Mets Starters

[Knoxbanedoodle]

Interim NYM GM says Mets will “consider” offers for Thor and deGrom.

If you’re Luhnow, do you try and make something happen? Perhaps if for no other reason than blocking the AL East?

[doyce7]

Those guys are going to cost a ton. No I don't go after them. Astros need bench and bullpen help, resources need to go towards that end, not starters

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[Reuben]

Those guys are going to cost a ton. No I don't go after them. Astros need bench and bullpen help, resources need to go towards that end, not starters

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Astros need bench help? Assuming Marisnick either improves, or is displaced by Kemp once Tucker is promoted, I don’t see who you would remove from the bench.

[doyce7]

Astros need bench help? Assuming Marisnick either improves, or is displaced by Kemp once Tucker is promoted, I don’t see who you would remove from the bench.

I like Kemp alot but regression is coming at some point. Jake, even though hes been hitting, is defense and running only when you're talking postseason. Stassi is fine. Assuming tucker is in left by the end of the year then marwin off the bench is great.

I would like to add a veteran hitter, not now, maybe not even until the end of August, strictly for the postseason, probably a rightly that can pinch hit for Reddick or tucker or McCann if you really need a hit against the other teams LOOGY. As it stands the only options are Tyler white? Stassi? Gattis if he isn't DHing. I really like DJ Davis as a hitter but I'd rather have a veteran, if there is one who fits the bill come August.


Bullpen is by far the bigger need though

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[JimR]

Regression to what? I believe in Kemp.

[jbm]

Yeah, Kemp seems like might be pretty consistent. This could easily be his level.

[JimR]

I like Kemp alot but regression is coming at some point. Jake, even though hes been hitting, is defense and running only when you're talking postseason. Stassi is fine. Assuming tucker is in left by the end of the year then marwin off the bench is great.

I would like to add a veteran hitter, not now, maybe not even until the end of August, strictly for the postseason, probably a rightly that can pinch hit for Reddick or tucker or McCann if you really need a hit against the other teams LOOGY. As it stands the only options are Tyler white? Stassi? Gattis if he isn't DHing. I really like DJ Davis as a hitter but I'd rather have a veteran, if there is one who fits the bill come August.


Bullpen is by far the bigger need though

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Britton has been awful since the injury, and the Padres want a King’s Ransom for Hand. Are there other lefties Luhnow may want?

ETA: yes, there is. Cionel Pérez to the bigs today.

[Bench]

ETA: yes, there is. Cionel Pérez to the bigs today.

I'm excited to see how he does.  Too bad Yuli's not there to welcome him to the big leagues.

[TerryPuhl21]

Britton has been awful since the injury, and the Padres want a King’s Ransom for Hand. Are there other lefties Luhnow may want?

ETA: yes, there is. Cionel Pérez to the bigs today.

True about Britton and Hand. I think it unlikely we deal for either. Happy with the call up of Perez. Anxious to see what he can do.


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[TerryPuhl21]

I like Kemp alot but regression is coming at some point. Jake, even though hes been hitting, is defense and running only when you're talking postseason. Stassi is fine. Assuming tucker is in left by the end of the year then marwin off the bench is great.

I would like to add a veteran hitter, not now, maybe not even until the end of August, strictly for the postseason, probably a rightly that can pinch hit for Reddick or tucker or McCann if you really need a hit against the other teams LOOGY. As it stands the only options are Tyler white? Stassi? Gattis if he isn't DHing. I really like DJ Davis as a hitter but I'd rather have a veteran, if there is one who fits the bill come August.


Bullpen is by far the bigger need though

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I could be wrong, and I hope this isn’t the kiss of death for him, but I think what we are seeing from Kemp is what he is. If it wasn’t for Altuve being in his way, he probably would have been our second baseman for a couple of years now. He has the talent. He is a career .312 hitter in the minors and the hit tool has always been there. Yes, he’s been called up in the past and was subpar, but this year is the first chance he’s gotten to play on a daily basis and his best talent is showing. He has a good eye for the zone and great bat control.

I will add this about Kemp, I wouldn’t be surprised if he is being looked at as a possible cheaper replacement for Marwin’s utility role. Marwin is in his walk year and I think clubs are going to throw a lot of money at him. I think the Astros will resign him mind you, but if the price gets too high and they let him walk, I could see Kemp filling that role nicely. Now he certainly isn’t a fit at first base, and  third base could be a stretch, but Kemp could play every other position on the field. He isn’t a switch hitter but short of that I would want my utility guy to be a lefty since you see more righties on the mound. He won’t have Marwin’s power but if he can consistently hit .300 and not strike out, he can be my utility man all day long. Just a thought to keep in mind once the offseason movement starts.


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[Astros Fan in Big D]

I love TK, but he would be a major step down from Marwin in that role.

[TerryPuhl21]

I love TK, but he would be a major step down from Marwin in that role.

I didn’t say he would be an improvement or the same, just saying that I would be happy with a utility player who could hit .300, and not strike out. And Tony can play 5 positions on the field.

There aren’t many Marwin’s out there, which is why I think we do resign him. But it won’t be cheap.


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[geezerdonk]

Kemp is filling the Aoki role from last year and doing it well; along with Marisnick cushioning the effect of the Springer collapse. 

[Fredia]

getting him back in form would solve a lot of things

[geezerdonk]

Excited to see Pérez in the majors - following the McCullers model.  What are the odds that Kalas, Blum or even Morales will pronounce his name properly?

[MusicMan]

Excited to see Pérez in the majors - following the McCullers model.  What are the odds that Kalas, Blum or even Morales will pronounce his name properly?

I’m pretty sure I’ll say “Colonel” for a while.


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[Astros Fan in Big D]

I’m pretty sure I’ll say “Colonel” for a while.


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Just like the Colonel on Boogie Nights.

Wonder if he likes butter?

[Jacksonian]

I'm excited to see how he does.  Too bad Yuli's not there to welcome him to the big leagues.

We'll see how much mound time he gets.  Smith should be coming off the DL in a day or three.  He will throw a rehab inning in Corpus tonight.

[Col. Sphinx Drummond]

I’m pretty sure I’ll say “Colonel” for a while.

That would make a hilarious nickname for him.

[VirtualBob]

I will add this about Kemp, ... he certainly isn’t a fit at first base, and  third base could be a stretch, but Kemp could play every other position on the field.

3B would be more than a stretch and RF would allow first-to-third on every hit.  LF & 2B is fine.  Range in CF helps mitigate his noodle arm (and there have been a lot of noodle-armed CF-ers who had solid MLB careers).  He can really only play those three positions, though.  I am glad he is on the team and doing well, but he does not have anything close to Marwin's versatility (or power).

[Knoxbanedoodle]

Agreed he’s no Marwin, but Marwin isn’t always Marwin either.

[TerryPuhl21]

Agreed he’s no Marwin, but Marwin isn’t always Marwin either.

And that was kind of my point. What Marwin can do, at the level at which he can do it, is rare. That is why he will get big bucks this off season. For me personally, if they decide the price for Marwin is more than they want to spend, and Tucker earns an OF spot next season, I could live with Kemp in that utility role. NO ONE will do all of what Marwin does but if Kemp can hit like he does now consistently, I think he’s a great utility-type player.

I think they sign Marwin though.


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[geezerdonk]

The Astros have The King, now they have The Colonel.,

[Astros Fan in Big D]

The Astros have The King, now they have The Colonel.,

We put H Star logos on these hats

https://goo.gl/images/BHyEHj

And this is his walk in music

https://youtu.be/36RjVOi32sA

[austro]

3B would be more than a stretch and RF would allow first-to-third on every hit.  LF & 2B is fine.  Range in CF helps mitigate his noodle arm (and there have been a lot of noodle-armed CF-ers who had solid MLB careers).  He can really only play those three positions, though.  I am glad he is on the team and doing well, but he does not have anything close to Marwin's versatility (or power).

Yeah, there is no way you would put Kemp at SS unless everybody else had broken both legs. Whereas you can put Marwin at short and not really worry about it.

[doyce7]

Regression may have been too strong a word, I only meant that I don't think Kemp is a .320 hitter. He may be .270-.280 and that's great, for a 4th outfielder who can play second. He will be very useful in the postseason as a pinch runner, but you are not going to pinch hit for someone with Kemp. I'm not trying to knock the guy, just saying I wouldn't mind bringing in a veteran hitter to bring off the bench, if needed, in the postseason. They may be ok with one of White/Davis/Fisher, Davis is the one I like going forward, and if he comes back up at some point and hits well then I'm fine with him being that guy.


As for Marwin, if he ends but having numbers anywhere close to what they were last year, the Astros might get priced out of the market. He has a ton of value and teams are going to want to add him and some team(s) will be willing to go pretty high. Ben Zobrist went for 4/56 at age 35. If I'm Marwin, that's what I'm starting at and if I'm the Astros I can't go that high.

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[VirtualBob]

Yeah, there is no way you would put Kemp at SS unless everybody else had broken both legs. Whereas you can put Marwin at short and not really worry about it.

Except for tonight.

[austro]

Except for tonight.

Yeah, I felt pretty stupid about that comment when he made that throw. I'll try not to repeat the mistake, but I probably will.

[Fredia]

I admit to making many a stupid remark  here,  but I am corrected....correctly by many wiser about baseball than I and life goes on.

[JimR]

Yeah, I felt pretty stupid about that comment when he made that throw. I'll try not to repeat the mistake, but I probably will.

No worries. It was a tough pick because the throw was so short, but maybe Gurriel would have made the play. Marwin’s arm is so good he had plenty of time to make a strong, accurate throw. The play cost us the game...that and not scoring more than two with our patchwork lineup.

[HudsonHawk]

No worries. It was a tough pick because the throw was so short, but maybe Gurriel would have made the play. Marwin’s arm is so good he had plenty of time to make a strong, accurate throw. The play cost us the game...that and not scoring more than two with our patchwork lineup.

I think Yuli probably picks that because 1) he’s a better glove than Reed, and 2) he’s righthanded and the backhand pick is easier.  Jake’s error in CF right before hurt too. Lots of things went wrong last night. Gotta clean it up and go get em tonight.

[Reuben]

Why is the backhand pick easier? Wouldn’t it depend on the personal preference/comfort level of the individual fielder? Or is there some technical or physics thing that I’m failing to consider?

[JimR]

I think Yuli probably picks that because 1) he’s a better glove than Reed, and 2) he’s righthanded and the backhand pick is easier.  Jake’s error in CF right before hurt too. Lots of things went wrong last night. Gotta clean it up and go get em tonight.

Tough pick for Yuli too because of the long bounce. Had it been a short hop, I think Reed would have picked it easily.

Tough error on Jake. The collision with the fence jarred it out, but if he holds on, the two-run error does not happen.

[HudsonHawk]

Why is the backhand pick easier? Wouldn’t it depend on the personal preference/comfort level of the individual fielder? Or is there some technical or physics thing that I’m failing to consider?

It just is. Perhaps it’s because that’s how you normally catch balls anyway. I don’t know that there’s a physics reason.

That throw was also an in-between hop, which is harder too. 

[Fredia]

better now than later.. rally cap on