I don’t get the comparisons to 2006 and 2008. While this team is a fucking mess right now, it’s not because of the Jose Abreu signing, nor do I think he is an indication of some sort of pathetic desperation. Thirteen games ago they were a Framber Valdez diarrhetic episode from their fifth World Series in seven seasons. This can still be a very good team and competitive for years to come. They need to pull their heads out of their collective ass, and that starts with the manager, but to lump Crane in with McLane’s madness at this point is just bizarre to me.
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Alright HH, but the Abreu signing was kinda the first of it’s kind under Crane…and Hader very similar in terms of bringing in high priced FAgents. I agree that this team is still very good…and has the potential to be great. Just saying that those signings kind of signal a change and unfortunately (because of the way the team is currently totaling up losses) reminded me of those teams.
Personally I was just talking about how this team feels to me, performance-wise.
Coming off a deep playoff run and the team just can’t seem to get out of it’s own way.
Let’s say 2005 vibes. A disastrous start to a season after missing the World Series by one game.
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Abreu was a 2 year deal and not that expensive.
He got to 90 rbi last season after a horrible start.
He’s been terrible this season but he’s not THE reason the team stinks. (And no I don’t have any confidence he’ll turn things around, guys fall off the cliff all the time).
So all told he’s far from the worst FA signing in club history.
Three-year deal, but still certainly not the worst FA signing.
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Well, now, that’s a fun game: what IS the worst FA signing in club history? While not the worst, Aoki sure didn’t pan out.
I was just texting about it with a friend and while I reflexively said Abreu wasn’t the worst above, I should note that he really might be if he doesn’t turn it around. But I also wanted them to sign him so I’m in no position to pass judgment on it.
Odorizzi didn’t work out, Kaz Matsui, Woody Williams, but most of the candidates for “worst signing” just weren’t for big enough money to matter.
I’ll take the fifth if asked to make the worst.
Woody Williams way up there.
I’ll also propose Greg Swindell.
I was trying to remember who came on with Drabek. Very forgettable.
Yeah, I was thinking about Williams and Drabek, but like you say, there just wasn’t enough money involved to make them horrible.
I was so excited when the Astros signed Drabek and Swindell. Sadly, they were another marker in that era of futility from the late 80’s through the mid 90’s.
I had high hopes for Jim Clancy but he was a total let down.
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Drawback and Swindle?
This is not the case. The 2024 Astros are underperforming. It isn’t a talent problem. The Royals are not nearly as talented as the Astros, but they have whipped their ass the first two games of this series. In their nine losses, the Astros have led in six of them.
Yordan Alvarez, Jose Altuve, Kyle Tucker, Alex Bregman, Yainer Diaz, Chas McCormick and Jeremy Peña haven’t forgotten how to hit a baseball nor play defense. That’s seven of your nine every day starters. Josh Hader, Ryan Pressly and Bryan Abreu haven’t forgotten how to pitch, either. Espada needs to get them more consistent work to keep them sharp.
The starting rotation is an issue with all the injuries, as is bullpen depth. Offensively, they aren’t consistently scoring runs. They need to find a suitable alternative option to Jose Abreu at 1B (Joey Loperfido internally or sign a free agent like Brandon Belt) and remove Jonathan Singleton from the bench.
Sure, the offense has had two games where they scored 10 runs and one with 8, but in their nine losses, they have scored more than three runs one time. That was opening day where they scored four.
The 2007 and 2008 Astros were not that good from an overall talent perspective.
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FWIW, Jose Abreu was signed to a three-year deal.
The Astros’ main culprits to their poor start have been their inability to hold leads (bullpen) and a wildly inconsistent offense. The starting pitching for the most part has given them chances to win (Brown’s start in Arlington and Henley and Arrighetti last night aside). They have lost six games where they had a lead this season. The offense in the nine losses has scored more than three runs once (four on opening day).
There was nothing wrong with signing Josh Hader. He’s an elite reliever and makes the Astros late inning relief corps stronger.
Jose Abreu has been a mistake, but let’s not forget that 42.5M is sitting on IL in McCullers, Verlander and Graveman. Only one of those players is returning soon. Factoring in Jose Abreu’s performance, that’s 62M not giving you anything productive right now.
Jim Crane went over the tax threshold to sign Hader. It’s time for him to continue to put his money where his mouth is about keeping the window open by figuring out a way to find a suitable first base option and adding pitching depth to the major league roster.
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I posted later that I still believe this team can be good but that because of the way they have been losing (and yes, the recent signings) that it reminded me of those teams.
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I just got out of about an hour long meeting to see that we aren’t even out of the first inning and the Good Guys have already shit the bed. WTF?1? The hits just keep coming. Starting to feel like a Perfect Storm type season.