txags92 said:

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AggiEE said:

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If Alvarez, Walker, and Diaz get their **** together and post .800 ops and greater like they should be capable of (or close to it), the team starts looking a heck of a lot better then it is right now and is a contender

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Somebody behind Yordan is going to have to step up or he will continue to get trash pitches.

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Yep. Who is it? Maybe Pena. I think we need to move Walker down until he figures it out.

Altuve
Alvarez
Pena
Paredes

Phrasing said:

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txags92 said:

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AggiEE said:

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If Alvarez, Walker, and Diaz get their **** together and post .800 ops and greater like they should be capable of (or close to it), the team starts looking a heck of a lot better then it is right now and is a contender

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Somebody behind Yordan is going to have to step up or he will continue to get trash pitches.

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Yep. Who is it? Maybe Pena. I think we need to move Walker down until he figures it out.

Altuve
Alvarez
Pena
Paredes

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I wouldn't mind seeing Yordan and Paredes swap places just to see, but Paredes hasn't really been on a tear lately either. But long term, Paredes is a much better fit as a 2 unless Pena can get it together. Altuve, Pena, Yordan, Paredes, Walker/Diaz would be an ok 1-5 if one of Walker or Diaz can start elevating their hard hit balls.

I can accuse crane of many things but not caring about winning isn't one of them. More likely he is out of touch with expectations based on the last decade.

txags92 said:

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Phrasing said:

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txags92 said:

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AggiEE said:

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If Alvarez, Walker, and Diaz get their **** together and post .800 ops and greater like they should be capable of (or close to it), the team starts looking a heck of a lot better then it is right now and is a contender

---

Somebody behind Yordan is going to have to step up or he will continue to get trash pitches.

---

Yep. Who is it? Maybe Pena. I think we need to move Walker down until he figures it out.

Altuve
Alvarez
Pena
Paredes

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I wouldn't mind seeing Yordan and Paredes swap places just to see, but Paredes hasn't really been on a tear lately either. But long term, Paredes is a much better fit as a 2 unless Pena can get it together. Altuve, Pena, Yordan, Paredes, Walker/Diaz would be an ok 1-5 if one of Walker or Diaz can start elevating their hard hit balls.

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Paredes had 3 HRs in 3 consecutive days. He's on fire compared to everyone else rn.

MaxPower said:

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I can accuse crane of many things but not caring about winning isn't one of them. More likely he is out of touch with expectations based on the last decade.

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He is a businessman, who is not going to throw a bunch of good money after bad no matter how much he wants to win. He made a couple of bad decisions without the help of a GM to slap the pen out of his hand, and now he is limited in what he can do without shelling out a lot more money. I am sure in his eyes, paying out luxury tax money (which escalates if you are above it multiple years) is throwing good money away if it isn't going to potentially give us an immediate shot at a title.

We would have been in a much better position this offseason without having the anchors of Montero and Abreu's contracts wrapped around our neck. I suspect Crane had one eye on trying to make this year's team competitive and the other on 2-3 years from now when we will want a lot of draft picks, prospects, and luxury tax space to rebuild.

This team should ultimately be competitive, but it is not built for a title run. His insistence on staying below the cbt threshold is likely done more with an eye towards future budgets than a lack of desire to be competitive. One year below the CBT resets the tax levels so we will see how he feels next offseason.

Well I missed the game today but I see I didn't miss much

Was really hoping we wouldn't spend the first 3-4 months chasing .500 like last year but here we are again.

AggiEE said:

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If Alvarez, Walker, and Diaz get their **** together and post .800 ops and greater like they should be capable of (or close to it), the team starts looking a heck of a lot better then it is right now and is a contender

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Yordan's career OPS is .966 and Walker's is almost .800- to think they won't approach their career averages is overly pessimistic IMHO.

Big Al 1992 said:

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Was really hoping we wouldn't spend the first 3-4 months chasing .500 like last year but here we are again.

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In retrospect I have no idea why I gave myself the icepick lobotomy of watching every game from last year's team and then just expected the trend would suddenly be reversed in this one.

Plus there are draft pick penalties I believe for teams that exceed the CBT in consecutive seasons, but Crane may not care as much about that as Dana.

I understand the moves the Astros made and supported them, but man has it been a disaster so far. I wish Bregman and Tucker would go into a slump.

New @Crush_City_Pod with @JRedDubDeuce and @tylercstafford

Recapping the Astros' series loss in St Louis. What impressed us, concerned us. Also discussed Nolan Arenado's comments

Apple: https://t.co/G0x38v8w2V

Spotify: https://t.co/wknnBD5EWg

YouTube: https://t.co/aN05SYN0Fc

— Chandler Rome (@Chandler_Rome) April 16, 2025

Chick fil a in Katy tonight (lady was blocking 2022 trophy when I was taking pictures)

Frok said:

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I understand the moves the Astros made and supported them, but man has it been a disaster so far. I wish Bregman and Tucker would go into a slump.

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Lol

txags92 said:

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MaxPower said:

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I can accuse crane of many things but not caring about winning isn't one of them. More likely he is out of touch with expectations based on the last decade.

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He is a businessman, who is not going to throw a bunch of good money after bad no matter how much he wants to win. He made a couple of bad decisions without the help of a GM to slap the pen out of his hand, and now he is limited in what he can do without shelling out a lot more money. I am sure in his eyes, paying out luxury tax money (which escalates if you are above it multiple years) is throwing good money away if it isn't going to potentially give us an immediate shot at a title.

We would have been in a much better position this offseason without having the anchors of Montero and Abreu's contracts wrapped around our neck. I suspect Crane had one eye on trying to make this year's team competitive and the other on 2-3 years from now when we will want a lot of draft picks, prospects, and luxury tax space to rebuild.

This team should ultimately be competitive, but it is not built for a title run. His insistence on staying below the cbt threshold is likely done more with an eye towards future budgets than a lack of desire to be competitive. One year below the CBT resets the tax levels so we will see how he feels next offseason.

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This makes sense to me. And having a rebuild without going through an entire gutting process, much like 2011-2013, would be much more ideal from a fan perspective.

Which brings up my next question: if management is unsure if they are going to be able to re-sign Framber this upcoming offseason, do we look to trade him by the deadline? If this team truly isn't built for a World Series run this year, then would it make sense in the long term to trade him and stock up the farm with some additional high ceiling prospects?

yes, however the Astros also need them to go off in the counting numbers

not just the slash lines

GigEmMortis said:

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MAROON said:

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EastCoastAgNc said:

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Through 18 games, the Astros are slashing .216/.300/.317 (.618 OPS). They’ve scored 3 runs or fewer in all but 5 games.

— Brian McTaggart (@brianmctaggart) April 16, 2025

I know we have been instructed not to besmirch the good names of our "hitting" "coaches", but at some point, someone needs to lose their job over this. This is a continued pattern over more than a year. If I were Crane, I'd be looking for some kind of staffing change immediately.

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It sure seems like when guys join the astros their offensive numbers go down. Now it might just be due to such a small sample of guys but I'm trying to recall someone who came in and improved

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Carlos Beltran in 2004. That's it

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Derek Bell, until he turned 30 and apparently died. He hit .334 his first year with the Astros and had a couple of 100+ RBi seasons during the Killer B era.
In the 2 seasons he wasn't hurt, MIchael Brantley was as good for the Astros as he was for the Indians.

MLB Umpire Hunter Wendelstedt Hit In Head By Line Drive, Leaves Game | Click to read more 👇 https://t.co/WFkTWwJS5J

— TMZ (@TMZ) April 16, 2025

Mr. Awesome Time said:

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Plus there are draft pick penalties I believe for teams that exceed the CBT in consecutive seasons, but Crane may not care as much about that as Dana.

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I could be wrong on this, but I think the lower revenue and smaller market clubs get chances at a draft lottery. If there is a penalty to the teams over the CBT threshold, I am not aware of it.

EastCoastAgNc said:

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MLB Umpire Hunter Wendelstedt Hit In Head By Line Drive, Leaves Game | Click to read more 👇 https://t.co/WFkTWwJS5J

— TMZ (@TMZ) April 16, 2025

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Hope he is ok, but I also hope it improves his accuracy.

Booma94 said:

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BadAggie said:

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Man, Reddick looks like he is buying the good drugs these days

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"I look like a banker in this"

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Lol

TarponChaser said:

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AggiEE said:

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If Alvarez, Walker, and Diaz get their **** together and post .800 ops and greater like they should be capable of (or close to it), the team starts looking a heck of a lot better then it is right now and is a contender

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Yordan's career OPS is .966 and Walker's is almost .800- to think they won't approach their career averages is overly pessimistic IMHO.

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Yep

Though if the switch could be flipped soon that'd be great

HoustonAg9999 said:

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EastCoastAgNc said:

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Through 18 games, the Astros are slashing .216/.300/.317 (.618 OPS). They’ve scored 3 runs or fewer in all but 5 games.

— Brian McTaggart (@brianmctaggart) April 16, 2025

I know we have been instructed not to besmirch the good names of our "hitting" "coaches", but at some point, someone needs to lose their job over this. This is a continued pattern over more than a year. If I were Crane, I'd be looking for some kind of staffing change immediately.

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Crane is counting his money stros are still a huge draw he doesn't care as long as the park is sold out

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Crane has carried payrolls over the tax threshold a few times no?

I mean not a fan of everything he's done but he has shelled out some cash over the years.

Caved way too much with the Luhnow/Hinch decisions but the pressure was insane

Miss the playoffs or another early exit and that will start to hurt the gate, just how people roll

Astros sent cash to Braves in Montero trade but isn't net impact that the deal put them under the CBT, or created more room under it?

BadAggie said:

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HoustonAg9999 said:

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EastCoastAgNc said:

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Through 18 games, the Astros are slashing .216/.300/.317 (.618 OPS). They’ve scored 3 runs or fewer in all but 5 games.

— Brian McTaggart (@brianmctaggart) April 16, 2025

I know we have been instructed not to besmirch the good names of our "hitting" "coaches", but at some point, someone needs to lose their job over this. This is a continued pattern over more than a year. If I were Crane, I'd be looking for some kind of staffing change immediately.

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Crane is counting his money stros are still a huge draw he doesn't care as long as the park is sold out

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Crane has carried payrolls over the tax threshold a few times no?

I mean not a fan of everything he's done but he has shelled out some cash over the years.

Caved way too much with the Luhnow/Hinch decisions but the pressure was insane

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He has done it several times. He typically has done it to add a single critical piece that was needed for a legit run, like adding JV. But doing it multiple years in a row increases the penalty to 50% in year 3 and goes higher if they are too high above the threshold. He doesn't have the money to throw it around just to get better. It really needs to be a choice he makes strategically when it will make a significant difference in the club's trajectory for the season.

txags92 said:

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Mr. Awesome Time said:

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Plus there are draft pick penalties I believe for teams that exceed the CBT in consecutive seasons, but Crane may not care as much about that as Dana.

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I could be wrong on this, but I think the lower revenue and smaller market clubs get chances at a draft lottery. If there is a penalty to the teams over the CBT threshold, I am not aware of it.

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The penalties vary. If you are $40+M over then your first draft pick moves back 10 picks. Otherwise, the draft penalties are mainly just if you sign a free agent with a QO and you are over the threshold or you don't get as good a compensation if your free agent who got a QO signs elsewhere. If you are over the threshold but not active in free agency and don't have any major free agents the penalties are really just financial.

txags92 said:

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MaxPower said:

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I can accuse crane of many things but not caring about winning isn't one of them. More likely he is out of touch with expectations based on the last decade.

---

He is a businessman, who is not going to throw a bunch of good money after bad no matter how much he wants to win. He made a couple of bad decisions without the help of a GM to slap the pen out of his hand, and now he is limited in what he can do without shelling out a lot more money. I am sure in his eyes, paying out luxury tax money (which escalates if you are above it multiple years) is throwing good money away if it isn't going to potentially give us an immediate shot at a title.

We would have been in a much better position this offseason without having the anchors of Montero and Abreu's contracts wrapped around our neck. I suspect Crane had one eye on trying to make this year's team competitive and the other on 2-3 years from now when we will want a lot of draft picks, prospects, and luxury tax space to rebuild.

This team should ultimately be competitive, but it is not built for a title run. His insistence on staying below the cbt threshold is likely done more with an eye towards future budgets than a lack of desire to be competitive. One year below the CBT resets the tax levels so we will see how he feels next offseason.

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If Crane was more focused on 2-3 years from now Framber wouldn't have been on this team for opening day. I go back to him being unrealistic with all the success we have had. He's trying to thread a fine needle between wining now and winning later. I'm obviously not opposed to winning now but the main focus should be on success in 2026-2028. You have Jose, Yordan and HB as your core for that timeframe. Anybody who will either a) be gone (Framber) or b) you think you can reasonably replace (Abreu?) should be on the trade block. If we trade those guys and only win 80 games this year instead of 84 who cares?

MaxPower said:

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txags92 said:

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MaxPower said:

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I can accuse crane of many things but not caring about winning isn't one of them. More likely he is out of touch with expectations based on the last decade.

---

He is a businessman, who is not going to throw a bunch of good money after bad no matter how much he wants to win. He made a couple of bad decisions without the help of a GM to slap the pen out of his hand, and now he is limited in what he can do without shelling out a lot more money. I am sure in his eyes, paying out luxury tax money (which escalates if you are above it multiple years) is throwing good money away if it isn't going to potentially give us an immediate shot at a title.

We would have been in a much better position this offseason without having the anchors of Montero and Abreu's contracts wrapped around our neck. I suspect Crane had one eye on trying to make this year's team competitive and the other on 2-3 years from now when we will want a lot of draft picks, prospects, and luxury tax space to rebuild.

This team should ultimately be competitive, but it is not built for a title run. His insistence on staying below the cbt threshold is likely done more with an eye towards future budgets than a lack of desire to be competitive. One year below the CBT resets the tax levels so we will see how he feels next offseason.

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If Crane was more focused on 2-3 years from now Framber wouldn't have been on this team for opening day. I go back to him being unrealistic with all the success we have had. He's trying to thread a fine needle between wining now and winning later. I'm obviously not opposed to winning now but the main focus should be on success in 2026-2028. You have Jose, Yordan and HB as your core for that timeframe. Anybody who will either a) be gone (Framber) or b) you think you can reasonably replace (Abreu?) should be on the trade block. If we trade those guys and only win 80 games this year instead of 84 who cares?

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I think they tried to deal him, but they (Crane and Dana) weren't willing to settle for "whatever we could get" for him. They probably had specific players or prospects in mind and when they couldn't get them, they decided to try again as the trade deadline approached.

I agree with this, which is why I wouldn't be shocked to see him dealt at the deadline this year. Sometimes teams are more willing to part with prospects/pieces in July that they weren't willing to trade in February in order to make a deep run in the postseason. If the price is right, and if the front office is convinced that a world series run probably isn't realistic for this year's squad, I think you make the move and deal him

Yes I will certainly admit that is possible. They may also be thinking if they can get even one of Lance, Luis or Christian back by July then they won't need Framber anymore.

Framber is not off limits in my mind and I know the club listened to offers before

He's a right price kind of player, for a reasonable price a long term commitment makes sense. He wants ace money but really he's more of a no. 2 or even 3 on a really good staff

I could see the Astros be buyers and sellers at the deadline, they could very well be strategic and try to move Framber for a prospect haul but then pick up some short term pieces.

If they are inclined to move him then he needs to get his shtt together

Framber is an ace on all but a very small handful of teams.

And the only thing that will keep him from getting a monster deal is the mileage on him.

Way too many meltdowns and disappointments for that