Lonestar_Ag09 said:

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I'll say this. I never expected a dead serious comparison of Joey Loperfido and Yordan Alvarez

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He was responding to me and I actually thought he was a Rangers fan trolling the thread. I liked Joey's game and wish we would have gotten to see more of him before giving him away, but the over the top predictions for his future were a bit much.

Ag_07 said:

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This

Time to do deals is the offseason because no one is going to trade during the season when they can just wait until the deadline and get a bigger haul.

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That depends. At some point the seller has to really think about whether they stay pat during the deadline or they try and get something for a guy who's leaving anyway next season. Maybe we could have left one of Wagner/Joey off the trade if we had waited another day. Tough to say.

tjack16 said:

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I don't think Loperfido will be that great. I see him as a solid player in the future (like a Chris Taylor, Jake Meyers or Kevin Kiermaier) type of outfielder

I don't see us thinking in five years that dang we should have kept him. Not like a JD Martinez or Hader.

I do think we will look back and think we wasted a deadline though to try to win now. I'm hoping this isn't our final year of this window but it's a possibility.

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This question isn't antagonistic or anything like that, it' genuine - what would the Astros had to have done to not waste this deadline in order to win now?

Priority is shifting even more to drafting/scouting and FA signings. Both of which Dana has seemed to be pretty good at thus far. That seems to bode well for the near future.

tremble said:

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Ag_07 said:

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This

Time to do deals is the offseason because no one is going to trade during the season when they can just wait until the deadline and get a bigger haul.

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That depends. At some point the seller has to really think about whether they stay pat during the deadline or they try and get something for a guy who's leaving anyway next season. Maybe we could have left one of Wagner/Joey off the trade if we had waited another day. Tough to say.

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You have to beat out other suitors. It's going to be a sellers market every year with the new playoff structure. The Fish rebuilt their farm and didn't even trade anyone that good.

Lonestar_Ag09 said:

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I don't disagree. But what I'm talking about isn't talent based. The MLB doesn't really care about actual pure talent when picking super stars or production.

Current MLB superstars:
Ohtani
Judge
Soto
Cole
Harper
Rodriguez
Trout (finally losing steam because he plays so little)
Tatis (was until he tested positive and got moved to OF)

Potentially on the cusp
Skenes
De La Cruz
Alvarez
Turner

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Maybe Acuna as well. He is in national commercials and on a good bit of gear in stores etc.

I'm not sure anyone would have been upset with Wagner being dealt. Heck if the trade was just a loss and Joeybi think people would have been just as upset.

The disappointment of the trade is we were forced to pay for what koochie (yes this is my new Porkchop nickname for him) could be…with no idea if he will be. He has the stuff he has the metrics and that meant we had to pay like he has it together…fingers crossed he does

Fangraphs World Series odds, post trade deadline:

1. Dodgers 15.7%
2. Phillies 14.7%
3. Yankees 14.3%
4. Orioles 9.9%
5. Braves 7.1%
6. Twins 5.8%
7. Guardians 5.3%
8. Padres 4.4%
9. Astros 4.0%
10. Mariners 3.3%
11. Diamondbacks 3.3%

Thoughts?

— MLB Deadline News (@MLBDeadlineNews) July 31, 2024

I did debate that one. He should be on that cusp list for sure.

"We had a lot of guys in mind but Kikuchi was a guy we definitely targeted." -Astros GM Dana Brown joining us right now on @SportsTalk790, talking trade deadline.@SeanUnfiltered

— Brian LaLima (@BLima790) July 31, 2024

"He has power stuff. Those are guys you want in your rotation, especially when you are making a run to the playoffs and World Series. You can't always focus on the ERA." -Astros GM Dana Brown on Yusei Kikuchi@SportsTalk790 @SeanUnfiltered

— Brian LaLima (@BLima790) July 31, 2024

"We see him as a #3 starter" -Astros GM Dana Brown discussing Yusei Kikuchi with us right now on @SportsTalk790 @SeanUnfiltered

— Brian LaLima (@BLima790) July 31, 2024

"We're definitely a major threat, especially when we get Verlander back. This gives us the pieces to make a run." -Astros GM Dana Brown asked by @SeanUnfiltered on being a threat to the rest of the league to win the WS after adding Kikuchi @SportsTalk790

— Brian LaLima (@BLima790) July 31, 2024

"If you want to acquire a good pitcher at the deadline it's going to cost you. Winning comes at a cost." -Astros GM Dana Brown asked about Kikuchi being a rental@SeanUnfiltered @SportsTalk790

— Brian LaLima (@BLima790) July 31, 2024

"The ultimate goal is to win the division to get into the playoffs to get to the World Series. The final goal is to win the World Series. You have to take it step by step and 1st is win the division but you have to have the rotation." -Astros GM Dana Brown @SeanUnfiltered

— Brian LaLima (@BLima790) July 31, 2024

Astros GM Dana Brown said parting with Joey Loperfido was "hard" and that he's a "special human being". Brown also mentioned parting ways with players is always a hard thing but "ultimately winning comes at a cost." He's on with us right now on @SportsTalk790 @SeanUnfiltered

— Brian LaLima (@BLima790) July 31, 2024

More from Dana Brown: "Ultimately, I bare the responsibility as GM of the Houston Astros. I will ask people on my staff & we collaborate to make the best decisions possible for this org. I make the final decision & it was made by me with collaboration from the front office."

— Brian LaLima (@BLima790) July 31, 2024

If Kikuchi is viewed as a #3 starter, that would imply he's on the playoff rotation. Here is what would look like if we get in the playoffs:

JV
Framber
Kikuchi
Brown
Blanco

Would we stick with a 5 man rotation or move Brown or Blanco to the pen? The pen would also include Luis Garcia as well. Could do some tandem type starts with Kikuchi going just 2 times through the order then bring in Garcia or Blanco for a few innings.

"I make the final decision & it was made by me with collaboration from the front office."

i.e. Jim told me to do it or else.

Beat40 said:

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tjack16 said:

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I don't think Loperfido will be that great. I see him as a solid player in the future (like a Chris Taylor, Jake Meyers or Kevin Kiermaier) type of outfielder

I don't see us thinking in five years that dang we should have kept him. Not like a JD Martinez or Hader.

I do think we will look back and think we wasted a deadline though to try to win now. I'm hoping this isn't our final year of this window but it's a possibility.

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This question isn't antagonistic or anything like that, it' genuine - what would the Astros had to have done to not waste this deadline in order to win now?

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Get a bat you trust to start in a playoff game (you're going to depend on singleton to get every at bat from the first base spot even against lefties now). Also get an arm you trust in a playoff game. Can't say Ferguson fits that mold.

You traded for a 5 starter and a bullpen guy we won't trust more than Montero. Honestly if you look at the numbers this year… Montero is better than Ferguson.

We could have gotten Justin Turner, Soler, Arozerena, or Mark Canha as a bat option. For arms there was Quantrill, Lorenzen, and a better bullpen pieces than Ferguson. Also if you waited later like the dodgers did with Flaherty, the price on Kikuchi would have gone down
Not saying we had to get the homerun big name guy… but can we really say we did all we could to win this year with the 2 moves that were made?

We're 2nd in the division (the worst division in all of baseball) and all we did was get "marginally better" at best.

On a different note…. Zero excuse to not win tonight

Beware of the Framber melt down.

But, I sure hope you're right.

>5.00 ERA = our kryptonite

Rays devil magic

Christopher Morel homers for the second straight day as a Tampa Bay Ray! pic.twitter.com/S9EpU1dQc9

— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) July 31, 2024

RED AG 98 said:

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Farmer1906 said:

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More from Dana Brown: "Ultimately, I bare the responsibility as GM of the Houston Astros. I will ask people on my staff & we collaborate to make the best decisions possible for this org. I make the final decision & it was made by me with collaboration from the front office."

— Brian LaLima (@BLima790) July 31, 2024

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this should really help the mood around here

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C'mon -- it's "bear," not "bare."

Who could have guessed this would be the outcome of his first AB as a Blue Jay

Its almost as if he is overmatched at the major league level.

I think Leon will be really good for the rest of the year. Or at least replicate Loperfido's numbers so there won't be any drop off

Edit: should have added a if we play him enough part

People familiar with both teams' plans said the Astros were not meaningfully engaged in anything for Yandy Díaz, whom Tampa Bay did not trade on Tuesday. Isaac Paredes, however, is a different story - https://t.co/ogd5nRdkHE

— Chandler Rome (@Chandler_Rome) July 31, 2024

Wonder if they went after any offense at all after parades was gone

Don't think this report is accurate

Edit: Well, unless that means Tampa never came down on their asking price and it never became meaningful from there

Tickets for tonight's game

They are in section 133 row 15
PM me and I will send to anyone that wants them