re: DAT: 2023-2024 Off Season Thread

quote:

---

The #Astros have no interest in trading 3B Alex Bregman, but have privately resigned to losing him in free agency in a year, per @BNightengale The Astros are realizing it may take $300M to keep him. The money is most likely for Jose Altuve, so he can be an “Astro for life.”

---

Altuve is going to end up taking a below market deal out of his desire to stay here. It's the only way Uncle Pennybags opens up the purse strings.

quote:

---

an interesting option for LF.

---

Is Teoscar out of our price range?

I assumed so, but I haven't really heard any rumors on him and we obviously have some history

It would seem like he is, I'd imagine he could fetch 15-18 mil on the market for multiple years?

O'Neill is going to earn 5.5 mil next year I thought I read.

quote:

---

Is Teoscar out of our price range?

---

Does he expect financial compensation for his services?

quote:

---

Does he expect financial compensation for his services?

---

And I get that, but I'm sure Crane could come up with a list of paid guys that didn't produce a damn thing

JV for 2 years, Brantley too, just off the top of my head

I laugh at Cohen and every other owner that pays the Ohtanis, Trouts, and Judges

Those teams never win in the end

I'm at a point of frustration with Crane. I wouldn't call him cheap, he has spent money, he's made trades, taken on short term payroll. Rather I'd call him specifically frugal. There's certain money he's just not going to spend.

I mean you can't hate the guy we've won 2 WS, been to 4, 7 straight ALCS. We've won at an elite level. But you start to realize the long term limitations of his strategy. We're never going to be in the running for top free agents. We're never going to retain our home grown talent unless they sign below market extensions for 5-6 years where Crane feels like he's buying a bargain.

If you're continuing to let top talent walk away while not shopping the market for free agents, you have to continually be able to restock. To this point, Tucker and Pena have filled the holes of Springer and Correa. Letting JV walk away didn't work and cost us Tuckers replacement and possibly Abreus replacement at 1st. Our farm system is poor. We don't have a Bregman replacement. We don't have a Tucker replacement. It feels like the golden era is going to come to a close, we'll waste most of the next decade on another farm system rebuild in hopes the following decade will bring a new golden era.

I wish I could disagree with you

It was never in our hands

When Crane let the Ryans go, put his son in Reid's place, and started Sugarland.....

Philsophically, I like that Crane doesn't want to sign mega deals that look bad a year or two into them.

Realistically, it's not a sure thing he's going to be able to keep doing that. At a certain point, he's going to have to start keeping some of in-house guys with expiring contracts or dip into free agency.

Either way, the days of signing premier talent with 4- or 5-year deals are probably gone. He's probably going to have to bend on that stance if the Astros are going to remain a contender on a regular basis.

Tucker, to me, is the first of the crop that's walked/or going to walk that I'd mega extend and feel okay about it. He's been durable and I think his game ages well in his mid 30's.

Springer, Correa, Breg I'm all perfectly content with them having walked or about to walk based on their age at the time of free agency or injury history. Verlander I was fine with letting him walk, and was fine with the trade to get him back at the salary. The prospect loss kind of hurt but I've grown to not become attached to prospects over a more sure thing and JV was really good down the stretch last year. Now if JV throws up a 4.25-4.50 ERA I'll admit to being on the wrong side of that opinion because I do believe that Gilbert can be a solid major leaguer.