-1.7 for being asked to eat with the team in the clubhouse after games and not being allowed to slink away and eat back in the hotel by himself like he did in Japan.
He sucks ass, he’s only confident throwing two pitches. One of them he can’t control and the other one gets hammered.
If he survives I will assume that this signing came at Crane’s direction. All I know is if I was the owner I would not trust Dana Brown to give out any significant contracts. And if you can’t trust the GM to do that then he shouldn’t be in the role.
Bagwell laid the foundation. The move away from analytics has completely uprooted the entire foundation from which the dynasty was built. I was perfectly content with Dusty saying **** analytics and using his gut when that was balancing the nerds in the offices, but when everyone in the building has the Bagwell back of the baseball card mentality it’s just a terrible strategy as an organization.
WAR -0.5 IP 12 2/3 Hits 12 Earned runs 13 Homers 2 Walks 14 WHIP 2.053 Record 1-1 ERA 9.24 And he's starting again.......
With the injury, Correa’s contract is probably back underwater. McCullers, Abreu, and Javier are lost causes and will all finish way underwater. Hader and Altuve’s last extension are both teetering on being upside down. Imai clearly looks like a bust, although I will say he obviously has the stuff so as bad as he looks he could turn it around quickly, but the opt outs mean that has to happen very quickly for his contract not to be a bust. Walker has redeemed his deal to a degree. Hes put up ~$23M in value and has 1.5 seasons to make up that remaining $37M; that’s a pretty big ask but doable. Yordan’s extension appears to be the only significant contract Houston has given out since their last WS that is well on track to be a good deal.
Bagwell didn't do s**t. Jim Crane wanted more baseball guys and less nerds and that's what he got. He isn't Cal McNair nepo baby in over his head, he made the choice.
Crane is clearly the main culprit, but I still blame some of the “consulting” Bagwell was doing when we didn’t have a GM and were handing out fat bags to Montero and Co. after the WS.
A lot of things have happened with the Astros when it comes to money. Some of it is bad luck (injuries to key pitchers) and some of it because they wanted big time players without paying long term contracts (Abreu/Walker/Tatsuya). While the contracts have been bad and arguably cost them a World Series run --- what has undone the Astros the last 36 months has been injuries to the pitching side. Luis Garcia Lance McCullers Christian Javier Ronel Blanco Hayden Wesneski Brandon Walter Spencer Arrighetti Josh Hader Bennet Sousa Spencer Arrighetti They lost a #3 starter in Blanco Javier and McCullers and Garcia were all capable #3 starters that have never recovered from injury Hayden Wesneski was someone they were very excited about and felt he would be a long-term part of the rotation. Arrighetti is back but was out a long time. Hader is out and Sousa still isn't healthy. Couple that will losing Framber in free agency, and it isn't a shock that the Astros are struggling......... that is the loss of 7 good big league starters to injury, and that doesn't count Hunter Brown. Meyers, Correa and Pena have been banged up a lot off and on as well. So a combo of poor money layout and extreme injuries.
Depends on who wanted him and if you think the issue is "stuff" related. I personally don't think the issue is his stuff, I think his stuff is good enough --- I think the issue is between his ears and adapting to changes. Regardless, he isn't pitching well.... and there was always some risk associated with signing him, but Crane did not want to spend the money to keep a Valdez or sign someone like Cease... but he didn't want to look like he was in the kiddie pool, so he did what he did with Abreu and Walker, he signed a guy for a shorter deal but decent money per season. There is a reason that Abreu, Walker and Tatsuya did not get 5–6-year deals..... and th Astros took the risk and it burned them. Crane needs to either lock up all of his young guys early on -- be willing to spend the going rate for more certain free agents --- or pour a tremendous amount of money and resources into scouting and player development and the draft. Right now he is doing a version of what Drayton McLane did and that won't work.
What is he supposed to say? "Jesus Christ this guy is mentally soft. We saw the stuff and figured he would be good and a competitor, but the guy just mopes around and cries. Boy we ****ed that up. I bet he will pick up his player option too. My God, maybe he won't and will be happy to sign in Japan where he is a big fish in a smaller pond. I really hope he figures it out." - Dana Brown
