years old. So yes...In my book he does get a pass.
Until Lance can come back and stay back I expect to see him bounce on and off the IL and as such his contributions to be limited. That's just how it is with him.
I do think that he won't ever be healthy for a prolonged stint.
Yeah we know pitchers are injured often but c'mon. You can't compare JV to Lance. JV has been a workhorse his entire career, is a future first ballot HOFer, and is 43 years old. So yes...In my book he does get a pass.
Until Lance can come back and stay back I expect to see him bounce on and off the IL and as such his contributions to be limited. That's just how it is with him.
wow, I was clueless. it's 11 years to the day that those 2 ****face brothers bombed the boston marathon.jkag89 said:
11:00 AM EDT/10:00 AM CDT. Seems to be a Patriots Day game start.
Life is better with a beagle
The Astros play almost as many games vs. the best teams in the MLB in the first 40 games as they do for the rest of the season. https://t.co/kPNSOo0x6R pic.twitter.com/TB5i2N0kqP
— Larry TheGM (@LarryTheGMman) April 15, 2024
agreed. comparing a 41 yr old to a barely 30 year old is comparing apples to sausage. JV has been a workhorse basically his entire career. LMJ, not so much.Ag_07 said:
I don't think that he'll never pitch again.
I do think that he won't ever be healthy for a prolonged stint.
Yeah we know pitchers are injured often but c'mon. You can't compare JV to Lance. JV has been a workhorse his entire career, is a future first ballot HOFer, and is 43 years old. So yes...In my book he does get a pass.
Until Lance can come back and stay back I expect to see him bounce on and off the IL and as such his contributions to be limited. That's just how it is with him.
JV made 30+ starts per season between age 23-31. LMJ has never made 30 appearances in a single season.
i think baseball is different then other sports, the rah rah verbal leadership doesn't have near the impact in baseball. It's the nature of the game itself, it is like a marathon.texasaggie2015 said:
I never said it can't be overcome. I'm literally just repeating what I've heard from someone I'm close to who is in that same clubhouse pretty often.
That 2022 team had key voices like Neris, Brantley, Maldonado.
Again- feel free to disagree. But I'm just repeating what I hear like always. Sorry it's not always good news.
You can have guys who do the "Hakah" and all that but it's what you do between the lines that matters.
There are selective times where some one needs to step up and say something, but if you're not a player and doing it between the lines it's just a bunch of noise.
I think Altuve is one who doesn't talk alot but when he does, everyone will listen. Ultimately baseball is not a 'maximum' effort on every play type of sport. Where you need 'pumping up' by vocal leaders to maintain intensity. That is not how baseball works.
deGrom was a work horse until he wasn't. Same with Sale, Kershaw. Even workhorses get injured too.Ag_07 said:
I don't think that he'll never pitch again.
I do think that he won't ever be healthy for a prolonged stint.
Yeah we know pitchers are injured often but c'mon. You can't compare JV to Lance. JV has been a workhorse his entire career, is a future first ballot HOFer, and is 43 years old. So yes...In my book he does get a pass.
Until Lance can come back and stay back I expect to see him bounce on and off the IL and as such his contributions to be limited. That's just how it is with him.
Another problem with all the injuries to LMJ is that your body is getting older, but you aren't a better pitcher than you were 3-5 years because you have little-to-none game experience.
For any job, think how much of your knowledge base comes from the day-to-day experiences of having problems come up and having to figure them out. Other than guys who got to the majors much later in life, he's probably got fewer starts and IP than any other starting pitcher that came up the same year he did. It means less wear on the arm, but also less game experience. All the analytics and data points in the world don't compare to real-game experience.
I wish Lance would come back healthy because he's awesome, but I have to believe there is some strata of Astro brass that wouldn't mind seeing him medically retire either and free up that $50 million he's tying up 2024-2026.
For any job, think how much of your knowledge base comes from the day-to-day experiences of having problems come up and having to figure them out. Other than guys who got to the majors much later in life, he's probably got fewer starts and IP than any other starting pitcher that came up the same year he did. It means less wear on the arm, but also less game experience. All the analytics and data points in the world don't compare to real-game experience.
I wish Lance would come back healthy because he's awesome, but I have to believe there is some strata of Astro brass that wouldn't mind seeing him medically retire either and free up that $50 million he's tying up 2024-2026.
Life is better with a beagle
ultimately, free agent contracts and in-house extensions...need to reflect the great injury concern with pitchers
no more mega-contracts
should be short-term deals galore going forward
no more mega-contracts
should be short-term deals galore going forward
the Braves are starting a guy tonight named Darius Vines
apparently his change-up is his best pitch
apparently his change-up is his best pitch
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