The Void: 2022-23 Offseason

I’d want hazard pay if I played in NY, too.

Why the heck do you care? The high leverage relievers played a huge role in the WS victory, and I hope we keep them all.

Hang-wringing over salaries is by far my least favorite aspect of being a fan of a team.

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Glad to have him back.

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Not me. While it’s pretty far down on my list of ways that I choose to be a fan, one of the things I do like to do is think about the inputs that go into constructing a team and salary is a part of that. I do not “hand wring“ about it but it’s something that’s mildly interesting to me and like to chat about with friends on an Internet forum.

Montero was great this year and absolutely spectacular in the postseason. As were a number of the other relievers that made them the best bullpen in the major leagues this year and a record-setting bullpen in the postseason.

I am glad the Astros signed Montero. But, I do think about the overall impact that might have on the limited salary resources, the Astros (and every team) have this year and going forward. It’s a nonzero part of my fandom.

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You waste time worrying about salary decisions which are the owner’s to make. It is his money and his team. The only limits to his spending to build another Champion are his to impose. Montero’s salary will not retard his ability to sign the players he wants.

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Also Crane seems to have negotiated this deal himself, so if he cries poor in 2025 because he owes Rafael Montero $11M then he has only himself to blame.

(In other words I don’t think he is worried about what this deal will do to the budget in future years)

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I am glad you clarified the post. I was biting my cybertongue.

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Jim Crane has proven time and time again that he really cares about winning, and he wants to do whatever it takes to accomplish that goal. He maintains one of the highest payrolls in MLB, and he wants his general managers to be bold and aggressive at the trade deadline (Justin Verlander, Zack Greinke and the agreed to Bryce Harper deal in 2018 that the Nationals nixed are three examples).

I’m just happy the Astros’ setup man is back with the team for 2023 and beyond because it helps them.

Haha yeah as soon as I posted it I realized I’d left out the key point of “and that’s why I don’t think he’ll do that.”

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Really happy Montero is back.

I think Click - like many of us - looks at the money and passes on that deal

Very happy as an Astros fan this morning

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I do not think Click had that much power.

My uninformed, uneducated guess is that the GM/Front Office >>>>>>> Manager hierarchy isn’t as strong in Houston as it is elsewhere.

This is based on the finest conjecture you can get without a subscription.

I just read that Click left $20M of his 2022 payroll budget on the table

Crane called that " complacent"

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And where did you read this?

My gut feeling is that Click was from the Rays system and they are all about big value with a small budget. Perhaps he had a hard time getting out of that mindset.

Some people get rewarded for coming in under budget while achieving all of their objectives.

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It was at another message board so obviously needs to be taken with many grains of salt lol.

This poster claims to be a close friend of several former and current front office employees ( mostly former)

The things he has posted over the past several months I have been on that board are impressive and appear legit.

He won’t say names of his friends/sources but as I said it sure comes across as real.

Obviously can’t use it as verified though.

Can’t argue with that.

If its true I’m just happy that the Astros have an owner who wants to win and expects to spend to do it.

That doesn’t need a grain of salt, it needs an entire salt lick.

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It’s piffle but whatever…

Correa to Dodgers, deGrom to Rangers, Contreras to Cards.