Author Topic: Checking in at the halfway point.  (Read 4508 times)

das

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Checking in at the halfway point.
« on: June 28, 2018, 08:11:35 am »
I continue to be very impressed with how this front office and manager construct the team, fills holes that emerge during the course of the season and react to personnel as they go through the ups and downs of a long season.

Not being from Houston, it's interesting to see how the team is perceived outside of the Texas area.  Here's an example:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fancy-stats/wp/2018/06/26/astros-are-on-pace-to-be-one-of-the-most-dominant-teams-in-mlb-history/?utm_term=.e2aa90dcf53b

Last years' team was a sight to behold.  This team, relative to the rest of MLB, seems to be just as good or better here at the halfway point:

Team:
Wins: T-1st
Run Diff:  1st

Pitching: 
ERA:  1st
BP ERA: 2nd
SO:  1st
WHIP:  1st
BAA:  1st

Batting:
Average:  T-1st
RBI:  1st
Runs:  1st
OBP:  T-1st
SLG:  3rd
Hits:  2nd
OPS:  3rd
K's:  4th

Fielding:
FPCT:  T-1st
Runs Saved:  5th

All points to a well run, well constructed, well managed, well playing team.  Last year was so very fun.  This year is proving to be just as fun to watch but for quite different reasons.
Another trenchant comment by a jealous lesser intellect.

jbm

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Re: Checking in at the halfway point.
« Reply #1 on: June 28, 2018, 08:18:14 am »
That heat map graph of Altuve's slugging is hilarious and amazing: a big red zone well outside, and a couple more red zones inside and up.  One of the most unique hitters of my lifetime.

Fredia

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Re: Checking in at the halfway point.
« Reply #2 on: June 28, 2018, 08:54:44 am »
fun to watch and the team seems to be having fun which was to me, a hallmark of last year.
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JimR

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Re: Checking in at the halfway point.
« Reply #3 on: June 28, 2018, 09:30:57 am »
That heat map graph of Altuve's slugging is hilarious and amazing: a big red zone well outside, and a couple more red zones inside and up.  One of the most unique hitters of my lifetime.

The two best hitters I have seen in my lifetime are Ted Williams and Barry Bonds. They seemed to never swing at bad pitches, and they seemed to hit everything hard. Altuve is a notch below because of his propensity to chase pitches out of the zone. If he could play every day with the focus he had in WS Game Five, he would hit .400 easily.
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HudsonHawk

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Re: Checking in at the halfway point.
« Reply #4 on: June 28, 2018, 09:44:00 am »
The two best hitters I have seen in my lifetime are Ted Williams and Barry Bonds. They seemed to never swing at bad pitches, and they seemed to hit everything hard. Altuve is a notch below because of his propensity to chase pitches out of the zone. If he could play every day with the focus he had in WS Game Five, he would hit .400 easily.

I’m convinced that if Altuve only swung at pitches he could physically reach with the bat he’d easily hit .400
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subnuclear

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Re: Checking in at the halfway point.
« Reply #5 on: June 28, 2018, 09:57:05 am »
If you look at the WAR by position in the American League, the Astros are in the top 4 at every position except for DH where they are 6th.

BizidyDizidy

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Re: Checking in at the halfway point.
« Reply #6 on: June 28, 2018, 10:16:43 am »
Still very curious to see what (if any) move Luhnow will make at the deadline. One interrelated question is how they feel about McCullers for the postseason (bullpen?).
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subnuclear

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Re: Checking in at the halfway point.
« Reply #7 on: June 28, 2018, 10:58:22 am »
Still very curious to see what (if any) move Luhnow will make at the deadline. One interrelated question is how they feel about McCullers for the postseason (bullpen?).

So McCullers for a LH reliever and batter?

das

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Re: Checking in at the halfway point.
« Reply #8 on: June 28, 2018, 11:14:55 am »
So McCullers for a LH reliever and batter?

Um, no. Never give up a controllable (for 4 more years) pitcher with that much talent that is actually delivering.  My $0.02. Especially since the team as a whole is scoring more right now than anyone and preventing runs better than everyone.  I would like Britton, though, but there are enough other trade chips to leave McCullers far off the table.
Another trenchant comment by a jealous lesser intellect.

BizidyDizidy

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Re: Checking in at the halfway point.
« Reply #9 on: June 28, 2018, 11:19:02 am »
I didn't mean to imply Lance would be traded - more whether the option of him moving to the pen affects how Luhnow feels about needing to add a reliever.
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MusicMan

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Re: Checking in at the halfway point.
« Reply #10 on: June 28, 2018, 11:46:28 am »
Still very curious to see what (if any) move Luhnow will make at the deadline. One interrelated question is how they feel about McCullers for the postseason (bullpen?).

I’d much rather see a McCullers start in the postseason than a Keuchel start.


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HudsonHawk

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Re: Checking in at the halfway point.
« Reply #11 on: June 28, 2018, 12:02:54 pm »
I’d much rather see a McCullers start in the postseason than a Keuchel start.


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This. Keuchel’s value has already been realized. I would move him in a heartbeat, if I could, and I would definitely not resign him this offseason.
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toddthebod

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Re: Checking in at the halfway point.
« Reply #12 on: June 28, 2018, 12:55:47 pm »
Do you offer Keuchel a qualifying offer?  He might take it.  He's not playing up to a big multi-year deal.
Boom!

Astros Fan in Big D

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Re: Checking in at the halfway point.
« Reply #13 on: June 28, 2018, 01:16:28 pm »
Do you offer Keuchel a qualifying offer?  He might take it.  He's not playing up to a big multi-year deal.

It's one thing if Mike Fiers is getting shelled,  another when it's  your former #1 starter who also happens to be vocal.

I hope he turns it around,  but one way or another he's gone.

HudsonHawk

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Re: Checking in at the halfway point.
« Reply #14 on: June 28, 2018, 01:33:11 pm »
Do you offer Keuchel a qualifying offer?  He might take it.  He's not playing up to a big multi-year deal.

No.  I let him walk.
The rules of distinction were thrown out with the baseball cap.  It does not lend itself to protocol.  It is found today on youth in homes, classrooms, even in fine restaurants.  Regardless of its other consequences, this is a breach against civility.  A civilized man should avoid this mania.

juliogotay

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Re: Checking in at the halfway point.
« Reply #15 on: June 28, 2018, 01:44:05 pm »
No.  I let him walk.

If for no other reason than the funds may be used on higher priority FAs to be.

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Re: Checking in at the halfway point.
« Reply #16 on: June 28, 2018, 02:25:50 pm »
I use a QO to try to coax one more year out of Morton (assuming he stays healthy) and let McHugh be the #5 for half the price of Keuchel's QO or contract.

Lefty

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Re: Checking in at the halfway point.
« Reply #17 on: June 28, 2018, 02:28:12 pm »
If Keuchel is back (accepts the offer) and hope against hope Morton doesn't retire, what do you do with Whitley?
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Knoxbanedoodle

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Re: Checking in at the halfway point.
« Reply #18 on: June 28, 2018, 02:29:24 pm »
Is Morton on the record as planning to retire after this season?

Bench

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Re: Checking in at the halfway point.
« Reply #19 on: June 28, 2018, 02:42:31 pm »
Is Morton on the record as planning to retire after this season?

He speculated about it towards the end of last season, but that's all.  Basically he said that his experience with this particular team is so fulfilling that anything else wouldn't be worth it.
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MusicMan

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Re: Checking in at the halfway point.
« Reply #20 on: June 28, 2018, 02:50:01 pm »
He speculated about it towards the end of last season, but that's all.  Basically he said that his experience with this particular team is so fulfilling that anything else wouldn't be worth it.

That was a guy who couldn’t believe the Astros gave him two years talking, not the guy who’s going to get Cy Young votes.


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Re: Checking in at the halfway point.
« Reply #21 on: June 28, 2018, 03:03:06 pm »
That was a guy who couldn’t believe the Astros gave him two years talking, not the guy who’s going to get Cy Young votes.


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Exacly. He wasn't saying that he was going to retire.  He was saying that he couldn't think of a better situation than the one he was in, a key part of a great team in the stretch drive to the post-season. 
"Holy shit, Mozart. Get me off this fucking thing."

Knoxbanedoodle

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Re: Checking in at the halfway point.
« Reply #22 on: June 28, 2018, 03:09:02 pm »
OK yes, I remember that. Glad to hear it. Hate to think of him cutting it short.

MusicMan

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Re: Checking in at the halfway point.
« Reply #23 on: June 28, 2018, 03:17:23 pm »
This. Keuchel’s value has already been realized. I would move him in a heartbeat, if I could, and I would definitely not resign him this offseason.

Trading Keuchel at the deadline would be the right move on paper. I think there’s a valid concern about what it would do to be clubhouse.


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geezerdonk

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Re: Checking in at the halfway point.
« Reply #24 on: June 28, 2018, 03:48:27 pm »
Celebration?
E come vivo? Vivo.

Lefty

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Re: Checking in at the halfway point.
« Reply #25 on: June 28, 2018, 03:53:57 pm »
That was a guy who couldn’t believe the Astros gave him two years talking, not the guy who’s going to get Cy Young votes.


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And the guy who has had the best stretch of pitching in his career.  Offer Morton 2 years with an incentive based option, give Keuchel the qualifying offer and see what happens.
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Knoxbanedoodle

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Re: Checking in at the halfway point.
« Reply #26 on: June 28, 2018, 04:06:53 pm »
What kind of free agent would DK be if the season ended now? How do they determine that? I feel like, yeah, if his walking landed us a supplemental first round pick, then sure. But that doesn’t seem likely.

Lefty

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Re: Checking in at the halfway point.
« Reply #27 on: June 28, 2018, 04:18:58 pm »
What kind of free agent would DK be if the season ended now? How do they determine that? I feel like, yeah, if his walking landed us a supplemental first round pick, then sure. But that doesn’t seem likely.
Not the kind he wanted to be.  Lot of season left.
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toddthebod

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Re: Checking in at the halfway point.
« Reply #28 on: June 28, 2018, 04:50:09 pm »
Trading Keuchel at the deadline would be the right move on paper.

Trade Keuchel AND trade for De Grom.  (Putting on my best Todd the Bod trade guru hat)

Boom!

juliogotay

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Re: Checking in at the halfway point.
« Reply #29 on: June 28, 2018, 04:56:10 pm »
Trade Keuchel AND trade for De Grom.  (Putting on my best Todd the Bod trade guru hat)

I don't believe for a second you get DeGrom w/o Tucker or Whitely. Would you do it?

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Re: Checking in at the halfway point.
« Reply #30 on: June 28, 2018, 06:43:03 pm »
I don't believe for a second you get DeGrom w/o Tucker or Whitely. Would you do it?
For some reason seeing WHITEly spelled thus repeatedly on this site bothers me enough to keep attempting to correct people. It’s WHITLEY, L-E-Y.

And no, I wouldn’t.
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TerryPuhl21

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Re: Checking in at the halfway point.
« Reply #31 on: June 28, 2018, 07:04:53 pm »
Do you offer Keuchel a qualifying offer?  He might take it.  He's not playing up to a big multi-year deal.
Not no, but heck no!


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JimR

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Re: Checking in at the halfway point.
« Reply #32 on: June 28, 2018, 07:53:58 pm »
I don't believe for a second you get DeGrom w/o Tucker or Whitely. Would you do it?

Dammit, Whitley. Not Whitely.
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Re: Checking in at the halfway point.
« Reply #33 on: June 28, 2018, 07:58:44 pm »
Dammit, Whitley. Not Whitely.

That’s Hedley!
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Col. Sphinx Drummond

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Re: Checking in at the halfway point.
« Reply #34 on: June 29, 2018, 03:34:05 pm »
I imagine they'd have two or three more wins if not for all the TOOBALANs.
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