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2021-2022 Astros Offseason Thread


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7 minutes ago, slorch said:

Not pooping on the party, but should JV choose not to exercise the player option, is there any compensation for the Astros, should Verlander sign with another team?

Nope.  QO given and rejected.  Re-signed with Astros, so the compensation mechanism is moot.  I’d be OK if JV were to opt out because that means he had a badass season. 

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7 hours ago, henrygandorf said:

i've said it before but it's worth repeating - getting a sp1 makes 5 positions better, not even counting the bullpen and guys like javier.  whether it's jv or not, this spot needs to be addressed.  it just so happens that a realistic contract for jv (2-4 years) is right in our wheelhouse. 

 

this post hit all my feels, JV just made everyone behind him better

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1 hour ago, Guadaloopy said:

I’m honestly surprised that so many deals are getting done before the CBA expires.  Gives me hope for a short stoppage and a near on-time start for next season.  

Nobody wants a work stoppage.  Horrible for everyone.  They are going to get a deal done for sure.

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22 minutes ago, Gourmand said:

All that misplaced whining about JV not being in Houston to watch Astros games looks pretty damn silly right now.

WELCOME BACK TO HOUSTON, JUSTIN!!!

Thanks! I’m excited I’m moving back. 

Oh wait you meant Verlander 😅

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3 hours ago, Ojo Rojo said:

Also, I wonder if this makes Correa's decision harder.

Probably not. But maybe.  But probably not.

I want to know if the team’s group chat that Correa has mentioned a few times is still going (he mainly mentioned it when recalling how he texted everyone any time dumbasses like Tepera gave the team bulletin board material). And whether JV was in that chat.

👀👀👀

I think that CC is going to look for every reason to come back to Houston, but we obviously won’t compete with any 10 year deal. So let’s hope the market isn’t what he’s looking for, because if it’s between the Stros and anyone else on comparable 6-7 year deals (still don’t think Crane will go past 6) then I think he stays. 

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19 minutes ago, Snake Diggity said:

With Verlander getting $25M AAV, it means signing Correa would eat the entire remainder of their payroll under the expected luxury tax ceiling.  That’s not to say that Crane won’t approve going over, but I think signing Verlander makes it less likely Correa comes back.  
 

Yeah but with JV signing if we brought back correa it means we wouldn’t need anyone else. And I don’t think that’s quite right. I think they have 40+ still don’t they?  They got the savings on JV of 8 million, and Correa himself made 12. 
how much is arbitration going up?  Enough to eat up all the rest of that? And who is it?  I didn’t think we really had anyone up this year? 

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Forrest Whitley article from yesterday - https://www.astrosfuture.com/2021/11/forrest-whitley-talks-injuries-tommy-john-surgery-rehab-and-more/

Quote

Back in late 2017 things seemed to be going right for the Astros. They were coming off their first World Series Championship in franchise history, but also had one of the top pitching prospects in baseball still in waiting in right-hander Forrest Whitley. While the Astros continued their dominance of the American League, Forrest suffered a few setbacks dealing with some nagging injuries and ultimately missing the 2021 season.

Drafted in the first round of the 2016 draft, Whitley quickly burst onto the scene with a dominant 2017 season which saw him strikeout 143 in just 92.1 innings across three different minor league levels. Forrest was suspended for part of the 2018 season but still had some solid numbers with a 3.76 ERA and 34 K in 26.1 innings. In 2019, Whitley was thrown another “curveball” when he had an oblique injury, a nagging elbow injury and some mechanical adjustments which led to him throwing just 59.2 innings.

With the minor league season getting cancelled in 2020 due to COVID, Whitley went down to Corpus Christi where things didn’t go as planned. I asked Forrest about his time there and he said “When things got moved to Corpus, I had to deal with some quarantine stuff because of COVID which took me out of throwing for a few days. I ended up throwing one of the best outings of summer camp after the quarantine, I actually struck out every batter. After I had made the last out, our pitching coach quickly called me back to throw to another hitter because I hadn’t reached my pitch limit, so I threw to Jake Meyers. During that AB is when I tore my UCL initially”.  The doctors told Forrest that his UCL was partially torn and he could possibly build it back with rehab.  Whitley added “It was really unfortunate timing, I really thought I was going to get called up right after that outing.”

Fast forward to the Spring of 2021 and Whitley found out he was going to have Tommy John Surgery, which he stated “I totally knew I needed”. I asked him about getting that news and he actually said he was relieved. “I was so happy that I could finally have a healthy elbow again to pitch in games with. It had honestly been bothering me from the beginning of the 2019 season but I thought it was something that every thrower dealt with. It could have been torn for a lot longer than I realized”, Whitley added.

Forrest Whitley had the surgery in March of 2021. We are now about 8 months post-surgery so I asked him about the rehab process and what kind of throwing he is doing. “I’ve been throwing for over 3 months now and it feels incredible, it doesn’t feel like I have a gaping hole in my elbow every time I throw now. I’m throwing about 5 times per week and I’m back to 120 feet. I honestly couldn’t be happier with how rehab has gone thus far,” Whitley stated. I asked Whitley if he would be ready for Spring 2022 and he said he won’t be fully ready but will be throwing off of a mound, “so I’ll be participating in everything but games I’d imagine.”

Despite the setbacks, players can still find a way to grow through it all. I asked Forrest about this and he said “I wouldn’t say the adversity has helped me grow as a baseball player, it’s allowed me to look at things through a different lens which has helped me grow as a man. I used to be so fixated on what other people said about me, it kind of drove me mad without me realizing it. Then when I had the tough season in 2019 it was the hardest fall of my life, I felt worthless. But building things from the ground up since surgery had been very therapeutic for me, I’ve slowed my process a ton, a lot less of a sense of urgency revolved around getting to the show.”

From one of the top pitching prospects in baseball to working his way back from Tommy John Surgery, Whitley has never lost confidence in his ability to be a major league pitcher. He ended our conversation stating “I genuinely believe I’m still a front of the rotation guy, if not the best arm in all of MLB. I know it might sound conceded to say, or even ridiculous based off of my recent track record, but when I’m back, I’m coming for their necks with everything I’ve got.” The Astros are still in a good position with a talented squad, but getting Whitley back to top form would add another young arm to one of the best teams in baseball.

 

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One thing that is a little interesting... we've got some guys that pretty freely use social media on this team, and none that I've seen have reacted (even indirectly) to JV coming back.  Probably nothing, and I get that they probably can't officially comment yet, but still kind of weird to see no gifs/emojis/whatever from anyone.

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40 minutes ago, TonyTexas said:

For all of y’all who like to spend Crane’s money, here’s your budget. 

 

I think they will add another ~$30M to their 2022 payroll:

$10M-20M on an everyday position player (likely an OF)

$5-10M on a late inning RP

$1-10M on a P acquired via trade

$1-10M on a bench/stopgap position player (likely a SS)

$1-10M on a reclamation P

Edited by Snake Diggity
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1 hour ago, Chuckie Finster said:

One thing that is a little interesting... we've got some guys that pretty freely use social media on this team, and none that I've seen have reacted (even indirectly) to JV coming back.  Probably nothing, and I get that they probably can't officially comment yet, but still kind of weird to see no gifs/emojis/whatever from anyone.

you must watch a lot of Bravo with the drama you are trying to create 

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21 minutes ago, UTHornFan014 said:
30 minutes ago, TonyTexas said:
 

If we sign Marte I would assume two of Meyers, McCormick and Siri would be used as potential trade pieces before the deadline

McCormick would be used as the 4th outfielder, Meyers is hurt and might not even be able to play next year and I’m not sure Siri has a lot of value. Plus the Astros will need a left fielder after next year. 

Edited by TonyTexas
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35 minutes ago, TonyTexas said:

McCormick would be used as the 4th outfielder, Meyers is hurt and might not even be able to play next year and I’m not sure Siri has a lot of value. Plus the Astros will need a left fielder after next year. 

Yeah, I don't see Siri being much more than a pinch runner.  He has the hitting approach of a sugar crazed 5 year old attacking a pinata. 

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9 minutes ago, Wulaw Horn said:

Well, I am the one who spoke it into existence the day after the World Series when nobody was talking about him. I’d like to think I’m his source. 

schwab pushed the narrative that we'd let correa walk and sign jv.  people questioned his credentials that day.  that was less than a week ago.

i think being aggressive does a lot of good, especially in the current landscape of the american league.  if we say we're being aggressive and people think that, then that's good.  it sends the right message and makes other teams act impulsively.  politics is perception. 

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1 hour ago, henrygandorf said:

schwab pushed the narrative that we'd let correa walk and sign jv.  people questioned his credentials that day.  that was less than a week ago.

i think being aggressive does a lot of good, especially in the current landscape of the american league.  if we say we're being aggressive and people think that, then that's good.  it sends the right message and makes other teams act impulsively.  politics is perception. 

It got me flipped around 180 degrees for sure. I’m back to, if not trusting this FO to be creative and do something awesome at least believing that he’s probably not as incompetent a moron as I suspect he might be in my darker moments in time. 
really I’m just bummed because Luhnow did such an amazing job building this thing, we are in such good shape and I want to continue to be GREAT and we have that chance. 
the fact Luhnow could build this juggernaught (sustainable) from the chicken shit awful situation he had and still be without a job when everyone else involved has been rehabilitated is just unbelievable. Plenty of guys in the industry are unlikeable pricks. He must just be awful on a personal level. 

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