Chandler Rome said on his podcast this morning that he was told “there was nothing Brown could have done this year to save his job, including win the World Series”
If that is the case, why the fuck was he not fired after last year? Once you have made the decision that he’s not the guy, get rid of him then and there, don’t give him another offseason. There’s zero logic to that.
Crane didn’t want to buy out the last year?
That’s the only explanation that makes sense to me.
And if that is the case, that’s about as cheap as it gets
I read something similar from Rome, and interpreted it as “at this point,” rather than being Crane’s stance at the start of the year.
That makes much more sense. I just don’t understand how people can consider Crane a cheapskate. I guess he’ll always be viewed that way by some, no matter how much money he spends. Nothing will ever be enough.
I don’t think he is cheap.
The question at the time was 'why keep a lame duck GM for an entire season? ’
I’ve advocated for a rebuild for 2 years. Which would lower payroll.
I understand why that’s very difficult/unlikely/nigh impossible to do with no assurance of success.
But it’s what the franchise needs
I confess I don’t really know the difference in a “rebuild” and a “re-load”, but I don’t think a complete teardown was necessary this past season. You had Brown and (alledgedly) Imai at the top of the rotation, you were supposed to be getting back Javier and Garcia, as well. Your bullpen didn’t look like a disaster to start the season. You had Yordan and Pena and Paredes, with a little help from Walker and Smith to lead the lineup. You knew you were getting old with Altuve and Correa, but that wasn’t supposed to be the end of the world. I didn’t look at this roster in February and say "you can’t win with that.
I think that was a fair assessment.
I figured they’d be within shouting distance of .500 from either side.
And I understand trading assets for prospects can be like going to the casino to secure the down payment for your mortgage.
Another thing Rome noted on the podcast: AGM Connor Huff “and his family” have been “friends with Jim Crane for a long time,” and Huff is in the same tier as Bagwell in terms of Crane’s trust. Huff is a young guy (2016 college grad) who’s been with the Astros for four years. This was his first year as AGM.
I’d like Crane to pick one of these inner-circle advisers as GM. Bagwell himself, the wunderkind Huff, ol’ Enos Cabell, whichever one is willing to put his own head on the line. Turn the team into a powerhouse again or lose your job.
Luhnow built the system through the draft, not acquiring prospects. I think that’s a distinction worth noting.
And there was a hit/miss ratio there too.
Except for a certain minor trade with the Dodgers
And some fortunate breaks with the misses.
If Brady Aiken’s medicals turn up clean, they don’t get Bregman.
Ha ha.
Suck it LA
He has a WHIP of over 1.4 in Sugar Land. That’s probably why he’s not in Houston.
If you really want to bake your noodle, try to think out the what-if scenarios where the Pirates don’t take Appel in 2012, and the Astros take him at their second pick as planned instead of McCullers. That probably makes Bryant 1-1 in 2013, unless their infatuation with Colin Moran wins out… wild stuff was possible.
In perpetuity.
Imai got him in hot water. Varsho for spaghetti was the coup de grâce.
I love the Stros but they are in a death spiral.
Name me one player who you expect to be better next year?
Hunter Brown is the only name that comes to mind.
The free agent signing the owner made on his own and the trade the owner was ok with after vetoing the one the GM wanted to make?
Certainly there were elements of both, and you can almost argue that Yordan was equivalent to a draft pick, as he was acquired before ever playing a game in the Dodger’s system. But Luhnow seemed to be better at that piece. Of course the jury is still out on Brown’s drafting, but I think it’s going to be hard to match Luhnow’s eye for amateur talent, whether it was his or the people he had around him.