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41 minutes ago, billfromlaketravis said:

Why is Chandler Rome saying no on Verlander? 

 

7 minutes ago, Gourmand said:

what did he write? can't read the article.....

 

Quote

For Astros, Justin Verlander’s potential availability raises question: Who’s in charge?

By Chandler Rome

Jul 29, 2023

30

HOUSTON — Before the trade deadline, Astros general manager Dana Brown claimed that owner Jim Crane handed him the keys and told him to drive the team’s decision-making. That may seem like standard operating procedure, but Crane has heavily inserted himself in baseball operations decisions before, especially toward the end of James Click’s tenure.

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Crane owns the team, so it’s his right to tinker however he sees fit. His last-minute influence did precipitate two of the franchise’s most prolific trades: one for Justin Verlander in 2017 and another for Zack Greinke in 2019. Both involved big enough contracts to warrant Crane’s final approval, but he carried far more weight than just a financial rubber stamp.

That he vetoed a deal for rental catcher Willson Contreras last August invited wonder about how wide Crane’s influence reached within the baseball operations department. That he oversaw the team’s entire offseason without a general manager only amplified the question.

After he hired Brown, Crane told The New York Times he never wanted to be the team’s GM and added “I told Dana: ‘You’re running the show.’”

“He’s given me the steering wheel and said ‘Hey, this is your job. You get it done. Just keep me posted as to what’s going on,’” Brown said last week as the trade deadline approached. “I’ve kept him posted and we’ve had conversations. … He’s pretty much given me the steering wheel and said ‘Hey, this is your gig, so get it done.’”

Four months later, the partnership may reach its first inflection point. Verlander’s apparent availability — and the Astros’ need for a starting pitcher — could put the dynamics to an ultimate test. That the Texas Rangers lead the American League West and acquired Max Scherzer from the Mets on Saturday only heightens the intrigue.

Nothing about the Astros’ available prospect capital or Crane’s previous track record suggests that Houston is equipped to make a legitimate push to re-acquire Verlander from the Mets. Nothing Brown has said during his two public appearances indicates he’s about to author that type of blockbuster, either.

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During the trade deadline, though, one transaction can change the tenor of everything. Scherzer landing with the Rangers is precisely the kind that will. Yet even as the Scherzer saga unfolded before Saturday’s 17-4 win against the Rays, a reunion with Verlander still felt unrealistic to some in the Astros organization.

Crane could change the calculus entirely. He is known to be aggressive when the Astros are legitimate World Series contenders — acquiring Verlander in 2017 and Greinke in 2019 is proof of it. According to FanGraphs, his team entered Saturday’s game with a 7.7 percent chance to win it all. Only three teams had higher odds. The Rangers were not one of them, but they had yet to acquire Scherzer.

Crane and Verlander are extremely close, a fact that can not be overstated. Verlander credited Crane — and Crane alone — for negotiating the one-year, $25 million contract he played under last season. Crane has engineered one short-term, high-dollar extension for Verlander, too  — a two-year, $66 million pact prior to the 2019 season that prevented him from hitting free agency in 2020. Verlander injured his elbow on Opening Day 2020 and made just one start during the life of the contract.

Verlander already waived one no-trade clause to come to the Astros in 2017 and there is belief in Houston’s current clubhouse that he’d do it again. Verlander is making $43 million this season, is scheduled to make $43 million next season and, if he throws 140 innings in 2024, will have his $35 million option vest for the 2025 season, during which Verlander will be 42.

Crane had the chance to give Verlander a similar contract last winter. He declined and told the Houston Chronicle afterward that negotiations “got to a number we couldn’t match.” Houston then lost two members of its starting rotation to season-ending elbow injuries and another, José Urquidy, for more than two months with a shoulder ailment.

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“Would have been nice to have (Verlander). We had a good relationship. We just couldn’t get to that number,” Crane told the newspaper in December.

It’s possible, of course, that Crane wouldn’t have to. Multiple reports on Saturday night said the Mets and owner Steve Cohen are paying $36 million of Scherzer’s remaining contract. Scherzer had a $43 million player option for the 2024 season, which according to The Athletic’sKen Rosenthal he will exercise, keeping him in Texas through 2024.

Verlander is also owed $43 million in 2024 with a $35 million option in 2025 that will vest if he throws 140 innings in 2024.  Houston’s current luxury tax payroll, according to FanGraphs, is $220,277,487. Crane exceeded the competitive balance tax after taking on Greinke’s contract in 2019. The Astros have $167,490,477 committed to their luxury tax payroll in 2024 and $101,633,334 in 2025.

Both Jose Altuve and Alex Bregman are scheduled to enter free agency following the 2024 season but, in spring training, Brown was bullish about brokering long-term extensions with them. Two-time All-Stars Kyle Tucker and Framber Valdez are both scheduled to hit free agency after 2025 and profile as logical extension candidates.

Cohen is one of the country’s wealthiest people — and baseball’s richest owner — so it’s unlikely paying down Scherzer’s deal will affect anything he does financially with Verlander or other available Mets. Part of Cohen’s pay-down calculus, though, is the prospect haul in return. For Scherzer, the Rangers sent infielder Luisangel Acuña, whom The Athletic’s Keith Law ranked No. 58 in his most recent Top 60.

The Astros have no prospects listed in Baseball America’s Top 100 updated rankings or Keith Law’s midseason Top 60. Their farm system is universally considered one of the five worst in the sport — and already got somewhat weakened on Friday, when Brown parted with former first-round pick Korey Lee in exchange for reliever Kendall Graveman.

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Houston could perhaps create a prospect package that satisfies the Mets or trade from its major-league roster, but will find itself lagging if this turns into a competition with the Los Angeles Dodgers, who have also expressed interest in Verlander and boast a far more bountiful farm system. If Crane is reluctant to pay the entire remaining contract — or something close to it — the prospect paucity presents the Astros’ biggest hurdle.

After acquiring Graveman on Friday, Brown sounded like someone cautiously content with the starting rotation as it stands. He did not rule out adding another starter, saying “if we can land something that makes sense and we don’t have to mortgage the farm, we may be in business on doing that.” Putting together the type of prospect package Cohen and the Mets require could count as mortgaging the farm. Crane hired Brown, in part, for his drafting background and with the understanding that Houston’s farm system needed to be refurbished.

On Friday, Brown emphasized that bolstering the bullpen was his biggest priority. It may no longer be his biggest emphasis, but because Brown still has interest in a starter, ignoring an available option is a dereliction of duty. Exploring a reunion with Verlander is part of his job description, but whether it will actually come to fruition is not his call.

For that, Crane may take the wheel.

(Top photo of Justin Verlander: Lon Horwedel / USA 

 

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Crane and his wife love them some Verlanders.

3 minutes ago, Gourmand said:

that third year option is a huge sticking point and I don't see how the Astros get a deal done for JV and then pay up for all these guys like Tucker, Altuve, Bregman, Framber, and the arb-eligible guys as well.

Verlander won't be an Astro imo because of that third year clause in his contract.

I'd also be fine if we made a run at Snell or Stroman instead

16 minutes ago, Gourmand said:

that third year option is a huge sticking point and I don't see how the Astros get a deal done for JV and then pay up for all these guys like Tucker, Altuve, Bregman, Framber, and the arb-eligible guys as well.

Verlander won't be an Astro imo because of that third year clause in his contract.


the Mets don’t want that 3rd year either, hopefully they pick some of it up to get rid of him 

These guys know a week ahead their days off 

If we move Jake, I hope he’s a starter. He’s a keeper 

20 minutes ago, The Dog said:

 

Adding a starting pitcher could bolster the bullpen by moving a current starter (france, urq, Bilk)

 

Go get JV. 

Edited by ChickenSandwich

The thing is Dusty’s right about Diaz vs LHP. He’s terrible. His career slash vs lefties is .158/.197/.295. Against RHP, he’s .295/.309/.590

 

But here’s the thing. TB is starting a righty today. LMFAO

Edited by TonyTexas

1 minute ago, ChickenSandwich said:

Adding a starting pitcher could bolster the bullpen by moving a current starter (france, urq, Bilk)

 

Go get JV. 

Chess Boardgames GIF by NETFLIX

The sooner we get rid of Dusty, Maldy and Jake the better off we will be. Not sure what we will have to talk about after that though.

1 minute ago, Mitch Hedberg said:

The sooner we get rid of Dusty, Maldy and Jake the better off we will be. Not sure what we will have to talk about after that though.

Orbit’s fitness 

47 minutes ago, UTHornFan014 said:

I'd also be fine if we made a run at Snell or Stroman instead

Doesn't look like either team is selling

1 minute ago, Mitch Hedberg said:

The sooner we get rid of Dusty, Maldy and Jake the better off we will be. Not sure what we will have to talk about after that though.


#4 record in mlb with a .500 roster. Down 4 starters from last year. 1 game back from division lead and 1st round bye. They’re doing a good job, room to improve for sure 

Some of y'all have sure changed your tune on JV since the WS

4 minutes ago, Mitch Hedberg said:

The sooner we get rid of Dusty, Maldy and Jake the better off we will be. Not sure what we will have to talk about after that though.

Disagree on Jake. He’s a good 4th OF. 

That Rome article didn't say the Astros were out, it's about $.  The headline is stupid, not sure who wrote it.

Just now, WBT said:

Some of y'all have sure changed your tune on JV since the WS

Or since we lost 3 starters.

9 minutes ago, TonyTexas said:

But here’s the thing. TB is starting a righty today. LMFAO

On further investigation, this appears to be a TB bullpen game. Dusty must be pretty sure a lefty is coming in after the first inning. One can only hope

9 minutes ago, UTexasFight said:

Why is Glasnow not starting?

Pitching against Yankees tomorrow.

13 minutes ago, TonyTexas said:

On further investigation, this appears to be a TB bullpen game. Dusty must be pretty sure a lefty is coming in after the first inning. One can only hope

Have to jump all over them

win the series 

JV pitching today, so….

Maybe JV is trying to up his trade value one more time 

59 minutes ago, Hank Chinaski said:

Disagree on Jake. He’s a good 4th OF. 

I was speaking solely of my own sanity. Poor Jake drives me crazy.

Anyone else noticing a shitty picture quality?  I’m watching on DIRECTV. 

Maybe throw some strikes?

Fuuuuck, he’s all over the place 

2 minutes ago, cabowabo said:

Anyone else noticing a shitty picture quality?  I’m watching on DIRECTV. 


hungover ?

Anybody have a good stream for today? I know it’s asked all the time but I’ve never needed one before 

Damnit.  Slappy needs some work with the board gloves.

Fuck, there's the big hit.  We were asking for it with 2 walks and an error on a dp ball.

Abreu and Pena are so careless with the glove.  Treat it like life and death.  Abreu needs to shave, get rid of that rubber band, get rid of the multiple chains and button up the shirt. He's out of order, earn some demerits dude. 

Bielak got himself in trouble but that's a 1 run escape if Abreu makes even the high school freshman level play of getting one out at first on that. 

Abreu is so terrible. Dump him now. My dog can field grounder more cleanly and get back to the bag faster.

3 minutes ago, n64ra said:

Abreu is so terrible. Dump him now. My dog can field grounder more cleanly and get back to the bag faster.

The worst part is we still have to get through a Maldy passed ball at the most in opportune time.

2 minutes ago, Mitch Hedberg said:

Thank you!

you may not want to thank him after you see the score and learn how we got there

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