I think most fans recognized it but still when the GM says it that tends to drive it home even more…
James Click: “When I came in, looking at the roster and when certain guys would be free agents and things like that, my assumption — my estimation — was that we had at least a year if not two years where we should be a very competitive team. And so the hope was to not make a lot of massive changes to the roster in those two years, and spend those two years focusing on getting the rest of the organization where it needs to be.
This sounds like the 2 years before Springer’s and Correa’s free agencies.
I think that because of the development of Alvarez, Tucker, and the young starting pitchers, the window has been extended without major roster rebuilding.
I hope Correa resigns, but if not the team is still the class of the AL West, maybe the entire AL.
I am interested with how the Astros outfield will look over the next few years.
If we ONLY look at players currently in the organization and scouting tools ratings and prospect grades this is how I think it should go:
2022: L-R Brantley/Meyers/Tucker, 4th-McCormick
2023- Tucker/Meyers/Leon 4th-McCormick
2024- Tucker/Meyers/Leon 4th-Barber
2025- Tucker/Leon/Whitaker 4th-Barber.
Obviously LOTS can change but McKenna, Barefoot, Brewer, and Daniels are all on most or all top 30 prospect lists
With Siri, Julkes, Costes, etc along with new signees and draft picks in the future in case injury fill ins and AAAA type replacements are needed I think the best use of those 4 players is to trade them now while they are at max value.
It wasn’t that long ago the franchise was at the bottom of the heap and not good. It was a slog rooting for any and all wins the Astros could muster and searching for any semblance of positivity in those dark days. Plus, the fucking arlington mouth-breathers with their fair weather chucklefuck fans were on top chirping how great they were and would now be the preeminent MLB team in Texas, yada, yada, something, something gazpacho.
I’m so mighty grateful for this run/success the past few years (even after being frog-marched to the AL/Softball League- fuck you in perpetuity, bud selig).
Here’s hoping we can enjoy this ride a lot longer and that the franchise is poised well for the future.
The AL doesn’t bother me anymore. Maybe I’m just accustomed to it now. But after following this franchise since the Colt .45 days it is somewhat refreshing to play different teams in different cities. I think the biggest change was the move from the dome to MMP and the different style of play and roster construction that came with it.
I’m also accustomed to it now, but what will always chap my hide is the way in which the Astros were forced over while the fucking brewers, selig’s family’s little pet and originally an AL franchise he approved moving to the NL and creating the imbalance of teams, stayed in the NL Central.
What I am amazed with is how the Astros continue to curate the pipeline of talent in and through the org. Ever since the farm system has started to be ranked near or at the bottom of farm system rankings in 2019, they’ve continued to produce top-shelf talent. Alvarez-1st, Javier-3rd, Garcia-2nd, Peña-trending 2nd in latest MLB poll for AL Rookie of the year. With other somewhat lesser talent producing at the MLB level on the club or with other teams when used as trade components. Even with the front office machinations over the last few years, I’m not sure there is a better org at not only evaluating talent but also developing existing talent to max value.
Two main thoughts jump out at me because of all of this: 1) I’ve had to rethink my thoughts about the window closing around now and 2) Jim Crane is an excellent owner/manager. It would be easy to say we are still in the window that Luhnow created but that’s almost impossible to intellectually sustain anymore. Whenever you see sustained excellence in an org that has medium or high executive and management turnover, the only place you can realistically attribute that success to is the top level executive and the environment they are able to create that generates that sustained, elevated performance.
Well said, David- also adding to all your solid points the ensuing tumult the organization/franchise endured after being thrown under the bud by that peckerhead manfred and mlb for apparently the most egregious cheating scandal ever concocted in human history, and it makes things even more impressive.
And Props to Click and the job he has done since he arrived. Luhnow laid the foundation but Click has done needed maintenance and even added some upgrades.
I do not know about the drama; I do know Luhnow was despised by lots of people in the industry, and not only because he championed analytics well before anyone else did. He was often arrogant and an asshole to his peers in baseball. I heard about him more than I wanted each ST during visits with my scout friend.
I just mean all the public things. Being despised before (and after) coming to Houston, his power struggle with Walt Jocketty and John Mozeliak in STL, then in Houston the Chris Correa information theft/leak, the Brady Aiken mess, hiring guys like Taubman, the Osuna trade, Sig Mejdal and Mike Fast quitting the organization, the guy getting caught filming the Red Sox in 2018, and of course the trash can thing and its fallout (including Luhnow’s lawsuit and blaming it all on the video guy).
Luhnow may not bear individual responsibility for all those things, but it seems like wherever he goes, a wake of drama follows. The Click era has been a breath of fresh air by comparison.
This is gonna get sooooooo interesting. He won’t opt in and will be a free agent at age 40 coming off a likely Cy Young-quality season. What do you offer the guy? 3 yrs/$100MM?
FWIW, the Chron in an article posted late this evening …
Hidden
Verlander is authoring the sort of season that should net him a much higher average annual value than $25 million. Last October, Astros owner Jim Crane said Verlander sought a deal “of some length” before he signed his current contract in Houston. Verlander told ESPN earlier this season his decision came down to the Astros, New York Yankees and Toronto Blue Jays. Verlander’s season so far has seemed to quell any skepticism about his durability or effectiveness in the wake of Tommy John surgery. He’s long stated a desire to pitch until he’s 45 and could seek a multi-year deal on the open market. Opting out of the deal does not preclude the Astros from pursuing a reunion — Verlander and Crane are very close — but it would almost assuredly require a raise in total money and average annual value.