October 30, 2024 • 32 mins
On our first offseason edition of the Crawford Boxcast, Gordy and Ross discusss the team's offseason so far, with some of the wants and needs to the roster, their impending free agents, the latest on Alex Bregman, some free agents they could target, and a coaching change made on the staff.
Remember to keep it locked all offseason to the Crawford Boxcast presented by Karbach Brewing and the Crawford Bock!
Remember to keep it locked all offseason to the Crawford Boxcast presented by Karbach Brewing and the Crawford Bock!
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:10):
Astros fans, Cheers, Fucky Lucky.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
Welcome to the Crawford box Cast, as.
Speaker 1 (00:20):
Proud lead bord for you by Crawford Bach from Carmack Brewy.
Speaker 3 (00:23):
You're getting that bear.
Speaker 2 (00:26):
Oh my godness, The Crawford Box Cast starts now here
we go.
Speaker 1 (00:31):
Here's Chris Gordy and Ross via Real.
Speaker 3 (00:36):
And what's up everybody.
Speaker 4 (00:37):
Welcome into it off season edition of the Crawford box Cast,
our first one of the off season. Last time we spoke,
the Astro season has jed just ended and now we are. Gosh,
Ross's crazy. You think it's the end of October and
the Astro season ended at the start of October. Yet
(00:58):
it feels like it's been way longer than that.
Speaker 2 (01:00):
It feels like it's been months years talking about Alex Bregman. Yeah,
those games against the Detroit Tigers. It feels like it
was ages ago. And the playoffs are still going and
hopefully to me, the lesser of the two evils, the Yankees.
I think of it more as rather than Dodgers winning
Dodgers winning, I think about as the Yankees losing.
Speaker 1 (01:22):
And that makes me a little bit happier.
Speaker 4 (01:23):
Yeah, it's been it's been a look I'll give it
to you. It's two teams we hate. Most Astros fans
don't want to see half success, but it does seem
pretty funny. I think I've I resigned myself to the fact. Look,
the big talking point you had on the Dodgers was
you hadn't want you know, your one World Series win
was the COVID year with the asterisk, where you played
in front of a bunch of cardboard cutouts in weird
(01:46):
ass stadiums, and like San Diego and Arlington, like you
even get.
Speaker 3 (01:51):
To play at home.
Speaker 4 (01:52):
But but no, I think it's it's more fun to
tell a Yankees fan you still haven't won a World
Series since two thousand and nine.
Speaker 2 (02:00):
Yeah, when the whole team was juicing, and Brian Cashman
can why let's see, how did the Astros knock you
out of this one?
Speaker 1 (02:07):
How did the Astros prevent you from winning this one?
Speaker 2 (02:09):
Brian Cashman, after all those comments that he made, I
am rooting so hard against the Yankees and Aaron Judge
in twenty one doing the closed jersey thing and marking
mocking Jose Altuve. I don't want to root for the Dodgers,
but you can at least rationalize like, look, they went
out and bought Shoeo Tani, they bought Mooki bets, they
bought Freddie Freeman, they bought a Namamoto the the picture,
(02:34):
like they bought their ring whatever. I can get over that.
Excuse me Yamamoto.
Speaker 1 (02:41):
And the Yankees.
Speaker 2 (02:42):
I want them to lose. I want their fans to
be sad. Think about this. Jumboy's gonna be sad if
the Yankees lose the World Series. That makes me feel good.
I don't care.
Speaker 3 (02:51):
And I will say.
Speaker 4 (02:53):
The Dodgers are in the iHeart family, So a lot
of folks out there in our iHeart breath.
Speaker 1 (02:58):
Okay, let's go with that.
Speaker 4 (02:59):
Sure having some fun out there. It's actually I've been
to the iHeart studios out there in l A. And
they own like a share of like the Dodgers broadcasts
and stuff. Yeah, so like they have salespeople that work
there that work for the Dodgers and the radio station.
So it's kind of that weird, kind of incestuous kind
of thing, but it was cool. They have like a
whole wall of Dodger stuff at the radio station and
(03:19):
Dodger seats, seats from Dodger Stadium and stuff. So yeah, look,
hate the Dodgers and their they're dumb fans, but uh,
you know it's.
Speaker 3 (03:28):
Shout out Tony. Outside of the the gambling scandal, he's
easy to root for.
Speaker 2 (03:33):
He's he's a freaking star, He's a freaking nature. He's
fun to root for. I like Freddy Freeman.
Speaker 4 (03:39):
Yeah, and what was the staff Freddy Freeman's hit a
home run and how many consecutives. It's because George Bringer,
because it goes back to the series with the Astros,
right the world series against them. Yes, so unless we forget,
but yeah, Freddie Freeman another guy easy to root for.
Had some braves fans who hate how he left Atlanta
and went to la but had son with a health
(04:00):
scare this year when he remember they were playing the
Astros and he was out because his son was dealing
with with a health thing.
Speaker 3 (04:08):
So you know, look, there's it's it's two evils. I
get it. But we're just picking the lesser of the
evil to root for.
Speaker 1 (04:15):
Yeah, the media, we were rooting for it and didn't
show up.
Speaker 4 (04:17):
It did not show up. But we do have some
other stuff to touch on, at least Astros related and
all quite on the free agent front, I have talked
to a couple people out there, you know, kind of
discussing Alex Bregman and you know where he's going to go.
I had one people, one person somewhat connected to him,
say he feels pretty strong that he's going to Arizona.
Speaker 3 (04:41):
I had another one tell.
Speaker 4 (04:42):
Me he's not going to get the deal he thinks
he's going to get, and the Astros are very much
in play to match any deal he gets.
Speaker 3 (04:49):
Interesting, So again.
Speaker 4 (04:50):
We're still we're very far off from this story coming
to an end. We'll also see how long Scott Boris
wants to take this thing because last year Ross the
Boris clients went into spring training without deal.
Speaker 1 (05:02):
Montgomery Snell, Yeah.
Speaker 4 (05:04):
If Bregman has that off season shoulder cleanup that he
was supposed to have or elbow rather, does that make headlines?
So they keep it hush hush. Our team's gonna go
way way before we offer anything. We want to see
a full medical like. So this is gonna be very
interesting to see how this one plays out.
Speaker 2 (05:21):
I still my gut feeling is that Alex Bregman is
gonna be gone just because of the fact that and
that's good news if it is gonna be him not
getting the deals that he thinks. But it's just gonna
take one team, whether it be Arizona. We've mentioned Seattle
Boston as somebody that Ken Rosenthal has floated, and maybe
there's some team we are not even thinking about. Because
(05:41):
Scott Morris is putting it out that while Alex Bregman
is known as a third basement, he would play second base.
So does that make him attractive? It's not as premium
of a defensive position. So you're not gonna pay up,
for example, for a premium shortstop as much as you
would a third basement and then second basement I would
even put in a lower pecking worder than too, of course,
So how is that going to affect money? But that
(06:04):
also puts more teams into play. How does that balance out?
As far as the types of deals Alex Pregman is
gonna get, we don't know.
Speaker 4 (06:12):
And one other thing I do want to get get
off my chest when it comes to the stuff. Can
we stop with the pay the man there? This is
Contracts are a nuanced conversation in the sports world. It
is not either pay the man or don't pay the man. Now,
those are not the two choices.
Speaker 1 (06:27):
It actually is in baseball, but the.
Speaker 4 (06:29):
Choices the man, pay the man, this, pay the man, this,
pay the man, this, pay the man this.
Speaker 3 (06:35):
There are many.
Speaker 4 (06:35):
Different options on contracts and length and dollar amount and
all that other stuff. And so when I see roy
Oswalt come out of the barons and love it, and
he takes the Twitter saying pay the man. Hey, that's great.
How about we get him on a one year thirty
million dollar deal? Is that paying the man? I'd love
to pay the man's pay the man whenever he wants.
But yeah, in baseball you can't pay the man.
Speaker 1 (06:58):
NFL, it comes a little different. It's some more new
wants conversation. Now.
Speaker 2 (07:01):
Of course we know that Jim Crane doesn't like going
into the luxury tax, which he did last year, But
the penalties get worse for this year if you do
do that, and then they get even worse if you're
talking about going in there for a third year. I
think it's a twenty percent tax year one, thirty percent
tax year two, and then it goes at the fifty
for year three.
Speaker 4 (07:21):
So and you can't blame them for being flexible, right
like not him. The minute you give out a seven
eight year deal. You handcuff yourself to that player, yes,
for the future, and there's no getting out of it.
Speaker 2 (07:32):
Yeah, and then Alex Bredman can go. And I mean
he had elbow issues this year. What if he tears
his UCL and he's got to have Tommy John surgery
or what if any any.
Speaker 1 (07:40):
Sort of thing. There was significant slippage.
Speaker 2 (07:43):
He had the slow start that he normally has, but
he did not come out of it as much as
he has in years past in terms of overall production. Now,
the home run numbers were there. He ended up with
what twenty five, twenty six, whatever it was, and he
can get to around those numbers. But when you say
in the preseason, I expect to have my best season ever,
(08:04):
and this is a guy who's hit forty home runs,
who's hit thirty home runs, And although it was in
the juice ball era and that's a different time in
a different place, he still did not live up to
his own expectations that he set.
Speaker 1 (08:17):
And he's thirty years old.
Speaker 2 (08:18):
And as you said, you're talking about signing this guy
to a seven to eight year deal when you've seen
him turn thirty in show signs of slippage.
Speaker 4 (08:26):
Yeah, and just a quick roster note, because I do
want to get into the free agents, and we'll level
all offseason and kind of.
Speaker 3 (08:32):
Get into this.
Speaker 4 (08:33):
But Tayler rome pointing out that some Astros' roster management
is due here very soon. All players on the sixty
day IL have to be activated by the fifth day
following the end of the World Series. The Astros have
ten players on the sixty day IL. Two of them
are entering free agency, so the team will need to
(08:55):
clear two more forty man spots to have room. And
somebody asked him what players are hitting free agency that
are on the sixty day night sixty day I l
Ben Gammele and Kendall Graveman are the two. And here
is the Astros free agent list. We've talked about Alex Bragman,
Justin Verlander, Ryan Presley, which I believe he has.
Speaker 2 (09:19):
What there's an I thought his option invested because of
his Yeah, there was some confusion there because I think
it was spot track and Baseball Reference had it as
a mutual option.
Speaker 1 (09:28):
But that's not true. His option invested. So according to Chandler.
Speaker 4 (09:31):
Yeah, well, and we'll see what they all want to
do with Ran Presley as well. You say, Kakuchi, who
man of all the names, that's one you'd love to
have it.
Speaker 1 (09:41):
I'd like to have him back out of those other
names you've listened.
Speaker 4 (09:43):
Jason Hayward, who was a nice little shot in the
arm to the to the clubhouse.
Speaker 2 (09:48):
He's yeah, he's been nice and he he hit well,
but he's also been cut from several teams the last
few years.
Speaker 4 (09:53):
Caleb Ferguson, who was Hector Nerris, who was yeah, not
bad on.
Speaker 1 (10:00):
The deal, you'd take him back.
Speaker 4 (10:01):
I mean, if Nerris wants to come back on a
one year I don't know, four or five million dollar deal.
Speaker 2 (10:04):
And he's getting older, what is he like, thirty two,
thirty three? Now he is thirty five, thirty five?
Speaker 4 (10:09):
Okay, yeah so but again, good good locker room, clubhouse guy.
I wouldn't mind bringing Nerris back on another year, but uh,
Cale Ferguson can let walk. Ben Gamble is the one
that I mean, he he showed a little something, but
he's also thirty two.
Speaker 3 (10:23):
I mean he's interesting, he's not yet.
Speaker 1 (10:25):
He's been great.
Speaker 3 (10:26):
He was great.
Speaker 2 (10:28):
I never thought you didn't start the season going Ben
Gamble going down is a huge blow for the Astros,
who it was.
Speaker 1 (10:35):
He was so good for them in that short sample size.
Speaker 4 (10:37):
And Ken mcgraveman too. I mean, he's a guy. When
he's healthy, he's really good. But he's about to be
thirty four. You know what do you do with him?
So some options here, but for ranking, if I could
tell you you could have two of any of these
free agents back Verlander, Bregman, Kakuchi, Graveman, Hayward, Ferguson, Gamble.
Speaker 1 (10:56):
Ners, i gotta be Grayman and Ferguson. I'm just kidding.
Speaker 2 (10:59):
I'm gonna go with Kakuchi and Bragman, not in that order.
Bregman would look. We talked about it. I mean we
talked about it here on this podcast about you're gonna
take You're probably taking on the chin.
Speaker 1 (11:09):
In a seven eight year deal the last couple of years,
but if you can get him in his prime.
Speaker 2 (11:13):
You've had multiple pitchers talk out come out, like Taylor
Scott on the Pitching Ninja podcast talking about how he
game plans. He looks for pitch tipping stuff. His game
plans that he comes up with can show things that
the regular Astros game plans don't. He helped Hunter Brown
with him adding that sinker to his repertoire, and that
turned around his season and turned him into one of
(11:34):
the best pitchers in baseball. So I know, at the
end of the day, the bottom line is it's about
the millions of dollars and leadership and other stuff that
you can't put a number on. You know, the front
half office can't put a number on what he means
to that clubhouse. They can't put a number on you know,
his ops plus is WRC plus is his fielding ratings
and all that type of stuff, and being a Gold
(11:55):
glob finalist. But you hit twenty six home runs, you're
a Gold Glove finalist. You you add so much to
the to the pitching staff. He's involved by the by
the end of the season in a lot of mound
visits and going out there. As far as that type
of stuff, he is very valuable. You would be paying
him basically for the next couple of years of his prime,
(12:16):
knowing you're gonna take it on the chin at the
end and hope that payrolls go up and it doesn't
hurt that bad by the end of his deal. That's
what you would be doing with signing Alex Bregman. I
don't think it's gonna happen, But I do think it's
a good idea for them to resign it.
Speaker 3 (12:31):
If the most of the team goes with him as five.
Speaker 1 (12:35):
Whatever, I just don't think that's going to happen.
Speaker 3 (12:38):
So you think he's getting six or seven.
Speaker 2 (12:40):
I have a bet bet with one Matthew Thomas of
The Matt Thomas Show with Ross on Sports Talk seven ninety.
If we set the line at six, anything over I win,
anything under, he wins.
Speaker 4 (12:52):
The The other one that's really fascinating too, is it's
justin Verlander gonna go.
Speaker 2 (13:00):
Like an older people flowed out up there in age.
I'm sorry, I don't want to have any injury unless
you can tell me that he just was.
Speaker 3 (13:06):
He was.
Speaker 2 (13:07):
He was injured all season long, and he can pitch
better than maybe. But outside of that worst home run
rate of his career, worst field independent pitching of his
career in a full season worst, I think we're cra
like strikeout percentages, like every everything across the board was
bad for him last year.
Speaker 1 (13:24):
We love him. He was here for a couple of
World Series.
Speaker 2 (13:28):
Who knows if he's going to wear an Astros cap
on his Hall of Fame plack or I don't care
about that two World series. Verlander was a huge deal
and big part of those thank you for the memories,
Let's move on.
Speaker 4 (13:38):
And it does feel like he kind of said his
farewell right like in those final weeks the way he
was talking, especially the day the season ended, when he
was talking with the media, it was kind was right
in front of him. Yeah, but again he did barewell, farewell,
to bid farewell to Houston before and went to the
meds and still ended up back here.
Speaker 3 (13:56):
So that's true. You know, it's Jim's I can't quit you.
Speaker 1 (14:00):
You want trade for you again?
Speaker 4 (14:02):
I will say, though, like I'd rather like give me
the option. I think I want to ride with the youngins.
Speaker 3 (14:06):
I want to.
Speaker 4 (14:07):
I'll absolutely Hunter Brown, Boom, Spencer Arraghetti. Yes, you know
you got Fromer's got one more year and I almost
let this play. I mean, I think they're gonna bring
up during spring training Dana Brown's gonna come.
Speaker 3 (14:21):
Yeah, you know, we.
Speaker 4 (14:22):
Talked to Frombers folks, and you know we're keeping a
dialogue going. But like gut feeling, do you think they
get a deal done with Fromber? I feel like they
go into this year with him. You gotta see how.
Speaker 2 (14:33):
He does funny because you know, it's always a roller
coaster with Fromber and the way that I feel the
way that he kind of locked in towards the end
of the year. Now don't forget also because in the
playoffs is not good. He's been bad in the playoffs
for two straight years. But he locked in. I think
in twenty twenty two was it when they won the
(14:53):
World Series. He was really good in that playoff run.
I think maybe twenty twenty one he was shaky with
everyone else, So I without looking at all the numbers.
Speaker 3 (15:01):
Too, everybody was awesome.
Speaker 2 (15:03):
Yeah, and well, and they won the World Series. That
kind of works out. Will they I will say no?
And should they? I will also say no. There has
just been I just question marks about from ber Valdez
and his one hundred percent commitment to baseball over the years,
(15:28):
and I'll just put it that way. And I think
while the volatility really got ironed out in the second
half of last season, I don't think they would do
something beforehand. If he's gonna get in, want some sort
of kind of mega deal, not necessarily Garrett Coal money
or anything like that. But you know, seven eight nine
(15:50):
years and two hundred and fifty whatever million dollars.
Speaker 1 (15:53):
I wouldn't do that.
Speaker 3 (15:54):
Would do that, I would know.
Speaker 4 (15:55):
I just say he's too sporadic, you know, would happy
happily give him a a five year deal with a
high dollar figure, but that's the most I'd be willing
to go, and just kind of hypothetically speak like think
of this for for opening day as right now. Remember
Renal Blanco's back, who's you know, was awesome last year. Yeah,
so really your front four you're gonna have fromber Renel Blanco, Yes,
(16:18):
Hunter Brown, Spencer, Raghetti.
Speaker 1 (16:19):
I'd like Cacucci, mccullors, Garcia to.
Speaker 4 (16:22):
See what happened. We'll see what happens, Like Akuchin free agency.
Mccullors and Luis Garcia are both supposed to be ready somewhere,
you know, they're supposed to be in spring training. We'll
see if there's another setback on either one. But they
were both really close to making their return list tees
and push back. So I'd say, Lance mccullors, who's making
a ton of money, you put up or shut up,
(16:43):
let's go. And Luis Garcia, who again like would maybe
your five or six and then you got some other
guys in the miners who are knocking on the door,
and the unless we forget somewhere around mid season, Christian
Javier and Jose Erketi will be back.
Speaker 3 (16:58):
Now.
Speaker 4 (16:58):
The Aurkey thing is interesting because he's going to the
last year of his deal and he's gonna miss half
the year. There was some talk of maybe they might
just say let's just move on altogether, like instead of
keeping around another year and we don't know, we might
get through the mid season, you're still not ready and
we just you know, waste a spot on you whatever like, So,
I don't know. We'll see what happens with the Rkidi thing.
(17:20):
And then JP frants another one to throw in the
mix that he'll be coming back from him true too,
so I don't know a timeline on him yet.
Speaker 3 (17:27):
But it's a nice if.
Speaker 4 (17:30):
Again you say this, if all things are healthy, or
you know, everybody's healthy, you have a sert plus of
pitching again you do without even from the outside.
Speaker 1 (17:40):
And then but I mean, pitching injuries happened.
Speaker 2 (17:42):
I mean if I would it shock you if Lance
m Color Junior had a setback or something, you know,
something bad happy as.
Speaker 4 (17:47):
A nurse setback. I'm Jim crane. I go, dude, you
work in the ticket office, Now go help us. I'll
pay you as much money.
Speaker 1 (17:53):
Go do something for it.
Speaker 2 (17:54):
And I'm rooting for Lance because he wants to be
out there more than anyone. He works hard, he puts
in the work. When he's on on the mound, he
can be an ace level guy. He's electric, he's got,
he's fiery, he's fun. Ugh. So I'm rooting for that.
But we it's also something you can't count on. That's
just the reality of it right now. And they had
I think twelve different pitchers pitch start a game this
(18:15):
past year. So as the season goes along, yeah, we're like, oh,
they got seven eight guys, they're great. Well, twelve different
guys pitched a game for them last year, so it
started a game for them. Yeah, the Sean Dubins and
whoever else of the word the Blair Henley's of the world.
Speaker 4 (18:28):
Well, two other names in this were I'm gonna keep
an eye on aj blue Ball is a guy that
coinn of Brown's very high on that is knocking on
the door. I thought was really close to making a start,
getting a call up towards the end of this year
and then Ryan Gusto, the guy they really like as well.
So those are two guys kind of knocking on the
door that I think we could see at some point.
(18:48):
You know, we'll see what happens with all the other ones,
other guys. But and I think they may add an
arm in free agency. I don't think it's gonna be
a monster are again, Kakuchi.
Speaker 3 (18:57):
Let's see what the market dictates. He seemed to really
I could hear in.
Speaker 2 (19:00):
Houston show us some loyalty. You say, turned your career around.
Everyone was trashing you.
Speaker 3 (19:05):
Well, we gave a Joey Lo Prafito for oh oh yeah,
well yeah.
Speaker 2 (19:10):
I think I just hear him struck out three more
times just now while we're doing this podcast.
Speaker 3 (19:14):
You know what's gonna happen. Lopafio is gonna get it going.
Speaker 4 (19:17):
At some point he's going to bout like three twenty
and we're gonna get tons of callers of people going,
we should have never leked this kid.
Speaker 3 (19:23):
Go I told you.
Speaker 2 (19:24):
It was the right move. You went nine and one
in the ten starts from Usay Kakuchi. I think at
one point I'd have to go back and look. At
one point, they were like nine and Zer and Kakuchi
starts and eighteen and eighteen in every other start, like
you needed Yusa Kakuchi to make the playoffs. It was
It was the right move. And Verlander the year before
(19:45):
also was the right move. They didn't win the World
Series either year, but it was the right decision to
go all in for the World Series even though you
didn't win.
Speaker 4 (19:53):
Just to kind of and we don't have to go
down this road in depth, but just to put out
some of the big names that are going to be
hitting free agency. Max Scherzer, at forty years old, will
be a free agent. He just made forty three million
in his last deal. So Juan Soto of course, everyone, yeah,
everyone kind of expects. I'm not saying these are for
(20:15):
the Astros. These are big names hitting free agency. I
would think the Yankees open up their checkbook and basically
overpay for him.
Speaker 2 (20:22):
And when does young Carlos Stanton come off the book.
I guess they can't. They're the Yankees, right, like they
can afford him.
Speaker 4 (20:27):
But Paul Goldschmidt is one to keep an eye on.
He is a first baseman. The Astros do not have
a you know, everyday first baseman. There he's coming off
of a kind of a subpar year with the Saint
Louis Cardinals. To Oscar Hernandez is an interesting one with
the Dodgers. He you know, is a former astro. He
started his career here.
Speaker 1 (20:47):
Yeah, and he was from the Lariano deal, right.
Speaker 4 (20:49):
Yeah, and he's thirty two, So we'll see what the
market kind of dictates on him. But that's just one
putting out there. If they like, let's just say they
decide to move on from Kyle Tucker because they go, oh,
we're not going to sign him long term, you know,
would they maybe go, hey, let's get a ta Oscar Rnandez.
I don't know it's putting out there. Pete Alonzo, it
sounded like when they run with the Mets ended, it
sounded like he wants to be back there with the Mets,
(21:10):
and it sounds like the Mets are going to take
care of him. So that's just another one that, you know,
could be a a guy to plug in at first base.
Speaker 3 (21:18):
Charlie Morton, it's a free agent.
Speaker 4 (21:20):
Hey, he is forty about to be forty one, So
uncle Charlie, bring back Charlie Morton.
Speaker 1 (21:26):
On one here was pretty good for the Braves.
Speaker 4 (21:28):
Right, Josh Bell another first base option. He's thirty two,
he was not good. Some other names. If you want
a bullpen on arm Kenley Jansen thirty seven years old
out there Max Freed in Atlanta. Sounds like the Braves
are not going to bring him back really, So I
don't know.
Speaker 1 (21:47):
I don't think that.
Speaker 2 (21:48):
Look, the reality is the Astros aren't going to be
in the market for a lot of these guys. That's
that's where they're gonna dance with who brung them. And
that's why I would be a little surprised if they
traded away either of Tucker.
Speaker 4 (21:59):
Or from and look at the third base options after Bregman.
I mean it is it's.
Speaker 1 (22:07):
I you'll hand out swat if.
Speaker 2 (22:09):
Geo g or're in Orchella Paul de young territory, and
it's like.
Speaker 4 (22:15):
Yeah, it's it's really another reason it creates, It creates
a monster whole. Unless you have you want to roll
out for air wham. Yeah, if you have a lot
of faith in your in your Zach Dezenzo and Shay Whitcombs,
you know we'll see a couple of things to touch
on here. The postseason award dates are set those are
(22:37):
coming out here real soon.
Speaker 3 (22:38):
On November third, we.
Speaker 4 (22:40):
Will get the Gold Glove Awards that will be announced
on ESPN. Astors had a couple of guys in contention
for that. They'll do Executive of the Year Award, Silver
Slug Awards, and uh then the all MLB teams will
be in mid November, and I think that's about it.
Oh yeah, then come Back Player of the Year, Rookie
(23:00):
of the Year, Manager of the Year, Cy Young Awards
November twentieth, and MVP November twenty first. I don't know
why this thing is put or didn't don't they normally
announce this stuff.
Speaker 3 (23:09):
Like I don't know around now, Like, I don't know
why they're waiting so long.
Speaker 2 (23:13):
I guess they're trying to keep us focus on the
World Series. Every sport is just fighting to keep your
attention for as long as possible, and really the real
winner has been the NFL.
Speaker 4 (23:22):
But anyways, Yeah, one other thing. The Astors did announce
coaching staff changes. Yes, Gary Pettis rip the win mail
long time third base coach Gary Pettis.
Speaker 3 (23:32):
They bid farewell too. Now.
Speaker 4 (23:35):
I saw a lot of people when it was supposted
social media. A lot of people in the comments saying, uh, yeah,
I'm kind of okay with this because, like the advanced
number show, Gary should have sent some guys more this
year than he did, and he was always so aggressive
he was, but this year, according to the metrics, he wasn't.
And think about how many times Astros lost one run
(23:56):
games or they oh, we couldn't scratch across a run,
we lost two one, Like, maybe they do want somebody
a little bit more aggressive, so they go on get
Tony Perez Chica from out in Arizona. He has been
hired as a new third base coach and infield coach
slash yes, slash run prevention coordinator.
Speaker 3 (24:15):
I like that.
Speaker 1 (24:16):
I like that he's been Apparently he is.
Speaker 2 (24:20):
He has had a couple of players under his tutelage
that have won Gold Gloves or something like that.
Speaker 1 (24:23):
I can't remember what the whole thing was, but apparently
good infield coach.
Speaker 3 (24:27):
That's good.
Speaker 4 (24:27):
Yes, go get Yaner Diaz working at first base, but
bid farewell to Gary pettis Man. He had been with
the Yester since twenty fifteen, so he was under a J. Hinch,
He was under Gusty Baker, and he was under Jospota.
I mean he'd been there under three different groups. He
had been part of two World Series teams.
Speaker 2 (24:44):
Shadows well maybe was well remember you we should mention
he was part of the team in twenty seventeen.
Speaker 3 (24:52):
He definitely heard some of the banging right baseball baby,
all right, pares cheek.
Speaker 1 (24:57):
He's in Red Sox and Dodgers and.
Speaker 4 (25:00):
Brewers Apparachis perez Chica had been the third base coach
for the Diamondbacks from seventeen through twenty four, so he'd
been out there in Arizona for a while. I think
I saw his daughter as an outfielder for Arizona like
the softball team. Okay, so good baseball jeans there. The
rest of the Astro's coaching staff will remain intact. One adjustment,
(25:22):
Jason Bell, who served as quality assurance coach, will now
be the MLB field coren Aero Slash outfield coach. But
that means Omar Lopez comes back for his second years.
Ben's cotch coach, six year, sixth year in the organization.
Dave Clark returns for his second year as first base coach.
Alex sin Tron, now the longest tenured coach on the
(25:42):
Astros' staff.
Speaker 1 (25:44):
Oh, some people are upset at that this shall be.
Speaker 4 (25:46):
His ninth season on the staff, his seventh as the
Astros hitting coach, pitching coach. Josh Miller and Troy Snitker
will be back in their seventh seasons.
Speaker 3 (25:55):
Love it on the major league staff as well.
Speaker 4 (25:57):
Josh Miller his nineteenth season with the Astros as a
minor league pitcher, a coach, a pitching coordinator, and Snicker's
been with the organization since twenty sixteen. So look, I
think there's something to be said about continuity. I don't know,
Like I said, the Gary Pettis thing, Maybe it was
just they want some more runs scored over there and
he's going to be the guy to help them do that.
(26:18):
But other than that, yeah, I mean like him or
eight them, most of the staffs.
Speaker 2 (26:23):
Will hate them. Yeah, at the end of the day,
they're they're numbers. Now, the run scoring numbers weren't great,
but outside of that, like team ops OPS plus, they
were top five WRC plus, they were one of the
better teams in baseball.
Speaker 1 (26:39):
Yes, they did struggle with.
Speaker 2 (26:40):
Runners in scoring position, but Troy Snicker and Alex Sintron
were also the guys where these This team has been
one of the best offenses in baseball over the last
several years with those guys there.
Speaker 1 (26:51):
So I know a lot of people get med.
Speaker 2 (26:52):
Like they need to go the other way with the ball,
they need to bunt more, they need to do this,
get rid of the hitting coaches, like okay, whatever, they
been here a long time. The offense has been still
at elite level, especially considering I mean, you've had it
was jose Abray you and then John Singleton at first base.
You had a lot of the injuries with Kyle Tucker
missing so many games.
Speaker 1 (27:13):
Like to still.
Speaker 2 (27:15):
Finish by some of those metrics as a top five
baseball offense in baseball is pretty good. I found it
third and average eighth and OPS fifth and OPS plus
fifth n w RC plus. That's with first base in
centerfield giving you nothing and Kyle Tucker missing seventy nine games.
(27:35):
And by the way, Jose L two van Alex Bregman
weren't what they once were.
Speaker 4 (27:39):
Yeah, that's true, and that's that's a little bit like
you look at it and go, if you bring pregnant back,
he's gonna be probably a little bit of a shade worse.
ALTV is the regression has already started. On the defensive side.
Speaker 1 (27:53):
He's been bad fielding.
Speaker 2 (27:55):
Bible has it in the last is the worst second
base in the last two years.
Speaker 3 (27:59):
Just saying Jeremy pay is okay. You hope he can get,
you know, become a little bit better for a hitter.
I want to see the power come back. He was
so good the first few we're the home run balls.
Speaker 2 (28:08):
He hit twenty as a rookie, and then he hit
what ten the next year or whatever it was.
Speaker 1 (28:13):
And how what do you have last year? Like fifteen ish?
He got he's getting between.
Speaker 4 (28:17):
Yeah he started hitting him again as the season got along,
but I to look it up, yah him, Kyle Tucker,
you need healthy, I mean got he missed?
Speaker 3 (28:25):
Felt like you missed what half the season?
Speaker 1 (28:27):
Yeah, twenty his first year, twenty two?
Speaker 3 (28:29):
Excuse me?
Speaker 1 (28:29):
Then ten and then fifteen and power was up, but
average e on base man.
Speaker 4 (28:35):
Slugging, paging yord On Alvarez too, man, Like I need
you to be okay, I need whatever procedure you need,
my guy this off season.
Speaker 3 (28:44):
Let's get it done.
Speaker 1 (28:45):
Great. I mean he was good.
Speaker 4 (28:47):
I mean, yeah, the numbers, but like it just felt
like in clutch moments. He he went from being one
of the most clutch hitters, especially in the postseason too. Yes, man,
how many times he would come up with the bases
loaded or runners in scorn position and he would pop out.
Speaker 3 (29:01):
Fly out.
Speaker 2 (29:03):
I mean, the risk numbers can be wonky. They can
go up, they can go down.
Speaker 1 (29:06):
I think we put a little bit too much stock
in those.
Speaker 2 (29:08):
At the end of the day, Like at the end
of people's careers, they're just about the same as their
their regular numbers.
Speaker 1 (29:14):
That's just how it goes.
Speaker 4 (29:15):
Yeah, and then I guess you can continue this stupid
platoon of Jake Myers and Chas McCormick.
Speaker 2 (29:25):
Made Jake and May was like, this guy is about
to be an All Star.
Speaker 3 (29:29):
I swear to God.
Speaker 4 (29:30):
If we get down to West Palm in February, Dana
Brown's telling me, Man, look, Jake Myers looked great.
Speaker 3 (29:35):
I mean, he's really coming. We think he set for
a big year, Like I just I.
Speaker 2 (29:39):
Want him to be an average hitter, average hitter, and
he's just been a sinkhole, which hurts as as the
president of the Jake Myers fan club.
Speaker 1 (29:48):
That's how far far he fell.
Speaker 2 (29:50):
May he had like an ops like nine hundred, and
then he had worse numbers at the end of the year.
The balance at the end of it was worse than
the year before.
Speaker 1 (29:59):
I don't know how he did that.
Speaker 3 (30:01):
First base, we're gonna roll John Singleton back out there.
Speaker 1 (30:03):
Oh my gosh, Now you're just getting me upset.
Speaker 4 (30:06):
That's where like, if you're gonna make any free agent additions, Yeah,
we'll see what you do at third base with Bregman.
Speaker 1 (30:12):
You don't want old old man Paul Goldschmidt.
Speaker 4 (30:15):
You could sell me on Bregman walking and putting de
Zenzo or Witcam at third, but I gotta have something
better at first. Yeah, go get me, Go get me
somebody at first who commit.
Speaker 1 (30:26):
Maybe some your they they tied.
Speaker 2 (30:28):
They flirted with the yord On thing when he first
came up, and it just never really materialized at first.
Speaker 3 (30:32):
Well, then then you need a left fielder if you're
putting the ord on it first.
Speaker 1 (30:36):
Yeah, Zach Dezenzo at first.
Speaker 4 (30:38):
And by the way, we're on a catcher. I mean,
Yanner Diaz was great this year. Victor Carratini was very good.
But like, I don't know, how can.
Speaker 3 (30:45):
I almost want to go fifty to fifty with them?
To shot. I need to get Yannire off his legs.
Speaker 2 (30:49):
As long as Diaz if you put him at first
or DHS. That's what they were doing at the end
of the year. That was the plan for the playoffs.
Is one of those two guys at first base?
Speaker 3 (30:56):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (30:57):
Well, regardless, there's a ton to talk about this Astros offseason,
and we will be talking about it all thanks to
our friends at Carbock Brewing at the Crawford Bach And
make sure you guys get over their too, Carbock Brewing
if you haven't been over there in recent weeks. The
new pizza and pints really cool place over there where
you can get some some pints of pizza or some
pints with some pizza. And that weather is about to
(31:21):
start to make the change. I think I said this
two months ago on the box.
Speaker 3 (31:25):
And the weather still is the hot October eighty six,
out there sweating walking to the car. Human that he's
a little bit better.
Speaker 1 (31:31):
It's almost November. Can we get under the eighties?
Speaker 3 (31:34):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (31:34):
Where are the sixties? We got sixty for about a day.
I put a sweatshirt on for a day and then
it was back to the warmth. But regardless, that weather
should start turning. It'll be really nice out there at
the pier garden at Carbot Brewing. Hopefully you guys can
get out there and enjoy the ice cold taste of
the Crawford Bach. And before we know it, we'll be
back in West Palm for the start of spring training
(31:55):
and we'll see what astros additions we have to the roster.
As Jim Crane attempts to keep this championship window open,
the window is still open, so too many damp people
go windows closed.
Speaker 3 (32:05):
It's over still open.
Speaker 4 (32:07):
They just gotta gotta make some additions and no more
wild card exits.
Speaker 3 (32:12):
Man, we gotta this has to be. Yeah, you gotta
at least be in a in a DS next.
Speaker 1 (32:16):
Watching the Yankees and the Dodgers of the World Series.
The worst boo boo.
Speaker 4 (32:21):
All right, that's gonna do it for us. We'll talk
to you guys next time right here on the Crufford
Box Cast.
Astros fans, Cheers, Fucky Lucky.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
Welcome to the Crawford box Cast, as.
Speaker 1 (00:20):
Proud lead bord for you by Crawford Bach from Carmack Brewy.
Speaker 3 (00:23):
You're getting that bear.
Speaker 2 (00:26):
Oh my godness, The Crawford Box Cast starts now here
we go.
Speaker 1 (00:31):
Here's Chris Gordy and Ross via Real.
Speaker 3 (00:36):
And what's up everybody.
Speaker 4 (00:37):
Welcome into it off season edition of the Crawford box Cast,
our first one of the off season. Last time we spoke,
the Astro season has jed just ended and now we are. Gosh,
Ross's crazy. You think it's the end of October and
the Astro season ended at the start of October. Yet
(00:58):
it feels like it's been way longer than that.
Speaker 2 (01:00):
It feels like it's been months years talking about Alex Bregman. Yeah,
those games against the Detroit Tigers. It feels like it
was ages ago. And the playoffs are still going and
hopefully to me, the lesser of the two evils, the Yankees.
I think of it more as rather than Dodgers winning
Dodgers winning, I think about as the Yankees losing.
Speaker 1 (01:22):
And that makes me a little bit happier.
Speaker 4 (01:23):
Yeah, it's been it's been a look I'll give it
to you. It's two teams we hate. Most Astros fans
don't want to see half success, but it does seem
pretty funny. I think I've I resigned myself to the fact. Look,
the big talking point you had on the Dodgers was
you hadn't want you know, your one World Series win
was the COVID year with the asterisk, where you played
in front of a bunch of cardboard cutouts in weird
(01:46):
ass stadiums, and like San Diego and Arlington, like you
even get.
Speaker 3 (01:51):
To play at home.
Speaker 4 (01:52):
But but no, I think it's it's more fun to
tell a Yankees fan you still haven't won a World
Series since two thousand and nine.
Speaker 2 (02:00):
Yeah, when the whole team was juicing, and Brian Cashman
can why let's see, how did the Astros knock you
out of this one?
Speaker 1 (02:07):
How did the Astros prevent you from winning this one?
Speaker 2 (02:09):
Brian Cashman, after all those comments that he made, I
am rooting so hard against the Yankees and Aaron Judge
in twenty one doing the closed jersey thing and marking
mocking Jose Altuve. I don't want to root for the Dodgers,
but you can at least rationalize like, look, they went
out and bought Shoeo Tani, they bought Mooki bets, they
bought Freddie Freeman, they bought a Namamoto the the picture,
(02:34):
like they bought their ring whatever. I can get over that.
Excuse me Yamamoto.
Speaker 1 (02:41):
And the Yankees.
Speaker 2 (02:42):
I want them to lose. I want their fans to
be sad. Think about this. Jumboy's gonna be sad if
the Yankees lose the World Series. That makes me feel good.
I don't care.
Speaker 3 (02:51):
And I will say.
Speaker 4 (02:53):
The Dodgers are in the iHeart family, So a lot
of folks out there in our iHeart breath.
Speaker 1 (02:58):
Okay, let's go with that.
Speaker 4 (02:59):
Sure having some fun out there. It's actually I've been
to the iHeart studios out there in l A. And
they own like a share of like the Dodgers broadcasts
and stuff. Yeah, so like they have salespeople that work
there that work for the Dodgers and the radio station.
So it's kind of that weird, kind of incestuous kind
of thing, but it was cool. They have like a
whole wall of Dodger stuff at the radio station and
(03:19):
Dodger seats, seats from Dodger Stadium and stuff. So yeah, look,
hate the Dodgers and their they're dumb fans, but uh,
you know it's.
Speaker 3 (03:28):
Shout out Tony. Outside of the the gambling scandal, he's
easy to root for.
Speaker 2 (03:33):
He's he's a freaking star, He's a freaking nature. He's
fun to root for. I like Freddy Freeman.
Speaker 4 (03:39):
Yeah, and what was the staff Freddy Freeman's hit a
home run and how many consecutives. It's because George Bringer,
because it goes back to the series with the Astros,
right the world series against them. Yes, so unless we forget,
but yeah, Freddie Freeman another guy easy to root for.
Had some braves fans who hate how he left Atlanta
and went to la but had son with a health
(04:00):
scare this year when he remember they were playing the
Astros and he was out because his son was dealing
with with a health thing.
Speaker 3 (04:08):
So you know, look, there's it's it's two evils. I
get it. But we're just picking the lesser of the
evil to root for.
Speaker 1 (04:15):
Yeah, the media, we were rooting for it and didn't
show up.
Speaker 4 (04:17):
It did not show up. But we do have some
other stuff to touch on, at least Astros related and
all quite on the free agent front, I have talked
to a couple people out there, you know, kind of
discussing Alex Bregman and you know where he's going to go.
I had one people, one person somewhat connected to him,
say he feels pretty strong that he's going to Arizona.
Speaker 3 (04:41):
I had another one tell.
Speaker 4 (04:42):
Me he's not going to get the deal he thinks
he's going to get, and the Astros are very much
in play to match any deal he gets.
Speaker 3 (04:49):
Interesting, So again.
Speaker 4 (04:50):
We're still we're very far off from this story coming
to an end. We'll also see how long Scott Boris
wants to take this thing because last year Ross the
Boris clients went into spring training without deal.
Speaker 1 (05:02):
Montgomery Snell, Yeah.
Speaker 4 (05:04):
If Bregman has that off season shoulder cleanup that he
was supposed to have or elbow rather, does that make headlines?
So they keep it hush hush. Our team's gonna go
way way before we offer anything. We want to see
a full medical like. So this is gonna be very
interesting to see how this one plays out.
Speaker 2 (05:21):
I still my gut feeling is that Alex Bregman is
gonna be gone just because of the fact that and
that's good news if it is gonna be him not
getting the deals that he thinks. But it's just gonna
take one team, whether it be Arizona. We've mentioned Seattle
Boston as somebody that Ken Rosenthal has floated, and maybe
there's some team we are not even thinking about. Because
(05:41):
Scott Morris is putting it out that while Alex Bregman
is known as a third basement, he would play second base.
So does that make him attractive? It's not as premium
of a defensive position. So you're not gonna pay up,
for example, for a premium shortstop as much as you
would a third basement and then second basement I would
even put in a lower pecking worder than too, of course,
So how is that going to affect money? But that
(06:04):
also puts more teams into play. How does that balance out?
As far as the types of deals Alex Pregman is
gonna get, we don't know.
Speaker 4 (06:12):
And one other thing I do want to get get
off my chest when it comes to the stuff. Can
we stop with the pay the man there? This is
Contracts are a nuanced conversation in the sports world. It
is not either pay the man or don't pay the man. Now,
those are not the two choices.
Speaker 1 (06:27):
It actually is in baseball, but the.
Speaker 4 (06:29):
Choices the man, pay the man, this, pay the man, this,
pay the man, this, pay the man this.
Speaker 3 (06:35):
There are many.
Speaker 4 (06:35):
Different options on contracts and length and dollar amount and
all that other stuff. And so when I see roy
Oswalt come out of the barons and love it, and
he takes the Twitter saying pay the man. Hey, that's great.
How about we get him on a one year thirty
million dollar deal? Is that paying the man? I'd love
to pay the man's pay the man whenever he wants.
But yeah, in baseball you can't pay the man.
Speaker 1 (06:58):
NFL, it comes a little different. It's some more new
wants conversation. Now.
Speaker 2 (07:01):
Of course we know that Jim Crane doesn't like going
into the luxury tax, which he did last year, But
the penalties get worse for this year if you do
do that, and then they get even worse if you're
talking about going in there for a third year. I
think it's a twenty percent tax year one, thirty percent
tax year two, and then it goes at the fifty
for year three.
Speaker 4 (07:21):
So and you can't blame them for being flexible, right
like not him. The minute you give out a seven
eight year deal. You handcuff yourself to that player, yes,
for the future, and there's no getting out of it.
Speaker 2 (07:32):
Yeah, and then Alex Bredman can go. And I mean
he had elbow issues this year. What if he tears
his UCL and he's got to have Tommy John surgery
or what if any any.
Speaker 1 (07:40):
Sort of thing. There was significant slippage.
Speaker 2 (07:43):
He had the slow start that he normally has, but
he did not come out of it as much as
he has in years past in terms of overall production. Now,
the home run numbers were there. He ended up with
what twenty five, twenty six, whatever it was, and he
can get to around those numbers. But when you say
in the preseason, I expect to have my best season ever,
(08:04):
and this is a guy who's hit forty home runs,
who's hit thirty home runs, And although it was in
the juice ball era and that's a different time in
a different place, he still did not live up to
his own expectations that he set.
Speaker 1 (08:17):
And he's thirty years old.
Speaker 2 (08:18):
And as you said, you're talking about signing this guy
to a seven to eight year deal when you've seen
him turn thirty in show signs of slippage.
Speaker 4 (08:26):
Yeah, and just a quick roster note, because I do
want to get into the free agents, and we'll level
all offseason and kind of.
Speaker 3 (08:32):
Get into this.
Speaker 4 (08:33):
But Tayler rome pointing out that some Astros' roster management
is due here very soon. All players on the sixty
day IL have to be activated by the fifth day
following the end of the World Series. The Astros have
ten players on the sixty day IL. Two of them
are entering free agency, so the team will need to
(08:55):
clear two more forty man spots to have room. And
somebody asked him what players are hitting free agency that
are on the sixty day night sixty day I l
Ben Gammele and Kendall Graveman are the two. And here
is the Astros free agent list. We've talked about Alex Bragman,
Justin Verlander, Ryan Presley, which I believe he has.
Speaker 2 (09:19):
What there's an I thought his option invested because of
his Yeah, there was some confusion there because I think
it was spot track and Baseball Reference had it as
a mutual option.
Speaker 1 (09:28):
But that's not true. His option invested. So according to Chandler.
Speaker 4 (09:31):
Yeah, well, and we'll see what they all want to
do with Ran Presley as well. You say, Kakuchi, who
man of all the names, that's one you'd love to
have it.
Speaker 1 (09:41):
I'd like to have him back out of those other
names you've listened.
Speaker 4 (09:43):
Jason Hayward, who was a nice little shot in the
arm to the to the clubhouse.
Speaker 2 (09:48):
He's yeah, he's been nice and he he hit well,
but he's also been cut from several teams the last
few years.
Speaker 4 (09:53):
Caleb Ferguson, who was Hector Nerris, who was yeah, not
bad on.
Speaker 1 (10:00):
The deal, you'd take him back.
Speaker 4 (10:01):
I mean, if Nerris wants to come back on a
one year I don't know, four or five million dollar deal.
Speaker 2 (10:04):
And he's getting older, what is he like, thirty two,
thirty three? Now he is thirty five, thirty five?
Speaker 4 (10:09):
Okay, yeah so but again, good good locker room, clubhouse guy.
I wouldn't mind bringing Nerris back on another year, but uh,
Cale Ferguson can let walk. Ben Gamble is the one
that I mean, he he showed a little something, but
he's also thirty two.
Speaker 3 (10:23):
I mean he's interesting, he's not yet.
Speaker 1 (10:25):
He's been great.
Speaker 3 (10:26):
He was great.
Speaker 2 (10:28):
I never thought you didn't start the season going Ben
Gamble going down is a huge blow for the Astros,
who it was.
Speaker 1 (10:35):
He was so good for them in that short sample size.
Speaker 4 (10:37):
And Ken mcgraveman too. I mean, he's a guy. When
he's healthy, he's really good. But he's about to be
thirty four. You know what do you do with him?
So some options here, but for ranking, if I could
tell you you could have two of any of these
free agents back Verlander, Bregman, Kakuchi, Graveman, Hayward, Ferguson, Gamble.
Speaker 1 (10:56):
Ners, i gotta be Grayman and Ferguson. I'm just kidding.
Speaker 2 (10:59):
I'm gonna go with Kakuchi and Bragman, not in that order.
Bregman would look. We talked about it. I mean we
talked about it here on this podcast about you're gonna
take You're probably taking on the chin.
Speaker 1 (11:09):
In a seven eight year deal the last couple of years,
but if you can get him in his prime.
Speaker 2 (11:13):
You've had multiple pitchers talk out come out, like Taylor
Scott on the Pitching Ninja podcast talking about how he
game plans. He looks for pitch tipping stuff. His game
plans that he comes up with can show things that
the regular Astros game plans don't. He helped Hunter Brown
with him adding that sinker to his repertoire, and that
turned around his season and turned him into one of
(11:34):
the best pitchers in baseball. So I know, at the
end of the day, the bottom line is it's about
the millions of dollars and leadership and other stuff that
you can't put a number on. You know, the front
half office can't put a number on what he means
to that clubhouse. They can't put a number on you know,
his ops plus is WRC plus is his fielding ratings
and all that type of stuff, and being a Gold
(11:55):
glob finalist. But you hit twenty six home runs, you're
a Gold Glove finalist. You you add so much to
the to the pitching staff. He's involved by the by
the end of the season in a lot of mound
visits and going out there. As far as that type
of stuff, he is very valuable. You would be paying
him basically for the next couple of years of his prime,
(12:16):
knowing you're gonna take it on the chin at the
end and hope that payrolls go up and it doesn't
hurt that bad by the end of his deal. That's
what you would be doing with signing Alex Bregman. I
don't think it's gonna happen, But I do think it's
a good idea for them to resign it.
Speaker 3 (12:31):
If the most of the team goes with him as five.
Speaker 1 (12:35):
Whatever, I just don't think that's going to happen.
Speaker 3 (12:38):
So you think he's getting six or seven.
Speaker 2 (12:40):
I have a bet bet with one Matthew Thomas of
The Matt Thomas Show with Ross on Sports Talk seven ninety.
If we set the line at six, anything over I win,
anything under, he wins.
Speaker 4 (12:52):
The The other one that's really fascinating too, is it's
justin Verlander gonna go.
Speaker 2 (13:00):
Like an older people flowed out up there in age.
I'm sorry, I don't want to have any injury unless
you can tell me that he just was.
Speaker 3 (13:06):
He was.
Speaker 2 (13:07):
He was injured all season long, and he can pitch
better than maybe. But outside of that worst home run
rate of his career, worst field independent pitching of his
career in a full season worst, I think we're cra
like strikeout percentages, like every everything across the board was
bad for him last year.
Speaker 1 (13:24):
We love him. He was here for a couple of
World Series.
Speaker 2 (13:28):
Who knows if he's going to wear an Astros cap
on his Hall of Fame plack or I don't care
about that two World series. Verlander was a huge deal
and big part of those thank you for the memories,
Let's move on.
Speaker 4 (13:38):
And it does feel like he kind of said his
farewell right like in those final weeks the way he
was talking, especially the day the season ended, when he
was talking with the media, it was kind was right
in front of him. Yeah, but again he did barewell, farewell,
to bid farewell to Houston before and went to the
meds and still ended up back here.
Speaker 3 (13:56):
So that's true. You know, it's Jim's I can't quit you.
Speaker 1 (14:00):
You want trade for you again?
Speaker 4 (14:02):
I will say, though, like I'd rather like give me
the option. I think I want to ride with the youngins.
Speaker 3 (14:06):
I want to.
Speaker 4 (14:07):
I'll absolutely Hunter Brown, Boom, Spencer Arraghetti. Yes, you know
you got Fromer's got one more year and I almost
let this play. I mean, I think they're gonna bring
up during spring training Dana Brown's gonna come.
Speaker 3 (14:21):
Yeah, you know, we.
Speaker 4 (14:22):
Talked to Frombers folks, and you know we're keeping a
dialogue going. But like gut feeling, do you think they
get a deal done with Fromber? I feel like they
go into this year with him. You gotta see how.
Speaker 2 (14:33):
He does funny because you know, it's always a roller
coaster with Fromber and the way that I feel the
way that he kind of locked in towards the end
of the year. Now don't forget also because in the
playoffs is not good. He's been bad in the playoffs
for two straight years. But he locked in. I think
in twenty twenty two was it when they won the
(14:53):
World Series. He was really good in that playoff run.
I think maybe twenty twenty one he was shaky with
everyone else, So I without looking at all the numbers.
Speaker 3 (15:01):
Too, everybody was awesome.
Speaker 2 (15:03):
Yeah, and well, and they won the World Series. That
kind of works out. Will they I will say no?
And should they? I will also say no. There has
just been I just question marks about from ber Valdez
and his one hundred percent commitment to baseball over the years,
(15:28):
and I'll just put it that way. And I think
while the volatility really got ironed out in the second
half of last season, I don't think they would do
something beforehand. If he's gonna get in, want some sort
of kind of mega deal, not necessarily Garrett Coal money
or anything like that. But you know, seven eight nine
(15:50):
years and two hundred and fifty whatever million dollars.
Speaker 1 (15:53):
I wouldn't do that.
Speaker 3 (15:54):
Would do that, I would know.
Speaker 4 (15:55):
I just say he's too sporadic, you know, would happy
happily give him a a five year deal with a
high dollar figure, but that's the most I'd be willing
to go, and just kind of hypothetically speak like think
of this for for opening day as right now. Remember
Renal Blanco's back, who's you know, was awesome last year. Yeah,
so really your front four you're gonna have fromber Renel Blanco, Yes,
(16:18):
Hunter Brown, Spencer, Raghetti.
Speaker 1 (16:19):
I'd like Cacucci, mccullors, Garcia to.
Speaker 4 (16:22):
See what happened. We'll see what happens, Like Akuchin free agency.
Mccullors and Luis Garcia are both supposed to be ready somewhere,
you know, they're supposed to be in spring training. We'll
see if there's another setback on either one. But they
were both really close to making their return list tees
and push back. So I'd say, Lance mccullors, who's making
a ton of money, you put up or shut up,
(16:43):
let's go. And Luis Garcia, who again like would maybe
your five or six and then you got some other
guys in the miners who are knocking on the door,
and the unless we forget somewhere around mid season, Christian
Javier and Jose Erketi will be back.
Speaker 3 (16:58):
Now.
Speaker 4 (16:58):
The Aurkey thing is interesting because he's going to the
last year of his deal and he's gonna miss half
the year. There was some talk of maybe they might
just say let's just move on altogether, like instead of
keeping around another year and we don't know, we might
get through the mid season, you're still not ready and
we just you know, waste a spot on you whatever like, So,
I don't know. We'll see what happens with the Rkidi thing.
(17:20):
And then JP frants another one to throw in the
mix that he'll be coming back from him true too,
so I don't know a timeline on him yet.
Speaker 3 (17:27):
But it's a nice if.
Speaker 4 (17:30):
Again you say this, if all things are healthy, or
you know, everybody's healthy, you have a sert plus of
pitching again you do without even from the outside.
Speaker 1 (17:40):
And then but I mean, pitching injuries happened.
Speaker 2 (17:42):
I mean if I would it shock you if Lance
m Color Junior had a setback or something, you know,
something bad happy as.
Speaker 4 (17:47):
A nurse setback. I'm Jim crane. I go, dude, you
work in the ticket office, Now go help us. I'll
pay you as much money.
Speaker 1 (17:53):
Go do something for it.
Speaker 2 (17:54):
And I'm rooting for Lance because he wants to be
out there more than anyone. He works hard, he puts
in the work. When he's on on the mound, he
can be an ace level guy. He's electric, he's got,
he's fiery, he's fun. Ugh. So I'm rooting for that.
But we it's also something you can't count on. That's
just the reality of it right now. And they had
I think twelve different pitchers pitch start a game this
(18:15):
past year. So as the season goes along, yeah, we're like, oh,
they got seven eight guys, they're great. Well, twelve different
guys pitched a game for them last year, so it
started a game for them. Yeah, the Sean Dubins and
whoever else of the word the Blair Henley's of the world.
Speaker 4 (18:28):
Well, two other names in this were I'm gonna keep
an eye on aj blue Ball is a guy that
coinn of Brown's very high on that is knocking on
the door. I thought was really close to making a start,
getting a call up towards the end of this year
and then Ryan Gusto, the guy they really like as well.
So those are two guys kind of knocking on the
door that I think we could see at some point.
(18:48):
You know, we'll see what happens with all the other ones,
other guys. But and I think they may add an
arm in free agency. I don't think it's gonna be
a monster are again, Kakuchi.
Speaker 3 (18:57):
Let's see what the market dictates. He seemed to really
I could hear in.
Speaker 2 (19:00):
Houston show us some loyalty. You say, turned your career around.
Everyone was trashing you.
Speaker 3 (19:05):
Well, we gave a Joey Lo Prafito for oh oh yeah,
well yeah.
Speaker 2 (19:10):
I think I just hear him struck out three more
times just now while we're doing this podcast.
Speaker 3 (19:14):
You know what's gonna happen. Lopafio is gonna get it going.
Speaker 4 (19:17):
At some point he's going to bout like three twenty
and we're gonna get tons of callers of people going,
we should have never leked this kid.
Speaker 3 (19:23):
Go I told you.
Speaker 2 (19:24):
It was the right move. You went nine and one
in the ten starts from Usay Kakuchi. I think at
one point I'd have to go back and look. At
one point, they were like nine and Zer and Kakuchi
starts and eighteen and eighteen in every other start, like
you needed Yusa Kakuchi to make the playoffs. It was
It was the right move. And Verlander the year before
(19:45):
also was the right move. They didn't win the World
Series either year, but it was the right decision to
go all in for the World Series even though you
didn't win.
Speaker 4 (19:53):
Just to kind of and we don't have to go
down this road in depth, but just to put out
some of the big names that are going to be
hitting free agency. Max Scherzer, at forty years old, will
be a free agent. He just made forty three million
in his last deal. So Juan Soto of course, everyone, yeah,
everyone kind of expects. I'm not saying these are for
(20:15):
the Astros. These are big names hitting free agency. I
would think the Yankees open up their checkbook and basically
overpay for him.
Speaker 2 (20:22):
And when does young Carlos Stanton come off the book.
I guess they can't. They're the Yankees, right, like they
can afford him.
Speaker 4 (20:27):
But Paul Goldschmidt is one to keep an eye on.
He is a first baseman. The Astros do not have
a you know, everyday first baseman. There he's coming off
of a kind of a subpar year with the Saint
Louis Cardinals. To Oscar Hernandez is an interesting one with
the Dodgers. He you know, is a former astro. He
started his career here.
Speaker 1 (20:47):
Yeah, and he was from the Lariano deal, right.
Speaker 4 (20:49):
Yeah, and he's thirty two, So we'll see what the
market kind of dictates on him. But that's just one
putting out there. If they like, let's just say they
decide to move on from Kyle Tucker because they go, oh,
we're not going to sign him long term, you know,
would they maybe go, hey, let's get a ta Oscar Rnandez.
I don't know it's putting out there. Pete Alonzo, it
sounded like when they run with the Mets ended, it
sounded like he wants to be back there with the Mets,
(21:10):
and it sounds like the Mets are going to take
care of him. So that's just another one that, you know,
could be a a guy to plug in at first base.
Speaker 3 (21:18):
Charlie Morton, it's a free agent.
Speaker 4 (21:20):
Hey, he is forty about to be forty one, So
uncle Charlie, bring back Charlie Morton.
Speaker 1 (21:26):
On one here was pretty good for the Braves.
Speaker 4 (21:28):
Right, Josh Bell another first base option. He's thirty two,
he was not good. Some other names. If you want
a bullpen on arm Kenley Jansen thirty seven years old
out there Max Freed in Atlanta. Sounds like the Braves
are not going to bring him back really, So I
don't know.
Speaker 1 (21:47):
I don't think that.
Speaker 2 (21:48):
Look, the reality is the Astros aren't going to be
in the market for a lot of these guys. That's
that's where they're gonna dance with who brung them. And
that's why I would be a little surprised if they
traded away either of Tucker.
Speaker 4 (21:59):
Or from and look at the third base options after Bregman.
I mean it is it's.
Speaker 1 (22:07):
I you'll hand out swat if.
Speaker 2 (22:09):
Geo g or're in Orchella Paul de young territory, and
it's like.
Speaker 4 (22:15):
Yeah, it's it's really another reason it creates, It creates
a monster whole. Unless you have you want to roll
out for air wham. Yeah, if you have a lot
of faith in your in your Zach Dezenzo and Shay Whitcombs,
you know we'll see a couple of things to touch
on here. The postseason award dates are set those are
(22:37):
coming out here real soon.
Speaker 3 (22:38):
On November third, we.
Speaker 4 (22:40):
Will get the Gold Glove Awards that will be announced
on ESPN. Astors had a couple of guys in contention
for that. They'll do Executive of the Year Award, Silver
Slug Awards, and uh then the all MLB teams will
be in mid November, and I think that's about it.
Oh yeah, then come Back Player of the Year, Rookie
(23:00):
of the Year, Manager of the Year, Cy Young Awards
November twentieth, and MVP November twenty first. I don't know
why this thing is put or didn't don't they normally
announce this stuff.
Speaker 3 (23:09):
Like I don't know around now, Like, I don't know
why they're waiting so long.
Speaker 2 (23:13):
I guess they're trying to keep us focus on the
World Series. Every sport is just fighting to keep your
attention for as long as possible, and really the real
winner has been the NFL.
Speaker 4 (23:22):
But anyways, Yeah, one other thing. The Astors did announce
coaching staff changes. Yes, Gary Pettis rip the win mail
long time third base coach Gary Pettis.
Speaker 3 (23:32):
They bid farewell too. Now.
Speaker 4 (23:35):
I saw a lot of people when it was supposted
social media. A lot of people in the comments saying, uh, yeah,
I'm kind of okay with this because, like the advanced
number show, Gary should have sent some guys more this
year than he did, and he was always so aggressive
he was, but this year, according to the metrics, he wasn't.
And think about how many times Astros lost one run
(23:56):
games or they oh, we couldn't scratch across a run,
we lost two one, Like, maybe they do want somebody
a little bit more aggressive, so they go on get
Tony Perez Chica from out in Arizona. He has been
hired as a new third base coach and infield coach
slash yes, slash run prevention coordinator.
Speaker 3 (24:15):
I like that.
Speaker 1 (24:16):
I like that he's been Apparently he is.
Speaker 2 (24:20):
He has had a couple of players under his tutelage
that have won Gold Gloves or something like that.
Speaker 1 (24:23):
I can't remember what the whole thing was, but apparently
good infield coach.
Speaker 3 (24:27):
That's good.
Speaker 4 (24:27):
Yes, go get Yaner Diaz working at first base, but
bid farewell to Gary pettis Man. He had been with
the Yester since twenty fifteen, so he was under a J. Hinch,
He was under Gusty Baker, and he was under Jospota.
I mean he'd been there under three different groups. He
had been part of two World Series teams.
Speaker 2 (24:44):
Shadows well maybe was well remember you we should mention
he was part of the team in twenty seventeen.
Speaker 3 (24:52):
He definitely heard some of the banging right baseball baby,
all right, pares cheek.
Speaker 1 (24:57):
He's in Red Sox and Dodgers and.
Speaker 4 (25:00):
Brewers Apparachis perez Chica had been the third base coach
for the Diamondbacks from seventeen through twenty four, so he'd
been out there in Arizona for a while. I think
I saw his daughter as an outfielder for Arizona like
the softball team. Okay, so good baseball jeans there. The
rest of the Astro's coaching staff will remain intact. One adjustment,
(25:22):
Jason Bell, who served as quality assurance coach, will now
be the MLB field coren Aero Slash outfield coach. But
that means Omar Lopez comes back for his second years.
Ben's cotch coach, six year, sixth year in the organization.
Dave Clark returns for his second year as first base coach.
Alex sin Tron, now the longest tenured coach on the
(25:42):
Astros' staff.
Speaker 1 (25:44):
Oh, some people are upset at that this shall be.
Speaker 4 (25:46):
His ninth season on the staff, his seventh as the
Astros hitting coach, pitching coach. Josh Miller and Troy Snitker
will be back in their seventh seasons.
Speaker 3 (25:55):
Love it on the major league staff as well.
Speaker 4 (25:57):
Josh Miller his nineteenth season with the Astros as a
minor league pitcher, a coach, a pitching coordinator, and Snicker's
been with the organization since twenty sixteen. So look, I
think there's something to be said about continuity. I don't know,
Like I said, the Gary Pettis thing, Maybe it was
just they want some more runs scored over there and
he's going to be the guy to help them do that.
(26:18):
But other than that, yeah, I mean like him or
eight them, most of the staffs.
Speaker 2 (26:23):
Will hate them. Yeah, at the end of the day,
they're they're numbers. Now, the run scoring numbers weren't great,
but outside of that, like team ops OPS plus, they
were top five WRC plus, they were one of the
better teams in baseball.
Speaker 1 (26:39):
Yes, they did struggle with.
Speaker 2 (26:40):
Runners in scoring position, but Troy Snicker and Alex Sintron
were also the guys where these This team has been
one of the best offenses in baseball over the last
several years with those guys there.
Speaker 1 (26:51):
So I know a lot of people get med.
Speaker 2 (26:52):
Like they need to go the other way with the ball,
they need to bunt more, they need to do this,
get rid of the hitting coaches, like okay, whatever, they
been here a long time. The offense has been still
at elite level, especially considering I mean, you've had it
was jose Abray you and then John Singleton at first base.
You had a lot of the injuries with Kyle Tucker
missing so many games.
Speaker 1 (27:13):
Like to still.
Speaker 2 (27:15):
Finish by some of those metrics as a top five
baseball offense in baseball is pretty good. I found it
third and average eighth and OPS fifth and OPS plus
fifth n w RC plus. That's with first base in
centerfield giving you nothing and Kyle Tucker missing seventy nine games.
(27:35):
And by the way, Jose L two van Alex Bregman
weren't what they once were.
Speaker 4 (27:39):
Yeah, that's true, and that's that's a little bit like
you look at it and go, if you bring pregnant back,
he's gonna be probably a little bit of a shade worse.
ALTV is the regression has already started. On the defensive side.
Speaker 1 (27:53):
He's been bad fielding.
Speaker 2 (27:55):
Bible has it in the last is the worst second
base in the last two years.
Speaker 3 (27:59):
Just saying Jeremy pay is okay. You hope he can get,
you know, become a little bit better for a hitter.
I want to see the power come back. He was
so good the first few we're the home run balls.
Speaker 2 (28:08):
He hit twenty as a rookie, and then he hit
what ten the next year or whatever it was.
Speaker 1 (28:13):
And how what do you have last year? Like fifteen ish?
He got he's getting between.
Speaker 4 (28:17):
Yeah he started hitting him again as the season got along,
but I to look it up, yah him, Kyle Tucker,
you need healthy, I mean got he missed?
Speaker 3 (28:25):
Felt like you missed what half the season?
Speaker 1 (28:27):
Yeah, twenty his first year, twenty two?
Speaker 3 (28:29):
Excuse me?
Speaker 1 (28:29):
Then ten and then fifteen and power was up, but
average e on base man.
Speaker 4 (28:35):
Slugging, paging yord On Alvarez too, man, Like I need
you to be okay, I need whatever procedure you need,
my guy this off season.
Speaker 3 (28:44):
Let's get it done.
Speaker 1 (28:45):
Great. I mean he was good.
Speaker 4 (28:47):
I mean, yeah, the numbers, but like it just felt
like in clutch moments. He he went from being one
of the most clutch hitters, especially in the postseason too. Yes, man,
how many times he would come up with the bases
loaded or runners in scorn position and he would pop out.
Speaker 3 (29:01):
Fly out.
Speaker 2 (29:03):
I mean, the risk numbers can be wonky. They can
go up, they can go down.
Speaker 1 (29:06):
I think we put a little bit too much stock
in those.
Speaker 2 (29:08):
At the end of the day, Like at the end
of people's careers, they're just about the same as their
their regular numbers.
Speaker 1 (29:14):
That's just how it goes.
Speaker 4 (29:15):
Yeah, and then I guess you can continue this stupid
platoon of Jake Myers and Chas McCormick.
Speaker 2 (29:25):
Made Jake and May was like, this guy is about
to be an All Star.
Speaker 3 (29:29):
I swear to God.
Speaker 4 (29:30):
If we get down to West Palm in February, Dana
Brown's telling me, Man, look, Jake Myers looked great.
Speaker 3 (29:35):
I mean, he's really coming. We think he set for
a big year, Like I just I.
Speaker 2 (29:39):
Want him to be an average hitter, average hitter, and
he's just been a sinkhole, which hurts as as the
president of the Jake Myers fan club.
Speaker 1 (29:48):
That's how far far he fell.
Speaker 2 (29:50):
May he had like an ops like nine hundred, and
then he had worse numbers at the end of the year.
The balance at the end of it was worse than
the year before.
Speaker 1 (29:59):
I don't know how he did that.
Speaker 3 (30:01):
First base, we're gonna roll John Singleton back out there.
Speaker 1 (30:03):
Oh my gosh, Now you're just getting me upset.
Speaker 4 (30:06):
That's where like, if you're gonna make any free agent additions, Yeah,
we'll see what you do at third base with Bregman.
Speaker 1 (30:12):
You don't want old old man Paul Goldschmidt.
Speaker 4 (30:15):
You could sell me on Bregman walking and putting de
Zenzo or Witcam at third, but I gotta have something
better at first. Yeah, go get me, Go get me
somebody at first who commit.
Speaker 1 (30:26):
Maybe some your they they tied.
Speaker 2 (30:28):
They flirted with the yord On thing when he first
came up, and it just never really materialized at first.
Speaker 3 (30:32):
Well, then then you need a left fielder if you're
putting the ord on it first.
Speaker 1 (30:36):
Yeah, Zach Dezenzo at first.
Speaker 4 (30:38):
And by the way, we're on a catcher. I mean,
Yanner Diaz was great this year. Victor Carratini was very good.
But like, I don't know, how can.
Speaker 3 (30:45):
I almost want to go fifty to fifty with them?
To shot. I need to get Yannire off his legs.
Speaker 2 (30:49):
As long as Diaz if you put him at first
or DHS. That's what they were doing at the end
of the year. That was the plan for the playoffs.
Is one of those two guys at first base?
Speaker 3 (30:56):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (30:57):
Well, regardless, there's a ton to talk about this Astros offseason,
and we will be talking about it all thanks to
our friends at Carbock Brewing at the Crawford Bach And
make sure you guys get over their too, Carbock Brewing
if you haven't been over there in recent weeks. The
new pizza and pints really cool place over there where
you can get some some pints of pizza or some
pints with some pizza. And that weather is about to
(31:21):
start to make the change. I think I said this
two months ago on the box.
Speaker 3 (31:25):
And the weather still is the hot October eighty six,
out there sweating walking to the car. Human that he's
a little bit better.
Speaker 1 (31:31):
It's almost November. Can we get under the eighties?
Speaker 3 (31:34):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (31:34):
Where are the sixties? We got sixty for about a day.
I put a sweatshirt on for a day and then
it was back to the warmth. But regardless, that weather
should start turning. It'll be really nice out there at
the pier garden at Carbot Brewing. Hopefully you guys can
get out there and enjoy the ice cold taste of
the Crawford Bach. And before we know it, we'll be
back in West Palm for the start of spring training
(31:55):
and we'll see what astros additions we have to the roster.
As Jim Crane attempts to keep this championship window open,
the window is still open, so too many damp people
go windows closed.
Speaker 3 (32:05):
It's over still open.
Speaker 4 (32:07):
They just gotta gotta make some additions and no more
wild card exits.
Speaker 3 (32:12):
Man, we gotta this has to be. Yeah, you gotta
at least be in a in a DS next.
Speaker 1 (32:16):
Watching the Yankees and the Dodgers of the World Series.
The worst boo boo.
Speaker 4 (32:21):
All right, that's gonna do it for us. We'll talk
to you guys next time right here on the Crufford
Box Cast.
Popular Podcasts
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com