Astros owner and chairman Jim Crane insists that his club has the resources they need to improve their ball club, per Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter). Crane did not mince words when speaking of his team needs, simply calling out the fact that the Astros will be looking for pitching and a shortstop, per Rome.
The latter need is the more finite and interesting of the two. Carlos Correa will presumably walk as a free agent, despite the resources that Crane touts as being available to his club. Certainly, for a club that has made three World Series appearances over the past five years, there should be no shortage of financial might.
The decision to let Correa walk, should they do so, is more a calculated evaluation of resource allocation. Still, it’s interesting for Crane to voice that position as one of need. Jeremy Pena has shown promise in the minor leagues, but it would be a tall order for Pena to step directly into the starting lineup for Correa, a franchise icon and two-time All-Star. The 24-year-old his an impressive .287/.346/.598 over 133 plate appearances at Triple-A.
On the pitching side, the Astros have already shifted to a new generations of arms led by the likes of Framber Valdez, Jose Urquidy, and Luis Garcia. Former ace and rotation stalwart Justin Verlander is still awaiting a possible qualifying offer, however. Despite missing all of last season because of Tommy John surgery, the 38-year-old would be a high ceiling, short-term use of the Astros’ financial might, were they to go ahead and extend the qualifying offer. The deadline to extend that offer is Sunday, and the Astros are still considering their options, tweets Rome.
If he doesn’t get it he’s going to Detroit. If he gets QO then he will stay in Houston.
Lol
I’m guess Mrs. Verlander wants him in Southern California.
Wrong in both counts. He will reject a QO if offered and will go to Angels or Giants
Verlander won’t be in DET. The Tigers actually paid most of his salary for him to play elsewhere. If you were an owner, would you “let that ride”?
I would venture to guess there’s a 50% chance he ends up in Detroit if not issued a QO. As a Tigers’ fan, that’s not my preference … but there’s been enough back-channeled that I believe the odds are greater than people think.
Do you really see Kate Upton being driven through the streets of DETROIT to watch him play for the Tigers? How about house hunting in the Detroit suburbs?…….Cultural entertainment? How about Hollywood types coming for a visit? Really doubt it if he has other opportunities elsewhere.
Actually, she did drive thru the streets of Detroit to see him play for the Tigers. He was playing with the Tigers when they met. She was frequently seen at the games. How many “Hollywood” types do you feel have come to Houston to visit? There are lots of great neighborhoods in the Detroit area and suburbs, with Oakland county being one of the richest in the nation. It would be going home for them.
Ya they did it to give him a shot at World Series, if he wants to return he’s got an open ticket from Tigers. He’ll be inducted in HOF with Miggy as a Tiger
Yeah–I would have to agree with this. I’m not sure he would reject the QO, as he might not get 18.4 million on the open market…especially since all of baseball thinks it’s either stay in Houston or go back to Detroit. I can see him accepting the offer as a “show-me” contract and see what he can do.
Classy man….
I hope they offer it and he accepts.
He will not.Can easily get 2 years.
He may go to the Angels so Kate can be near Hollywood. Happy wife,happy life and I imagine their are some nice benefits in keeping Kate happy.
Wait…what now, @Kane?
“Happy wife, happy life…” Man. After three divorces you guys first tell me this now?
“Happy wife, happy life” has got to be the most pathetic phrase a man can utter.
Happy spouse, happy house is better.
Chipper Jones… I would agree but it’s Kate Upton. I’d be retired “to spend more time with my family”
I can’t imagine a happy life with a miserable wife
“Happy wife”= no nuts.
Padres make a splash?
I don’t think he’s a good fit for them. They have limited payroll flexibility this year and they really need some of the Myers/Hosmer money to come off the books first.
What ruined them last year was a lack of depth. They should be taking the limited money they can spend and try to get multiple back of the rotation arms rather than going big on one arm like Verlander.
Sign JV to add to Yu, Snell, Sunshine & Musgrove. Keep Lamet, Paddack, et al. in the Pen. I like it. Payroll flexibility exists as of now. I’d like either JV or Castellanos but probably won’t pursue both. Give me the TOR arm and I’d be happier.
I believe the Astros should give Verlander a qualifying offer, but they ‘probably’ will not. I think they will go with Grey and others they can get more out of their respective ‘upside’ at this point.
There is no question they will. If they don’t and he leaves, they get nothing. If the do and he rejects and leaves, at least they get a draft pick out of it—something the team is in desperate need of.
JV is 38 coming off TJ. He’s only worth one year 8-10 mill. Realistically should be no more than a million but that’s not how baseball’s economics works
True. But keep inind that most teams with the appropriate financial might
True. But keep in mind that most teams with the appropriate financial might don’t mind overpaying when its only a one-year commitment.
Yanks signed Kluber for $11MM/1 year last winter. I have a hard time thinking Verlander won’t – at the very least – do better than that.
I’m sure the Yankees regret it too.
How? Kluber pitched roughly half a season of decent ball coming off injury. He was worth 1.4 WAR. Worth the risk in my opinion… especially for the Yanks
If they think he won’t except it, extend it so they can get a draft pick as compensation.
The Astros need a bonafide ace, Verlander will not be that this coming year regardless of how well he pitches because his innings will be very limited. They should prioritize Scherzer.
I was wondering, do you limit his innings? Especially on a one year deal? He is 38, maybe just let him go however long he is productive. Can’t be saving that arm for much longer.
It’s pretty much Dr.’s orders and standard routine after Tommy John surgery. To expect 200 innings out of him would be unrealistic. That’s why I would be very hesitant to spend 18.4 million. But it sure would be nice to have that draft pick compensation if he declines it
True, but like Harvey did, if they choose to play and go against agent requests and Drs recommendations, maybe he would be the type of gamer to put it all out there.
That applies to normal humans
Lol
Kate loves ny more than LA and verlander actually requested that if he were traded from Detroit that it would be to ny back then. I would be leery of anyone in the cheating years from the Astros . Remember, he’s also coming back from Tommy John and first year back usually not that great.
They got it from New York so I’d be leery of anyone on New York pre-2017
I love the mental gymnastics it must require to somehow blame the Yanks for the Astros systemic electronic sign stealing.
C’mon, fellas. Tighten up. I really doubt McCann & Beltran are all that well versed in writing computer algorithms. Why is there so little interest in basic accountability anymore? Always looking for someone to blame in order to ignore the reality right in the damn mirror.
Mental gymnastics: Commish issues a letter for teams to knock it off, based solely on the Yankees and Red Sox. Beltran comes from the Yankees, tells Cora the Astros are lagging far behind in the sign-stealing department, from his experience with the Yankees. Astros then take it the most ridiculous extreme possible, get caught, hated forever. You can be accountable while also acknowledging the Astros didn’t build the first mouse trap, they just built the loudest.
Don’t ever change, fellas…
High payrolls: Yankees fault!
Steroid era: Yankees fault!
Astros Banging Scheme: Yankees fault!
Spider tac: Yankees fault!
Whatever I don’t like about MLB: Yankees fault!
Followed by some conspiracy theory. Torre works in the MLB office, right?
Still waiting on that yankee letter to be released. Keep living in your glass house yankee fans
Oh look. Another one.
Everyone seems to forget that Beltran spent the end of the season in 2016 with the Texas Rangers before he signed with the Astros. Comparing the 2016 Yankees with the 2016 Rangers in both statistics of hitters and the overall win/loss record and it would seem more likely the “previous team” he was referring to would not be the Yankees. Combining that with the reports McCann told Beltran at one point to stop the operation in Houston, why wouldn’t he be fine with it in Houston if he was fine with it working in NY?
That doesn’t make good news though. Everyone loves to blame the Yankees for everything. Meanwhile this year Cora is welcomed back to Boston with open arms and is given a hero’s welcome in this years postseason by Fox, ESPN and FS1 when he was the main culprit alongside Beltran. Not only that, he received a slap on the wrist suspension for a 60 game season even though there was evidence he allowed for hi tech sign stealing in Boston the very next year…
Dude Ducky, Carlos Beltran TOLD the Astros they were way behind the Yankees in using tech to steal signs. He brought it to Houston (there’s that whole unopened envelope thing) and he was going to bring it to the Mets. Alex Cora brought it to Boston, used it, won a World Series and got away with it.
I would steer clear of Verlander, Scherzer and Greinke. I believe all three are candidates to under perform their contracts in ’22 due to some combination of age, mileage on their arms, loss of velo and/or the big uptick in innings in ’21 vs ’20.
Scherzer this past year was 15–4 2.46 ERA, with a .864 whip. I would spent 30 million for that.
I would pay $30 million for one year, but I suspect Scherzer will be getting two and three year offers. Scherzer’s dead arm in the NLCS also concerns me given his age, IP the last 10+ years and the big jump in innings from ’20 to ’21.
@Angels & NL West, I agree. Even though Scherzer had a fantastic season in 2021, he’ll be 38 in July and you don’t sign players for what they’ve already accomplished, you sign them for what you logically think they can do. If a team is a contender, they can find alternative ways to spend that money and remain in the mix.
Would you also pass on Kershaw? Tough one for me.
Kershaw is a tough one. I wouldn’t want to be Friedman as it regards the Kershaw dilemma. He’s a franchise icon and HOFer, but the “forearm tightness” and PRP injection are big red flags for the reasons listed above for Scherzer.
I would want to sign Kershaw to a low base with incentives for innings pitched. But would that be enough, would it be an insult?
Kersh will he offered and I think accept a QO
Angels & NL West, Really tough. I don’t disagree with your base-plus-incentives suggestion. However, management needs to tread lightly since it could wind up being a PR fiasco.
Watching Kershaw’s starts close on TV as I do, I would say it’s time to move on from him. As baseball fans, we know it’s not about what players have already done, but we think/hope they can do in the future. With Kershaw, fan reaction and a possible negative ripple effect throughout the team and organization will weigh heavily. That and the negative fallout from the ongoing Bauer situation probably puts Kershaw in the driver’s seat when it comes to negotiating. At least it would seem that way.
It will help make for an intriguing. If you think about it, that’s the case with all six west coast teams. With the Angels, Mariners, and even the (apparently) rebuilding A’s, the balance of power in the division might change if Houston lets Correa walk.
Except that isn’t how baseball works. Players get paid for what they have done more often than not.
I mean if there were alternatives for teams looking at arms I’d agree, saying they are going to regress into their late 30s isnt a surprise but they are still quality arms that should produce more than the guys with far worse stats that are much younger
come to texas with scherzer kershaw and greinke and they finally won a ws
Bang Bang Cough Correa is a perfect fit bit for the cheaters. He can join foreign substance man and the other fine upstanding gentlemen of their pitching staff. Dr. Boonedoggle will give him regular checkups (cough) and the cash man can throw hundreds of millions of dollars at his can (bang bang). It’s his time.
Bang Bang Cough
Bang Bang Cough
We will
We will
Sign you!
Cue guitar solo.
What in the world did I just read here?
CamFrost, you read the dribblings of a moron who can’t see the Houston was just made an example of as a warning to the other cheaters so they would stop–namely the Yankees, Red Sox, Rangers, Brewers, White Sox and Dodgers.
The Astros were an upstart that beat 3 glamour teams for their title. Of course MLB came down hard on them. The Yankees and Red Sox are part of the glamour club so were let off without any consequences.
Someone needs to check onwhyhayzee
Down here!
I’m stuck.
Here.
Grab my hand. Don’t expect anything more than a half hearted pull like an opposing team’s player on the football field though.
& you better get to the sideline for some Gatorade.
I need more than Gatorade.
I’ve got Lyme, Bartonella, two parasites, Epstein-Barr Virus, compromised immune system, hypoglycemia, and a couple of more issues I can’t spell.
I’m on all sorts of stuff and a little bit foggy.
I should stay away from sharp objects like the internet but it’s so shiny I’m drawn to the light.
Oh dear.
Even though you are oftentimes the epitome of an insecure mets fan, & you’re one of those whacky (yet well intentioned) liberal dudes, I would always help you back up on your feet without a second thought.
Well, thank you, however I’m a Republican, registered since 1975. Grew up flipping through the pages of Rifleman, Popular Mechanics, Farmers Almanac, Science, building Heathkit electronic projects, had my own work bench, and got tools every Christmas. I appreciate your skill set but I was really just a math whiz who could play sports. I tried all that building stuff but when the family would do a project (we built two buildings at our camp up in NH) I was the go-for guy. Once in a while they’d let me whack a nail in, I was ok with that but not much else.
To WHYHAZEE:Sound like chitty Chitty bag bag from mary Popiins!
JV was good in Detroit, then ran out of gas. New life and opportunity rejuvenated him in Houston, but can it happen again at his age. I don’t see anything positive from JV. Age and TJ IS too much to gamble the QO and $18 M is definitely a big risk. Personally, I’d pass and hope he signs with the Mets. He would fit in well with that rotation of arms.
Verlander had 1 bad year in detroit. 2014, the year they misdiagnosed an injury. He was 2nd in cy young voting in 2016 and 5th in 2017 the year he was traded.
He started 2015 late due to the injury and finished strong. His only bad year was 2014.
For some reason I want to see Verlander on the Rays.
Me too
I would let Correa walk too, good player but not worth 300 mil
Damaged goods not worth a QO! if healthy , in the Spring ,offer him 4 or 5 Million.
My biggest concern is if he and Cole were tack buddies for those 2 years in Houston.
They were likely tacky buddies
Let Correa cash in, sign a short term SS like Simmons or Story and wait on the farm.
QO JV… it’s a year for him to build on.. like Story
Wow Verlander coming off TJ at 38 and getting a QO? They must really like having his wife come to the park if that offer happens.
Astros offer both Verlander and Correa a QO
Correa turns it down without a thought and the Astros get a draft pick somewhere between 14 ( Mets) and 60ish.
Verlander is more compicated.
I honestly believe he does not want to go to a third team if one of the 2 he has already played for shows interest. He does not want to be viewed as a mercenary.
He will accept the QO unless he can work out a 2-3 year offer from one of them.
If so, he will pitch and try to earn a 2-3 year deal next offseason.
The Cardinals might as well sign Verlander to the wheez kids roster
JV to Detroit for 2yrs/52M
Correa to Detroit for 9 yrs/$280M
Here come ‘dem Tigers!!