Farmer1906 said:

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The Phillies have fired manager Rob Thomson, sources told The Athletic. Don Mattingly will be interim manager.

— Matt Gelb (@MattGelb) April 28, 2026

Carlos Mendoza & Joe Espada have to be very worried at this point.

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I've said it before. You can't fire the players. You can fire the manager. It's not right but it is the way.

"Appealing" is in the eye of the beholder. If the team's goal is to be a playoff contender this year and the next 3 or 4 then not only is there no appealing option, there's really no option. Can King Crane come off his high horse and comprehend this reality? That is another question. All that said, finding some exciting young players at the expense of some veterans is appealing to me even if it results in short-term losses but I'm probably not the target audience for that article.

Do it. Double rods for Rob!

Sources: The #Astros have at least discussed the possibility of replacing manager Joe Espada, and one name that has surfaced in those conversations is former Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora, who was recently let go, per league sources. No deal imminent, but talks are ongoing.

— Holly Baylor (@HollyBaylorMLB) April 28, 2026

Rangers fans be mad. Yankees fans be a-holes.

Every angle of tonight’s fight at Globe Life pic.twitter.com/JzmWtv6qvM

— Rangers Nation ⚾️ (@Rangers__Nation) April 28, 2026

MaxPower said:

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Do it. Double rods for Rob!

Sources: The #Astros have at least discussed the possibility of replacing manager Joe Espada, and one name that has surfaced in those conversations is former Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora, who was recently let go, per league sources. No deal imminent, but talks are ongoing.

— Holly Baylor (@HollyBaylorMLB) April 28, 2026

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Isn't this a parody account?

From Jomboy. Cora is likely not in the cards.

Alex Cora was offered the Phillies managerial job but turned it down in order to spend time with his family pic.twitter.com/xBDf3ezgm5

— Talkin' Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) April 28, 2026

Me thinks alcohol was involved in all of this.

~egon

One Astros Pitching Prospect at Every Level You Should Be Watching https://t.co/PZv5SDC1yk

— Astros Future (@AstrosFuture) April 28, 2026

AAA Sugar Land: Ethan Pecko, 6th round 2023 draft (honorable mention: Alimber Santa)

AA Corpus: Bryce Mayer, 16th round 2024 draft (h/m: James Hicks)

High A Asheville: Cole Hertzler, 5th round 2024 draft (h/m: Nolan DeVos)

Low A Fayetteville: Javier Perez, international signing from Mexico 2024 (h/m: Jesus Carrera)

Farmer1906 said:

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Can the Struggling Astros Turn Their Season Around?

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Time is not on Houston's side, in the short or long term. The short-term challenge is obvious, but the long-term one is nearly as daunting. The Astros are second in baseball in wRC+ from players over 30 years old (129), with Jose Altuve and Christian Walker both at ages when imminent decline is highly likely. Their two key offensive players in their 20s, Jeremy Peña and Yordan Alvarez, are free agents after 2027 and 2028, respectively. At the end of last season, our prospect team ranked Houston's farm system 29th out of 30 teams. The best solution might be to do a bit of retooling, perhaps by trading anyone unsigned past this year. Then, assuming there's a pre-lockout window to make some free agent signings as there was in 2021, absolutely blitz the top guys available with extremely generous one-year offers, with the hope that many of those players will want to get a second look at free agency in a hopefully normal winter after the 2027 season. But truth be told, this doesn't really feel like something the Astros would do.

However it shakes out, this may be the most crucial period of Brown's stint as GM. The Houston Astros are in a precarious position, and none of the options look particularly appealing. Some problems simply don't have good solutions, and if they can't conjure one up, we may be looking at the end of a moderately successfully dynasty in Houston.

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A "moderately" successful dynasty? lol

CharleyKerfeld said:

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I've been playing this game a year or so and never seen it posted here, so thought I'd drop the link.

https://www.dailywalkoff.com/

You can select any team (obviously Astros are best). It's a 4x4 grid of names and categories to put in order. If you get them all right the first time it's a "home run". As long as you get at least some right, you stay alive until you have three "outs". Sometimes it's super easy, sometimes there are multiple people that fit multiple categories. It also depends a lot on how deep your baseball history goes.

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We had some good discussion in the offseason thread about it. I haven't played lately

agproducer said:

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Rangers fans be mad. Yankees fans be a-holes.

Every angle of tonight’s fight at Globe Life pic.twitter.com/JzmWtv6qvM

— Rangers Nation ⚾️ (@Rangers__Nation) April 28, 2026

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Having been in 2 ballpark fights - one at an Oilers game in 1991 and the other at a KC Royals games in 1996, I say from experience that while it is never worth the consequences, it feels absolutely amazing in the moment. punching some a-hole in the face who won't STFU.

I'm more shocked that it's Arlington and the Jankees.

I would have pegged Philly or the Doyers.

I saw about 5 of them one night at Doyer stadium... The NLDS between them and the Cubs a few years (10?) back... Buddy had outfield tickets. I had no dog in the hunt, but it was cool to watch the fights.

Marvin said:

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Farmer1906 said:

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Can the Struggling Astros Turn Their Season Around?

Quote:

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Time is not on Houston's side, in the short or long term. The short-term challenge is obvious, but the long-term one is nearly as daunting. The Astros are second in baseball in wRC+ from players over 30 years old (129), with Jose Altuve and Christian Walker both at ages when imminent decline is highly likely. Their two key offensive players in their 20s, Jeremy Peña and Yordan Alvarez, are free agents after 2027 and 2028, respectively. At the end of last season, our prospect team ranked Houston's farm system 29th out of 30 teams. The best solution might be to do a bit of retooling, perhaps by trading anyone unsigned past this year. Then, assuming there's a pre-lockout window to make some free agent signings as there was in 2021, absolutely blitz the top guys available with extremely generous one-year offers, with the hope that many of those players will want to get a second look at free agency in a hopefully normal winter after the 2027 season. But truth be told, this doesn't really feel like something the Astros would do.

However it shakes out, this may be the most crucial period of Brown's stint as GM. The Houston Astros are in a precarious position, and none of the options look particularly appealing. Some problems simply don't have good solutions, and if they can't conjure one up, we may be looking at the end of a moderately successfully dynasty in Houston.

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A "moderately" successful dynasty? lol

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I almost posted that exact same thing.

LouisianaCHEN said:

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MaxPower said:

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Do it. Double rods for Rob!

Sources: The #Astros have at least discussed the possibility of replacing manager Joe Espada, and one name that has surfaced in those conversations is former Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora, who was recently let go, per league sources. No deal imminent, but talks are ongoing.

— Holly Baylor (@HollyBaylorMLB) April 28, 2026

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Isn't this a parody account?

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Yes it is

agproducer said:

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From Jomboy. Cora is likely not in the cards.

Alex Cora was offered the Phillies managerial job but turned it down in order to spend time with his family pic.twitter.com/xBDf3ezgm5

— Talkin' Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) April 28, 2026

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If we have any thought towards giving Omar a chance, wouldn't we want to do it on an interim basis sooner than later to get a good sample size before we get to the end of the season and have to compete against the Phillies and Red Sox for his services?

txags92 said:

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agproducer said:

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From Jomboy. Cora is likely not in the cards.

Alex Cora was offered the Phillies managerial job but turned it down in order to spend time with his family pic.twitter.com/xBDf3ezgm5

— Talkin' Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) April 28, 2026

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If we have any thought towards giving Omar a chance, wouldn't we want to do it on an interim basis sooner than later to get a good sample size before we get to the end of the season and have to compete against the Phillies and Red Sox for his services?

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The difference in this moment between us and the RS/Phillies is both those teams are sucking while healthy. I still think we should fire both Joe and Dana now, but the situations are not the same.

CharleyKerfeld said:

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agproducer said:

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Rangers fans be mad. Yankees fans be a-holes.

Every angle of tonight’s fight at Globe Life pic.twitter.com/JzmWtv6qvM

— Rangers Nation ⚾️ (@Rangers__Nation) April 28, 2026

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Having been in 2 ballpark fights - one at an Oilers game in 1991 and the other at a KC Royals games in 1996, I say from experience that while it is never worth the consequences, it feels absolutely amazing in the moment. punching some a-hole in the face who won't STFU.

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Hopefully you were smarter than Yankee fan and didn't attempt to fight upwards. If you're on the bottom row you're going to lose the overwhelming majority of the time.

Booma94 said:

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CharleyKerfeld said:

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agproducer said:

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Rangers fans be mad. Yankees fans be a-holes.

Every angle of tonight’s fight at Globe Life pic.twitter.com/JzmWtv6qvM

— Rangers Nation ⚾️ (@Rangers__Nation) April 28, 2026

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Having been in 2 ballpark fights - one at an Oilers game in 1991 and the other at a KC Royals games in 1996, I say from experience that while it is never worth the consequences, it feels absolutely amazing in the moment. punching some a-hole in the face who won't STFU.

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Hopefully you were smarter than Yankee fan and didn't attempt to fight upwards. If you're on the bottom row you're going to lose the overwhelming majority of the time.

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Meh. His groin was at jab height. Swing at whats in the strike zone, not at pitches above your head.

EastCoastAgNc said:

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txags92 said:

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agproducer said:

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From Jomboy. Cora is likely not in the cards.

Alex Cora was offered the Phillies managerial job but turned it down in order to spend time with his family pic.twitter.com/xBDf3ezgm5

— Talkin' Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) April 28, 2026

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If we have any thought towards giving Omar a chance, wouldn't we want to do it on an interim basis sooner than later to get a good sample size before we get to the end of the season and have to compete against the Phillies and Red Sox for his services?

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The difference in this moment between us and the RS/Phillies is both those teams are sucking while healthy. I still think we should fire both Joe and Dana now, but the situations are not the same.

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I don't disagree re: the situation being different. But if we are not actively thinking about extending Espada's contract right now, then it means we should be looking for his replacement. If we think his replacement is already in the clubhouse, then giving him an extended tryout now is way better than getting to the end of the season riding Joe into the gutter and then having to compete with the Phillies and Red Sox for an unknown commodity. Generally, the timing of whether to fire Joe now, at the ASB, or let him ride to the end of the season doesn't really make any difference unless you think the answer might already be sitting in your dugout.

Booma94 said:

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CharleyKerfeld said:

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agproducer said:

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Rangers fans be mad. Yankees fans be a-holes.

Every angle of tonight’s fight at Globe Life pic.twitter.com/JzmWtv6qvM

— Rangers Nation ⚾️ (@Rangers__Nation) April 28, 2026

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Having been in 2 ballpark fights - one at an Oilers game in 1991 and the other at a KC Royals games in 1996, I say from experience that while it is never worth the consequences, it feels absolutely amazing in the moment. punching some a-hole in the face who won't STFU.

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Hopefully you were smarter than Yankee fan and didn't attempt to fight upwards. If you're on the bottom row you're going to lose the overwhelming majority of the time.

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Actually, both times I was in the lower row, but being 6'7 tends to balance that sort of disparity out

I was surprised how chill the crowd was on Sunday. The only Yankee fan yapping I heard in my area was from an older couple pissed about all the people coming and going during ABs. Inevitably every time Judge was about to bat their view would get blocked.

I realize it's just the interim role, but seems strange that Mattingly is working for his son.

I haven't been in a fight since elementary school, but I agree being tall (6'6" myself) tends to even out elevation differences.

~egon

Dr. Doctor said:

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I haven't been in a fight since elementary school, but I agree being tall (6'6" myself) tends to even out elevation differences.

~egon

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Been 30 years for me since the Royals game. Asked two guys behind me to be quiet during God Bless America and one of them shoved me and I fell over the next row of seats. He was big time apologizing when I got up, but 22 year old Charley wasn't listening.

The Oiler game fight was me at 17 and my 17 year old best friend taunting the bejesus out of two Browns fans when the Oilers came back and beat them in the last few seconds after they had mocked us for most of the fourth quarter. We had that one coming.

Cody Bolton is in Baltimore, in part, because Ryan Weiss' wife is due to give birth soon and he'll leave whenever that happens.

Jeremy Peña will join the Astros here tomorrow after facing Josh Hader today in a live BP in Houston. Peña is getting close to a rehab assignment

— Chandler Rome (@Chandler_Rome) April 28, 2026

Get Weiss some of that new dad energy! Good news regarding Pena being close to a rehab trip.

If he's going on a rehab assignment (I assume in SL or CC) why the hell is he flying to Baltimore?

That one week of patient Altuve was really cool.

losing a challenge in the first inning bites

linkdude said:

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losing a challenge in the first inning bites

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On a 0-0 count no less.

Orioles can still rake. All three hits off changeups.

Matthews could've had an outfield assist to start the inning but Tuve couldn't handle the throw.

At least no walks for BAL

Yainer did a thing!

/shockedpickachu

linkdude said:

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Matthews could've had an outfield assist to start the inning but Tuve couldn't handle the throw.

At least no walks for BAL

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Are we approaching the point where we have to ask what is the worse defensive situation….Altuve at 2B or Yordan in LF? Once Pena gets back we may have to play Isaac at 2B a lot and Yordan in LF. No doubt that increases injury risk but we don't have the luxury of babying anybody.

Harris is so worthless