He came up clutch for Houston in the postseason several times. I specifically recall the 2019 World Series, 2021 World Series, and 2022 World Series. He pitched very well and gave the team some innings that it desperately needed.
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If he doesn’t get a major league offer, I could see Urquidy coming back on a minor league deal for sure
They have avoided arbitration with Valdez. One year @ $18M.
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Nice.
A little higher for some guys than projected, a little lower for others, and by some quick math it appears they’re exactly where they were expected to be payroll-wise overall. Still a touch over the CBT threshold.
Very TCB kind of day
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Meanwhile, Tucker and the Cubs couldn’t reach an agreement and filed figures $2.5M apart. Best wishes to them on their happy marriage.
They will learn very quickly that he is all about the business. (nothing wrong with that either) And, that he’ll get what he asked for.
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Five tool players don’t grow on trees. Pay the man.
Especially over $2.5M if you want any chance at all to extend/resign him.
I would offer 12/$400M in leiu of arbitration right now if I were the Cubs.
I would not if I were the Astros.
Soto killed any chance that extending Kyle would be smart for them. Trading him was the right move.
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The problem with Kyle Tucker is that you could offer him virtually any contract and he would not accept it and go to free agency.
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You’re absolutely right, but that also makes making an offer a perfectly safe way to convince other candidates that you’re a “player”, even if maybe you aren’t.
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Feel free to hammer this idea as whimsical, unrealistic, or improbable - and I haven’t been on site this winter to read people’s thoughts, apologies if this has been discussed, bemusedly or with conflicting responses.
However, I do want to make a plea for an “out of the box” trade idea I believe would elevate Houston’s chances next year (again, I am amateur mind on these kinds of things attracted to symmetry or visualizing how we might re-ascend so I am not claiming “I’m right”, although I am invested in being proven right eventually.
2025 Houston Astros - Trade for Luis Arraez (use Pressly, Prospect even $ if you have to get a deal done).
Top 10 Reasons Why:
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Losing Tucker/Bregs Productivity cannot fully be absorbed by Walker/Paredes (we need hits, selective timely hitting; putting the ball in-play, & elite bat contact - not swing & miss). Since I don’t have to watch Bregs pop up to first anymore, I tried to imagine what I actually want to see, rather than not.
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We need a left handed bat in the #2 spot in our order & the best one I know of is a 3 time consecutive batting champ named Luis Arraez of the Padres. He could provide 200 hits sandwiched in b/n Altuve/Alvarez with Yainer/Walker/Paredes behind -
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We would have two elite Venezuelan table setters at the top of our lineup who have a combined 6 batting titles between them. It is a Brantley replacement 2.0 idea
x.com -
Most every negative attribution about this idea has to do with defense, position (where to play him) etc… Frankly, that issue is 5th or 6th on my list of importance. Arraez has played LF for Minnesota early in his career 48 games to be exact and could spell just about every infield position for starters on off/travel days, plus DH. We started Yordan in LF 58 times last year, I have no problem starting Arraez 75 Games, finding another 40-50 games to mix & match infield spots to get his bat in the lineup. If he sucks so bad we lose games - we use a defensive sub late in games (The Marisnick Model). That’s me - not for everyone; as some really want a Verdugo type player (who I think is a poor offensive choice) but our outfield is a work in progress (Meyers, McCormick, Dubon, Trammell etc.) Arraez doesn’t ruin anyone’s ascendence except maybe Melton or Leon (and who knows if they are ready). For me, Houston wins this year if we have a top 5 offense/lineup - that’s where I’d focus.
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If Arraez succeeds in Houston, he’d be a FA next year and be the exact type of signing (shorter contract years) that would fit into Crane’s historical sweet spot for contracts (2-5 years). If Arraez doesn’t succeed, the cost is the same as holding onto Pressly ($14-15m) - just let him sign elsewhere in 2026. Yeah, we might lose a bit more $ to SD or ship another player, but when has that stopped us (see Kikuchi)
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Arraez is the best hitter available - he’s being shopped by the Padres, who have said they are trying to cut payroll (maybe have a few youngsters who could take his place). Astros are not in that situation. In his 7 years in the show, his career batting average is .323; on-base percentage .372. In the last 5 years, he has more hits than anyone in baseball not named Trea Turner, Vlad Guerrero or Freddie Freeman. Surely, LF at Daikin Park is not a reason to avoid this consideration, especially when the other options are not even on the same planet as Arraez.
x.com -
Arraez doesn’t strike out much (29 times in 672ABs) - he puts the ball in play 91% of the time x.com
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Not saying we should break the bank for him nor sell the farm, but this is someone that we should be able to get (an elite bat; mediocre defender) in the short term plus we still have Dubon to spell him defensively late in games or some other utility player (although I tend to like Mauricio over Chaz). It’s an odd numbered year, so let’s see how Chaz does. Anyway, Pressly + Prospect or some cashback on the swap just might work (if Ryan foregoes his no-trade clause for SD).
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The loss of Altuve’s buddies (Correa, Bregs, Springer, & Verlander et al) cannot be made up for going forward but as new relationships develop in the Astros clubhouse Yordan/Yainer/ Walker etc. the A/A/A Arraez & Altuve & Alvarez union could be fruitful as both reach new stages of their careers (pass the Venezuelan torch type thing). The romantic in me is reminded of Bidge, Berkman & Bags
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Win the division with offense! Our pitching is in transition (Framber’s last year, Hunter set to take the next step to being an Ace maybe, Spencer overcoming a sophomore jinx, and those coming back from injuries (McCullers, Javier, Garcia, France). How we win games is going to change under this idea, instead of grinding out close/tight nail-biters using our pen & giving our fans cardiovascular disease or cirrhosis of the liver due to rally-cap anxiety shots, we need to cut through all the bullshit & score lots of runs this season - more than everyone.
Okay, this is my convoluted idea - have at it. Embarrass me, tar & feather me, or just press my button that LF defense is too important to pigeon hole one of the more underrated hitters in the game who would fit well into the club house, play multiple positions and has the best likelihood of getting on base for Yordan/Walker/Yainer.
And if you think this is too unrealistic, just know I love the Astros & we are 1 month away from ST - and waiting for the season and this is precisely the kind of arm-chair GM delusional fan who fails to accept of reality. GO GET LUIS ARRAEZ!!!
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If I owned the Astros, this trade would be done within 10 days.
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How could we possibly respond to such a brief post?
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It’s brevity was my favorite part about it. No beating around the bush, just straight to ths point
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that’s a lot of work, and I’m too impressed by the amount of work to deem it whimsical, unrealistic, or improbable. I’m all for a trade that sends Presley to the Padres for Arraez! Get it done! I’d even throw in prospects. Do the Astros have any throwable prospects?
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I think Quincy Hamilton is about 5’6"
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If he can play the OF, I would do it in a heartbeat.
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I would be thrilled to get Arraez even at an objectively unreasonable prospect cost. If they got him for Pressly+ I would do cartwheels down my block.
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Yeah all kidding aside, any immediate help Pressly would fetch (a comment on buyer’s market more than Ryan) would be welcome.
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