tjack16 said:

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So I guess we can no longer say "it's early" or "don't panic it's a long season"

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It is still early and it is still a long season.

How about this shakeup trade:

Trade Tucker and Bregman to the Cubs for Suzuki, Matt Shaw and Mervis. Tucker is better than Suzuki but Suzuki is still pretty darn good and has one extra year of control (signed through 2026 at $19M a year). Shaw is a top 30 prospect that is a very similar offensive profile to Bregman / Pedroia who should be ready midseason and gives you your 3B replacement for the next 6 or 7 years. Just fill in with Dubon until he's ready. Mervis was a big name last year who flopped but is back to taking at AAA as a 1B. At worst he gives you a lefty platoon option with Abreu.

Seems like they need something to rally around. They'll probably get a whole lot of boos with it being their first trip to Wrigley in a long time so maybe that'll get em fired up.

The Porkchop Express said:

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Why would the Cubs want that?

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For 1.5 years of Tucker. He is significantly better than Suzuki

cc10106 said:

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Seems like they need something to rally around. They'll probably get a whole lot of boos with it being their first trip to Wrigley in a long time so maybe that'll get em fired up.

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It really feels like they have lost their edge. If you take out the games against the rangers, the record is 3-13. The only other wins are 1 vs the Nationals and 2 vs the Blue Jays. I don't understand why they aren't giving Brandon Belt a look other than payroll.

You answered your own question - payroll. I'm sure they've looked into him. Seems like many other teams aren't willing to pay him either.

What do you realistically want the Astros to do with Belt if he wants too much and no other team is willing to pay for him either?

Relax, press, do it with pitching, do it with offense, switch up the lineup, keep it the same...IDGAF

Just win ball games

Beat40 said:

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You answered your own question - payroll. I'm sure they've looked into him. Seems like many other teams aren't willing to pay him either.

What do you realistically want the Astros to do with Belt if he wants too much and no other team is willing to pay for him either?

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Seems like they could create a deal with low base salary and incentives to get him up to what he wants if he performs.

EastCoastAgNc said:

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Beat40 said:

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You answered your own question - payroll. I'm sure they've looked into him. Seems like many other teams aren't willing to pay him either.

What do you realistically want the Astros to do with Belt if he wants too much and no other team is willing to pay for him either?

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Seems like they could create a deal with low base salary and incentives to get him up to what he wants if he performs.

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How do you know they haven't already approached him with something like that?

It takes two to negotiate. I've heard Brandon isn't willing to move off his number. If he's not open to other options, then it's not on the Astros. You can't make someone sign something just because you want them.

I have 4 tickets in section 216 row 6 for sale May 17 against the brewers.
Just trying to get face value for them since I can't attend.

Cheapest I'm seeing online for club infield is $135 or so

I'm just looking for $100 which won't even cover my fees from originally buying them but it is what it is.

Let me know and I can transfer them over quickly

The Porkchop Express said:

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What if we sign Trevor Bauer to play first?

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That would be a beating

BTW, there's actually a faster moderator on TexAgs than the Ranger-accessible Astro hater.

This morning, the rotting husk known as atmAg started polluting the thread about the show Bluey and was eviscerated within 90 seconds.

I swore I would never write this name again on the board but some levity seems warranted. From This Day in Astros History

2021 - Down 4-2 in the 10th, Houston rallies for a 5-4 walk-off win over Anaheim. It's the backups who get it done with an infield hit, a ground rule double and a sacrifice fly before Robel Garcia bloops the game-winner into short center field. Garcia had been claimed off waivers from the Angels during spring training.


1972's entry is even better, and a good reminder to never give up in baseball. Astros at Giants, the good guys score a run in the top of the 8th to tie the game at 3-3 on a solo shot by Bob Watson. Giants put the game away with 4 in the bottom of the eighth thanks to a single by Bobby Bonds and a two-run bomb by Dave Kingman to make it 7-3.
In the top of the ninth, the Astros start with the sequence of double, walk, double, passed ball, walk, home run - the last by Lee May to go up 8-7. The Giants switch pitchers, and the good guys go single, strikeout, single, error, single, groundout, single, single to cap a 10-run top of the ninth and win 13-7.

https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SFN/SFN197204230.shtml

Vegas continues to believe in us. Have been favored in almost every game this season. -115 agains the Cubs tonight.

Guys - don't go look at what Bregman is currently doing. Seriously, don't. It's down right scary.

To sum it up, the only starter he is above in OBP, SLG, and OPS is Abreu. He's well behind everyone else.

I understand he starts slow, and I understand why you wouldn't drop him in the order as you think he'll work out of it, but he's not even walking at a high rate currently.

To me, he's got like a week more hitting in the top 5 spots, and then I'd consider giving him the correa treatment of being in the 6, 7, or 8 spot until he hits his way out of whatever the heck is going on with him.

Based on current OPS of those that qualify per Baseball Reference, this is what the line-up would be:

Altuve
Tucker
Alvarez
Pena
Diaz
Dubon
McCormick
Bregman
Abreu


I actually really like that line-up aside from Abreu in it. Only change, if you think Carantini can play a couple of games at 1B is to put him above McCormick (based on current OPS).


Also to say that Espada is actually close in his line-up, it's just the human element is keeping faith in Bregman, which I completely understand.

The Porkchop Express said:

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BTW, there's actually a faster moderator on TexAgs than the Ranger-accessible Astro hater.

This morning, the rotting husk known as atmAg started polluting the thread about the show Bluey and was eviscerated within 90 seconds.

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that guy has issues

I was just thinking about this the other day: this start reminds me a lot of the start in 2016.

In 2016, there were high expectations coming off the playoffs in 2015, and the guys just fell on their faces right out of the gate. They were 7-17 at the end of April. They didn't reach .500 until middle to late June. We went 84-78 and missed the playoffs, but we were on pace with Seattle. The Rangers were just hot, going 95-67. Their Pythagorean was 82-80 -- so they played above potential.

That season, the bullpen had 20 blown saves. We've had 6 so far this year.

The thing we have going for us is that we are not too far behind, but we need to right the ship quikly.

I think we can do it.

Beat40 said:

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Guys - don't go look at what Bregman is currently doing. Seriously, don't. It's down right scary.

To sum it up, the only starter he is above in OBP, SLG, and OPS is Abreu. He's well behind everyone else.

I understand he starts slow, and I understand why you wouldn't drop him in the order as you think he'll work out of it, but he's not even walking at a high rate currently.

To me, he's got like a week more hitting in the top 5 spots, and then I'd consider giving him the correa treatment of being in the 6, 7, or 8 spot until he hits his way out of whatever the heck is going on with him.

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Don't look at this?



This is the worst Mar/Apr he's ever had and the 2nd worse one via expected results. You have to go back to 2017 to find something similar.



Here is how 2017 finished out

.284 BA
.352 OBP
.475 SLG
.827 OPS

it's hard to believe that 5 years ago...

Bregman hit 41 home runs

averaged a home run every 13.5 at-bats

in 2024 he's currently at 0 HR's in 75 at-bats

W said:

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it's hard to believe that 5 years ago...

Bregman hit 41 home runs

averaged a home run every 13.5 at-bats

in 2024 he's currently at 0 HR's in 75 at-bats

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In the 2018 playoffs and through much of 2019 he was the scariest hitter in the AL.
Cue the cheating scandal reveal and he's never been the same.

I'm not saying there isn't hope for him to turn it around this season. He certainly starts slow. I believe he will turn it around.

I was wrong about him walking though. Tied with Altuve and Yordan.

Just saying based on what he's currently doing, I wouldn't be upset if he was slipped down to the 6 or 7 spot for the time being.

Bregman has the ability to turn it around

Once Boras lets Breggy know that pop ups aren't a counting stat that's gonna get him his big contract then he'll start raking.

Those damn weak pop ups are way more infuriating than Abreu's weak ground balls.

Kindly vote in my poll "Who's on First?" to solve the ongoing debate.

VOTE HERE

Q: Who should play 1B for the Astros for the rest of the 2024 season?

• Jose Abreu (.068 batting average, 1 RBI in 59 at-bats)
• Jon SIngleton (.228 batting average, 0 RBI in 35 at-bats)
• Joey Gallo (. 143 batting average, 34 strikeouts in 63 at-bats)
• Jeff Bagwell (current age 55, current right shoulder age 200, hit .125 in World Series action 19 years ago)
• Mike Simms (current age 57, I once saw him get hit in the head by a pop up that scored 3 runs while visiting my brother in Tucson in 1990)
• Brett Wallace (current age 37, couldn't hit his weight (.250), had 18 walks vs. 104 Ks in 262 at-bats in 2013,
• Trevor Bauer (hasn't played since 2021, and also, not a first baseman)
• A fan picked at random 30 minutes before first pitch