Yeah - the theory is that the Astros would cobble together a rotation of Brown/Arrighetti/Lambert/Burrows and that would be good enough. The problem is that there is zero depth really, someone will likely be hurt and counting on Lambert and Arrighetti is foolish. The Astros have enough talent to win the division -- but not healthy of available this season....... there are like 5 starting pitchers on the IL. Also - guys like Paredes, Brown and Abreu won't be around much longer, time to maximize value and close any windown.
Injured pitchers are not necessarily "talent" - they used to be talent, and may be again, but we've seen what happens when you count on guys returning from serious injury who don't have it, anymore. I totally agree about counting on Lambert and Arrighetti. I'd add that Burrows sucks this year and has no track record to fall back on, and Hunter is out with an injury. I don't think there's a single arm that you can count on with any certainty for the rest of the year - not in the rotation, and not in the pen. It's dire. I think you trade anything not nailed down and rebuild. This team doesn't have it. The offense was good when healthy but now is mid, and not nearly good enough to carry a terrible pitching staff.
He won 87 games last year, 6 fewer than the Dodgers despite the injuries. He's a good manager. Put the blame where it should go, training staff, medical staff, and dana for picking the failing players.
He isn’t a good manager. He is a good person and can be a MLB coach. He doesn’t have what it takes to be a good manager. He also is responsible for Josh Hader being hurt, a lot of other teams would have fired him for that. He can go be a bench coach or 3rd base coach for the Reds or A’s.
As poor of a game manager as Dusty was, I didn't think Espada could be worse. He proved me wrong. Mishandling and overextending pitchers, odd pinch hitting choices, poor baserunning tactics, the list goes on. Sure, it's on Dana to get the players, and for the players to perform, but the manager needs to put them into position to succeed. Joe doesn't do that.
Have you paid attention to his decisions? I understand about the injuries but at some point you need to make sound in-game pitching moves and ANY offensive strategy. How about stealing a base once in a while? TELLING hitters to take a pitch, or pitches until he has a strike? A hit and run? A pitch out? ANYTHING other than sitting like a bump on a log.
Gonna have to wait until the off-season to fire Dana, Espada so the new GM can bring in his guy as manager..
Why? Promoting a current coach to interim and then making a permanent hire in the off season is, by far, the most common path after in season firings So how come hiring a new GM in the offseason protects Joe's job?
I'm really hoping after this season Brown isn't making decisions for the Stros org. Some farm directors aren't cut out to be GM's
I don’t know how good or bad Brown is, he has had very little say of what has been going on. If Crane brings in someone innovative and smart and motivated, I’m all for it - but I don’t want Dan Evans or the other ones I have heard.
I would replace Espada tomorrow with Omar Lopez, and re-evaluate Brown and Lopez after the season. eta...wasn't Brown talked about as "innovative, smart and motivated"?
