Is it too soon?
Yes
Booooooooooo
I vote “No” but realize I’m in the minority.
Okay, now we can talk about it.
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Mr. Pena needs to pick out one of those fancy swing gurus and order up a complete overhaul.
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If he started a Go Fund Me I’d contribute.
My “friend” was asked about who may manage the team next year.
I have asked about this -
The names I have heard connected to the job are: Mark DeRosa, Danny Lehmann, Ramon Vasquez, George Lombard, Eduardo Perez - Joe Espada and Alex Cintron
I was surprised by how much of this team will return (barring major moves) in 2024.
The entire IF is back, and probably the starting OF of McCormick/Dubon/Tucker, with Alvarez at DH. Will be interesting to see what Brantley does.
Gotta figure out catcher – if Diaz gets the job, or Maldonado returns, or who else is brought in.
The entire rotation is back (plus Urquidy & Bielak, and with LMJ and Garcia hopefully returning at some point).
Bullpen probably needs help, with Neris, Maton and Stanek all free agents.
And of course, there’s the managerial question. But besides that, if I had to guess, I bet we see a relatively quiet offseason.
Lombard is Hinch’s bench coach in Detroit. Was on the LAD coaching staff 2016-2020.
Lehmann I had never heard of. He’s LAD’s current bench coach, just 38 years old.
Between the two in-house options I would rather it be Espada, who seems more even-keeled than Cintron and has always seemed capable in his limited action after ejections and whatnot.
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I sincerely hope that don’t stand pat with that outfield.
You either need to commit to Yordan being the LF, Chas CF, and Tucker in right or you need to pursue another big bat LF so that Yordan and whoever can split time at DH.
The bench, as proven in the playoffs, was pathetically thin on offense, and this team desperately needs some left handed hitting going forward.
Jim Crane and quiet offseason don’t go together, especially with the way the season ended. With how Crane operates, it wouldn’t entirely shock me if he made a big offer to Shohei Ohtani, though I think he ends up staying on the West Coast.
As long as Neris wants to stay, I expect him to stay as long as the offers he gets in free agency aren’t absurd. Graveman will take over either Stanek or Maton’s roles if they get too expensive.
Offensively, Diaz is the starting catcher. Maldonado either only serves as JV’s personal catcher or becomes the Astros’ bench coach alongside Joe Espada, who takes over for Baker. Brown has to work on getting Tucker, Altuve and Bregman extended. He did say earlier this season he expects to get a deal with Tucker done. Altuve and Bregman are free agents after next season and I doubt either leave. Bregman is the question mark, but he’s on the record as saying he wants to play with Altuve his entire career.
Brantley is only back if he takes a lot less guaranteed money and a heavily incentive laden contract. His shoulder and availability is too much of a concern. Chas is your starting centerfielder.
Starting pitching wise, I’d expect the Astros to try and make a run at names like Sonny Gray, Blake Snell, Marcus Stroman, Aaron Nola, Jordan Montgomery or Eduardo Rodriguez in free agency. I doubt they go into next season with the current rotation.
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I suspect a change at catcher, and a more positional correction transaction in cf. Brantley might retire, who knows? I’d get an experienced hitting coach to work on plate discipline. Altuve is the only player who can get away with bad ball hitting
Recovery from sp injuries will be monitored carefully. Also, our farm system is bare at the upper levels, but I don’t know if restocking that cupboard is a priority
I’d be ok with Maldy coming back, as long as it comes with the understanding that it is as a backup only.
Brantley is welcome back but at a lower number and you can’t count on him being the starter.
I want Neris back but I’m fine with letting Maton and Stanek walk.
Chas needs to be the CF next year unless you bring in a better option. No more Dubon the CF. Either bring in a CF and Chas plays LF or bring in a bat that can split time in LF/DH with Yordan.
I would like a starter but I don’t see them making an addition there unless they use one of the young guys in a trade for other needs.
I disagree. Garcia will be out much of 2024 and McCullers is a massive question mark. With the names available in free agency, I’d be shocked if the Astros didn’t work hard to sign one of the names I mentioned. This is a good free agent starting pitching class, and Crane and Dana Brown saw how their starting pitching broke down during the second half of the season. I doubt they say Verlander-Valdez-Javier-Brown-Urquidy-France is good enough at this point.
I can even see the Astros approaching McCullers about the idea of turning him into a late-inning reliever where he doesn’t have to pitch as many innings or throw as many pitches per outing.
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We were worried about starting pitching depth at the start of this season.
Then
- Garcia and Urquidy were injured
- Brown looked unready
- Javier struggled
- Framber said “you call that struggling?” and proceeded to self-immolate
So yeah, I’m not counting on Garcia and LMJ either. This rotation needs help of the proven variety.
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The Astros have a lot of MLB players on their 40 man. Brown has a lot of flexibility to package together some sort of trade, from anything including moving Meyers because Julks is available and cheaper, to packaging some players together with Tucker for a much bigger trade to get someone who we can put in the lineup behind Yordan for the next three years, and everything in between.
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They aren’t trading Tucker
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I hope I’m wrong and they do add a starter. I just think they will look at those 6+ McCullers say “this year was an outlier”
I just don’t see them adding a starter of consequence through FA