Houston Astros 106-56 (28th FG System)
https://www.chron.com/sports/astros/article/houston-astros-offseason-needs-17583264.php
Whoever takes over the GM role will have lots of work to do before the 2023 season kicks off.
www.crawfishboxes.com
Here I thought the obvious answer for Houston off-season plans was to get Verlander back. Yet, fans area worried about an aging line up and are thinking the focus is instead on 1B, C and/or OF bat where Brantley, Gurriel and Verlander may all be getting too old to want back. Yet, to have a staff that is supposed to take you back to the WS again with McCullers as your aged vet (7 years) compared to 2-3 years for the rest, I just don’t buy they leave the pitching staff as is even with the great years of Javier and Valdez. Even our fans don’t think McK is ready to supplement Bieber as the FOR starter. Sometimes experience matters (even if it is another year that Bieber has).
With a depleted farm system, there are only 3 options to help Houston next year (Brown – P, Lee – C and Diaz – 1B – has played 50 games). And, they really don’t have a OF option other than putting Alvarez in LF and finding a DH solution. However, even though, Lee and Diaz are the top of their farm system, the FV grades of 40 on FG and 50 on MLB, they would be ranked in the high teens (at best) in our system.
Would you imagine going in with Lavastida as our catcher, Brennan as CF or Noel/Arias as our 1B? Even for us and our modest expectations, that is a tall order and expect to contend with Chicago in our weaker Central division. With their expectations of WS, their focus in building via FA which include Contreras as C and Rizzo/Abreu at 1B who are 31 and 33/36 next year (younger than Gurriel at 39 and Verlander going on 40).
Sitting at 36 players, not a Rule 5 issue with Murray and Gonzalez as must adds with a few NTC candidates including our friend Maton.
BTV NTC – Brandon Bielak,
Josh James, Phil Maton, Enoli Paredes, Blake Taylor
Who do they have that Guardians want? Everyone would want Alvarez or Altuve but it ain’t happening. Should Diaz come back to play 1B for us as a sub? Maybe …. But then who do we leave off the roster Battenfield? Funny how these prospect lists get shuffled so much each year as Battenfield was projected to be much better than Diaz. Maybe it changes again next year. Even Palacios was in the 10-15 prospect list per Bimbo at the beginning of year (above Kwan). Hard to project these guys. Yet, in reality, Brown is the only Houston prospect that is worth a major trade for but will not even be close if Houston wanted a Bieber trade in the middle of the year.