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Snake Diggity

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Everything posted by Snake Diggity

  1. Celebrities over 90: Clint Eastwood, Dick Van Dyke, Mel Brooks, Jimmy Carter, James Earl Jones, Gene Hackman, Norman Lear, David Attenborough, William Shatner Half those fools will prolly bite it in 2024.
  2. That list reflects 8 straight years of being a deadline buyer combined with picking late and losing 4 top draft picks as a penalty for sign stealing. The front office has done a great job in context. If you wanna pick nits you can cast blame on their eval/development of top international bonus signees (Leon, Nova, Lorenzo) but their drafts have been very good considering what they were working with.
  3. I know it’s no sure thing, but if Ewers goes to the NFL, is the staff really comfortable with going into the season with only Wright and Owens behind Manning?
  4. Meh, fuck you. I didn’t make my post as some surefire 100% confidence thing. I was trying to generate conversation that might gives us a clearer picture as to what our needs are. Drawing from your reply, we might only need 2 WR and a TE.
  5. Read thru 20+ pages of this thread and haven’t seen a clear summary of what Texas’ portal needs are actually expected to be, outside of the obvious expectation that we are gonna look at WR. Looking at the roster, I would think our portal needs are: starters: 2 WR, TE, DL, DB depth: QB In/Out by position: QB: Ewers, Murphy out; Owens, grad transfer in RB: Robinson, Brooks out; Gibson, Clark in WR: Worthy, Whittington, Mitchell, Neyor out; Wingo, Dubose, Livingstone, 2 transfers in TE: Sanders, Davis out; Washington, transfer in OL: Jones, Williams, Welch, Agbo out; Baker, Kibble, Cruz in DL: Sweat, Murphy, Tapp, Swanson out; January, Robinson, Hills, transfer in LB: Bush, Ford out; Simmons, TBD recruit in DB: Barron, Watts, Crawford, Thompson, Catalon, LTG, Allen out; Black, Hampton, Mack, Wilson, JJR, transfer in ST: Sanborn out; Kern in
  6. I am way open to the idea of trading Bregman + prospects (and maybe Hunter Brown, Jake Meyers, and Urquidy) adding 2-3 good cost controlled players who are controlled thru 2025. That would give them 2 seasons with the Altuve/Yordan core to try to win another ring and let Dana Brown try to work magic on the farm to extend the window. They could finish up 2025 with up to 5 QO candidates and be poised to draft 8-10 of the top 100 prospects available in the 2026 draft, which would either allow them to trade upper level prospects to keep the window open, or supercharge the farm to hasten the rebuild. Example: Out: Bregman, Hunter Brown, Urquidy, Meyers, Arrighetti, Leon, Loperfido In: Cease, Mullins, Moncada, Kopech, Matt Moore (FA), Victor Caratini (FA) Roster: CF Mullins 2B Altuve DH Alvarez 1B Abreu RF Tucker C Diaz 3B Moncada LF McCormick SS Pena Bench: Dubon, Kessinger, Caratini, Singleton SP: JV, Framber, Cease, Javier, France RP: Pressly, Abreu, Moore, Montero, Graveman, Kopech, Garcia/Bielak, McCullers/Whitley 2025 potential QO guys: Tucker, Cease, Framber, Mullins, Moncada Other 2025 free agents: Abreu, Caratini, Verlander, Kopech, Moore, Montero, Pressly
  7. There might be concern that Framber was only good because of Maldy. I don’t believe that but the Astros would know more than anyone. If he’s about to turn into a pumpkin and they can get a franchise-altering return for him (3-4 top 100 prospects) then it might be worthwhile. I’d guess odds are extremely low because invariably trading him makes the 2024 team worse. I do expect Urquidy to be traded though. Too many teams out there who could use an experienced playoff starter and he’s probably Houston’s 7th or 8th best SP when everybody’s healthy.
  8. Agree with your overall point, disagree on some individual points. Incarceration absolutely deters criminals, but only while they’re incarcerated. For certain criminals, there’s definite societal benefit to that beyond vengeance or the feeble hope of that incarceration works for rehabilitation. Theres also an argument that seeing criminals get incarcerated might deter would-be criminals from committing crimes (that is debatable).
  9. See below Yep. Fire tablets are not nearly as addictive as iPads because the OS is not nearly as user friendly. My kids get bored with their tablets, but they scratch the itch of killing boredom with kids educational games and videos. We ban YouTube altogether and they only get YouTube kids when we’re eating at a restaurant (and they’re done with their dinner). I have never even figured out the Fire OS and when my kids ask for help with it I tell them to figure it out themselves or do something else. The fact that they cost 1/4 as much as iPads is just gravy. I am tentatively planning to get an iPad for my kids when they turn 10 but that is the earliest. I would prefer to wait until middle school or to never get them one at all. It would not surprise me if we looked back on the screen time and social media epidemics and saw the consequences were worse than if we’d let our kids smoke cigarettes at that age.
  10. The Diamondbacks looked like a good trade fit until they traded for Suarez.
  11. Bregman’s AAV jumps to $30M if he’s traded. Houston isn’t trading him to an AL team. He is a 3B only at this point. Hes a rental. Those 4 factors eliminate most teams from being matches for a trade. Giants, Dodgers, and maybe the Cubs would be the only teams that remotely match up. Some hypotheticals: To SF for 3B JD Davis, C Joey Bart, P Carson Whisenhunt, and P Reggie Crawford. Only works if Astros believe they can unlock something in Bart and really like the 2 pitching prospects. Also only makes sense if Houston has another deal lined up to add a bat that they need to move salary to make room for (like Robert or Arozarena). To LAD for 3B Michael Busch, P Maddux Bruns, and C Dalton Rushing. Only makes sense if the Astros believe the Dodgers are missing something in Busch. Again, also only makes sense if they have another bat lined up that they need Bregman’s money for. To the Cubs for IF James Triantos, 3B Patrick Wisdom, and P Nazier Mule. Wisdom can hit at the bottom of the order so if they added Robert or Arozarena to the lineup it’d be a wash, plus they’d pick up a couple good prospects. I could see Houston effectively trading Hunter Brown and Alex Bregman for Luis Robert, Dylan Cease, and an average everyday 3B (like JD Davis, Michael Busch, or Patrick Wisdom), with some extra money left over to add a bullpen arm. I’m not 100% sure that makes them better but it’s an interesting idea.
  12. He is FAR beyond hope, and representative of a generation and a half whose overall biggest contribution to the country will be to die off.
  13. My wife’s uncle is a DoD contractor. On Thanksgiving he told me “I have to work tomorrow. Biden is making me work. Trump gave us off on the day after Thanksgiving.” I knew the truth is that congress determines Federal Holidays (and that as a private contractor his company determines holidays unless it’s called out in their contract) but didn’t confront him, I just said “the President determines Federal Holidays? By himself?” He goes “Yep. Sad isn’t it?”
  14. “Yes there’s some things about Trump I don’t like, but Biden is ruining my life. Nobody wants to work. Nobody can get a job. The border is wide open, inflation is totally out of control…” -My FIL, to a person he met 7 minutes prior, who had not said anything about politics I wish I could say that he is a monument to stupidity, a first ballot Hall of Fame moron, somebody whose ignorance will go down in the history books. But no. He is surely a stupid, ignorant moron. But there are tens of millions of people in this country just like him.
  15. That seems like a good bet. The Astros will definitely have a more talented roster in 2024 than in 2023 and will likely not have as much bad luck with injuries. The difference to the downside is that the Rangers and Mariners will be better, but I think taking the over on 88.5 wins is a really good bet.
  16. Props to Sark. This team exceeded my expectations. Been a really fun season. It’s not over yet. Just need FSU to lose today or in their CCG. Texas, UW/Oregon, Georgia/Bama, and Michigan/tOSU.
  17. .... I’m assuming you’re just following up. I appreciate it. The adjuster sent out a different inspector on Saturday. The adjuster got their report on Monday. I haven’t heard anything since. I’m assuming she’s intentionally delaying to just wait me out and hope I go away and stall into the holidays. I’m also assuming the longer this goes on the lower my odds are of getting a good outcome. I have chatted with a lawyer here in town but I am trying to give the adjuster a few working days to do the right thing. Fuck insurance companies ALL the way up their asses.
  18. Assessment of Houston’s current trade chips: Off limits: Alvarez, Altuve, Diaz, Tucker, Valdez, Bregman, Verlander, B Abreu; these players would only be traded in a massive deal for equivalent MLB talent or in some strange trade linked to another trade or part of an inexplicable rebuild/reload 1st tier (equivalent to MLB Top 50 prospect): Pena, McCormick, Brown, Javier; these could be headliners in a blockbuster 2nd tier (equivalent to MLB Top 51-125 prospect): Garcia, Meyers, Pressly, France, Urquidy, Dubon, Corona, Melton, Matthews; these could be headliners for a RP or fringe regular, or complimentary pieces in a blockbuster 3rd tier (equivalent to prospect ranked in org 10-30 range): Dubin, Graveman, Martinez, Mushinski, Whitley, Kessinger, Julks, Baez, Arrighetti, Dezenzo, Loperfido, Gordon, Barber, Leon, Wagner, Daniels, Whitcomb, Dirden, Tamarez, Melendez, Kouba; could be flipped for a bench piece or add-ons in a bigger deal Throw-ins/DFA Fodder: Salazar, Bielak, Blanco, Gage, Kuhnel, Ortega, Sousa, Hensley, Singleton Salary dumps: J Abreu, McCullers, Montero I feel like the only way Houston can make a major trade this offseason is by dealing Hunter Brown.
  19. A dude on Clutchfans who has been a long time reliable insider is saying the Astros are very close to completing a blockbuster trade, and the insinuation is that it’s for a starting pitcher. My guess is Dylan Cease, with Hunter Brown going to Chicago as the headliner. I would love if Michael Kopech was coming to Houston as well. I find it hard to believe Houston can make a match for both Cease and Robert.
  20. I think 40-70 is a grey area where the tendency is correlated with rural vs urban. Rural people in their 40s probably answer their phones a lot more than city folk in their 50s, and city folk in their 60s probably don’t answer their phones much at all. That is just my observation of my own social network so it could be way off. But I think it’s something that has changed significantly since 2016.
  21. NO ONE under 40 answers their phone, not even for people they know. And they don’t respond to spam texts. I am not sure how you accurately poll people under 40 but it isn’t over the phone or via email. Most people in their 40s are the same way. Polling via phone is only going to accurately gauge the over 50 vote.
  22. Yeah I think every fan wants their team to kick ass in the offseason. Wanting and expecting are two different things. I am extremely confident that Brown will at a minimum address the 2 glaring weaknesses (backup C and at least 1 RP). I also feel really good about an Altuve extension. But whether we get more than that, who knows. Crane has shown a willingness to make the big move; he approved payroll expansions for Verlander twice and demanded the GM acquire Greinke, so I don’t think any move should be marked as impossible. There’s gonna be some major major moves this offseason; I think the White Sox will rebuild (which means Cease and Robert are gonna be traded) and Juan Soto is pretty much guaranteed to be traded. There are also half a dozen ToR SP on the free agent market. It wouldn’t shock me if Houston comes out of this offseason with an unexpected big move or two, but for now I’m setting my expectations on Victor Caratini and Matt Moore signings paired with an Altuve lifetime contract.
  23. Houston has 12 MLB caliber pitchers on their 40 man roster: Verlander, Valdez, Pressly, Abreu, Montero, Graveman, Javier, Brown, Urquidy, France, McCullers, and Garcia. But there are some issues: Garcia and McCullers are hurt but expected back between July 1 and Aug 31. 8 of those 12 are starters. So if they keep the roster as it is then at least 2 guys are going to have to move into a bullpen role. Not necessarily a bad thing but probably not ideal. Houston might want to trade one of their SP for an elite RP if they can. While all 12 guys certainly have a place on a big league roster, There are really only 2 sure-fire playoff-caliber SP (Valdez and Verlander) and 2 playoff-caliber high leverage relievers (Pressly and Abreu). Houston might want to replace 2 of their questionable SP for 1 proven playoff caliber SP and/or 1 proven high leverage RP. The free agent pitching market is very deep this year. Some team is going to get a very good deal on a SP. Houston might be able to take advantage of that situation. I.e., if teams are all focused on Snell/Montgomery/Nola, a guy like Eduardo Rodriguez or Yariel Rodriguez might end up signing for far less than they’re worth and be a #2 guy for 4-5 years getting paid #4 salary. I like the idea of Houston adding a SP because I think a playoff bullpen of Pressly, Abreu, McCullers, Brown, Garcia, Graveman, and Montero would be badass, with a playoff rotation of Verlander, Valdez, TBD, and Javier (with France and Urquidy available for emergency starts or multiple inning relief appearances).
  24. People I would be willing to vet for the job (I know nothing about almost all of them except they’re famous Texans with Q scores I think would give them a chance): Morgan Fairchild Ethan Hawke Lucy Baines Johnson Kris Kristofferson Eva Longoria Lance Armstrong (mf seems to be Teflon) Greg Popovich Matthew McConaughey Mark Cuban Rhett Miller Any HEB heir named Butt between 35 and 65
  25. If opening day were today, the pitching staff would consist of: Verlander, Valdez, Brown, Javier, Pressly, Abreu, Graveman, Montero, Urquidy, France, Bielak, Sousa, and Whitley. Those last 3 names are question marks (and nothing changes if you sub in Dubin, Blanco, Ortega, Kuhnel, Gage, Mushinski, or Martinez). I like Dubon and I doubt a scenario comes up where it makes sense to trade him. But if a team offers a legit cheap controllable 8th inning RP option for him, there’s definitely room on the pitching staff to make that move.
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