This. Nobody accuses the teams of being greedy when they mess with players’ service time in order to extend the club’s control and delay the player’s free agency. If I were Springer I would want the Astros to compensate for that in addition to whatever the fair market price of his services are. I get that those machinations helped the Astros put together the high quality team that made Springer’s six years so successful and rewarding, and if I were him that would be due some credit, but there’s no denying the Astros took cash straight out of his pocket to do so. Probably to the tune of $20 million.
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Having to turn down a contract of guaranteed millions of dollars on an uncertain future is a pretty low threshhold for a grudge, imo.
What Springer gets offered by other teams will be interesting to me, as it will tell you what the front offices actually think of the sign-stealing scandal.
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Anyone who thinks front offices won’t do whatever they can to win, including signing a player from the 2017 Astros, is crazy.
Marwin was one of the guiltiest players of benefitting from the “scandal”, and I don’t think I’ve heard a single non-Astro mention it since he went to Minny.
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True, but wasn’t Marwin signed before most of the information was out? And Springer is likely to get a much bigger contract.
My point(s) was/were, once you’re away from the Astros, it doesn’t matter that you were an Astro. It’s the team that people are obsessing about moreso than the players (except Altuve, since he apparently stole the MVP by cheating).
If people really gave a shit about the players, they’d hate Marwin most of all, but nobody gives a fuck.
It’s all just stupid manufactured outrage from fucking polesmokes and mouth breathers that refuse to accept that plenty of teams, including theirs almost definitely, were cheating but didn’t get caught/Fiersed.
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What a fantastic repudiation of internet experts from Strom:
“So when I read these comments on Twitter from people that are sitting in their mothers’ basements writing stupid ideas that Dusty Baker ruined Mark Prior’s arm or ruined Kerry Wood’s arm, God could have been the manager of the Chicago Cubs and Kerry Wood and Mark Prior would have hurt their arms themselves due to their delivery. It had nothing to do with Dusty Baker and his usage. Mechanics are mechanics. Movement patterns are movement patterns. Watching them and studying them throughout the years, they were both on the trail to having arm injuries.”
If Springer signed with a high profile big market rival and produced well enough for them, his Astros tenure would not be held against him. Charlie Morton is a precedent, having benefited from the scandal. He never has this dredged up. Springer could try that route as well just to close the chapter
Reputation with media/fans and reputation with front office/player personnel are two different things.
And MLB teams really only care about one of them.
A baseball guy I know predicted McCullers’ injury years before it happen simply by watching his mechanics.
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What are some of the clues or tells which predicted his injury?
I would be really, really surprised if Springer re-signed with this club. Out of everybody who is at the core of this franchise, not only is he the most replaceable in terms “we have to replace this player, at this position, and replace this much production” but there is also the reality that in terms of swapping out one core player for another, it is likely that the hopeful “replacement” is already here.
It kinda sucks (from a losing a player persepective) that Springer is an immensely loveable character for vast number of reasons, while IMO I think most fans struggle to connect with watching Kyle Tucker play. I think the obvious decision that most franchises would make here is to hope Tucker’s growth continues into the Springer replacement as a core player and cover the rest of the gaps by incrementally improving the outfield as you can.
Well, Tucker was already part of the outfield, so is it fair to say that he’ll replace Springer’s production? Also, and very importantly, Tucker can’t play center, or at least that’s my assumption.
I mean, I guess so, as far as replacing stats from this one 60 game season. However, Tucker is only 23 years old, what I mean is that he is here, and he is the logical replacement as a core player from growth/advancement as a ballplayer. For this past season, Tucker was kind of just another guy, a hopeful bright prospect. I think after this season, there are fewer doubts about what he can be 4 years from now.
And if we’re dealing with an opportunity cost situation, particularly regarding Correa. I think its much harder to fill the hole at 3B or SS if you end up with Tucker/Springer than it would be to fill the hole in outfield production if you can keep Tucker/Correa
Recoil delivery primarily.
Isn’t The King a free agent? Seems like he would be a good fit next year if they can’t re-up Brantley.
If Brantley and Springer are gone OF 2021 production will be at a deficit compared to 2020.
Alvarez if healthy should offset that to some degree, but that’s an if.
Bottom line is replacing Springer’s production will be a multi-year, multi-player job.
One other name to keep an eye on in the outfield for the 2nd half of next year. The Astros are expected to sign Pedro Leon a 22 year old OF from Cuba. Projected with 5 above average tools and able to stay in center.
He will sign July 2nd and I would expect him in the Majors in Sept if not mid August.
Making a WAG - The free agent I think most likely to wind up in Houston is Jackie Bradley Jr.
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Thanks for this.
From the article. Numbers are in 15(!) games:
I think this is the same guy in the second video. There’s also a Pedro de Leon who is listed as OF/C who is quite a bit bigger as you might imagine.
