Exactly. The off-season and spring training should cure any issues.
I am guessing the $68M is not really accurate though. I think it’s common practice to pay injury insurance on big cost, high profile assets so I am thinking the Verlander 2021 $33M salary is offset by insurance recovery some.
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They would need to add $20M/yr to equal the Dodgers and Yankees. I have no idea if it makes sense to get to that level or not.
The Astros can probably stay top 5 in salary but will never be up there with the Yankees and Dodgers. They are playing a different game
I don’t know if they have insurance on Verlander or not. But he’s going to be paid $45MM for the 73 pitches he threw this year. And his full $33MM for 2021 counts as salary for the Astros. It’s not just a cash flow issue.
Someone go back and get a shitload of dimes to pay George.
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The big question is if the Astros don’t sign Springer, what’s the back-up plan for the OF? I’ll probably throw something through my TV if the Opening Day OF is Tucker, Straw, and Aledmys Diaz.
I’m not usually a big believer in paying for intangibles, but in this case, it seems worth a premium to keep the Core Four together for another couple of seasons.
The club sees more in Straw than I do. I hope Toro and/or Mayfield can step up. We’ve talked a lot about Mayfield, and he can play lots of places in the field, but he’ll need to hit more if he wants an everyday job in the big leagues. I really hope he can, but I don’t know if that’s realistic or not.
I saw Straw play quite a bit in RR, and I think a lot more of him than the GZ conventional wisdom does.
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Could he be capable of more than he showed this year? Sure, I believe that.
Could he hold down an everyday job? I doubt it.
To me, he is a good 4th OFer, not a starter, but he must hit just as Super Jack must to be a utility player.
No problem with him as OF4. If he’s CF1, we’re in trouble.
Agreed. I don’t dislike Straw, he has his value and uses. But he’s not an every day CFer at this level, IMO.
Losing Springer and Brantley would leave a big power void in the OF/top 3rd of the order.
Replacing 1 with Straw does little to address that.
Altuve is flexible enough to leadoff, and Yordan would figure to be in a run producing spot, but I would guess there’ll be a new FA face with at least a little pop in the OF.
My bigger fear than losing Springer is not having Alvarez back in the lineup. I just seem way invested in him at this point, and it would be a huge letdown if he’s not able to pick back up next season.
The Athletic runs through a list of OF options beyond Springer & Brantley:
Internally, you’ve got Straw, Chas McCormick, Diaz, and Taylor Jones.
Free agents: Marcell Ozuna, Jackie Bradley Jr., Marisnick, Grossman, Joc Pederson, Kevin Pillar, Jay Bruce, Cespedes, and Kike Hernandez.
Via trade, they suggest Wil Myers and Gregory Polanco might be possibilities.
Not a super exciting list.
Woof.
Of that group, Ozuna alone catches my eye. Joc Pederson? No way in hell.
Ozuna is a DH. He’s a fucking disaster in the outfield.
How is he on the base paths?