The Padres can control Tyson Ross for another three seasons, but to justify the rising cost, they’ll need more games like the gem he delivered yesterday, writes Dennis Lin of U-T San Diego. Through 21 starts this season, the All-Star owns a 2.70 ERA with 8.7 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9. Here’s more out of the Western divisions..
- Padres assistant GM A.J. Hinch told Jim Bowden of SiriusXM (on Twitter) that “Chase Headley is free agent at the end of the year, so we are acting accordingly.” Hinch also indicated that several teams are interested in the third baseman.
- Angels GM Jerry Dipoto told Jim Bowden of SiriusXM (via Twitter) that he started working on the Huston Street deal right after the June draft about six weeks ago.
- Dipoto went on to add that the Angels are not likely to do any more deals this month unless there is an injury to a starter (link). However, the Halos will remain in “feeler mode” just in case.
- The Astros have a major perception problem, writes ESPN.com’s Buster Olney (Insider sub. req’d). Between the Brady Aiken situation, their handling of George Springer, and the widespread belief that they tanked the 2013 season, many are questioning Houston’s game plan.
Why would the Astros’ handling of George Springer suggest a questionable game plan?
They basically told him accept this team friendly contract or we will send you to AAA. He didn’t so they sent him down. A month later they offered another team friendly contract to Jon Singleton, he accepted and was promoted. Springer was far more ready than Singleton and should have started the season with the Astros and had no business being in AAA.
Beat me by seconds. 🙂
Except the rays did that exact same thing with Evan Longoria. So I don’t know how people can fault the Astros. Small market teams have to be cost conscience and leveraging promotion demotion for top prospects in return for signing a team friendly deal is the best option they got before they become costly in arbitration.
Right. I think it’s ridiculous the people saying how Houston should have started him in the majors, giving up a year of team control for what? So they can win 63 games instead of 62?
Is Houston really a small market team? Fourth largest city in the US
5th largest Metro, the Metroplex has quite a bit of a gain in the population dept.
Houston isn’t a small market team, they’re just cheap.
Regardless if they are small market or not, they are not ready to win. Waiting to promote these players makes perfect sense. It may seem unfair to those players but they are within their right.
They operated perfectly within the rules. Why should they have brought him up to start the year anyways?
I don’t like how the Aiken situation played out, but for Springer they were perfectly fine. They shouldn’t have given into the outside pressure trying to convince them otherwise.
Because he was undoubtedly a better option than who they ended up starting in LF or RF.
Did anybody expect them to be contenders though?
It’s not like they kept him down for years, they simply brought him up a few weeks into the season.
And let’s look at the reality. He is hitting .231/.336/.468. It’s not like he is absolutely taking the world by storm. Just maybe that time at AAA was something that was needed.
He also leads them in HR and RBI and at some point you have to show to the very small number of fans that are left that they are actually trying to win. Robbie Grossman and L.J. Hoes over Springer doesn’t show that.
So you should be able to hold players down depending on whether you are contending or not? Astros won’t be contending until at least 2016 and Springer is already 24. He was probably ready for the big leagues last year or at least a cup of coffee in September. I’m not sure what your definition of taking the world by storm is. Were you expecting him to hit like Trout, Tulo, Goldy, or Cabrera? The baseball world seemed pretty impressed when Springer hit 7 home runs in 7 games plus he even got some good attention from the sports media powers. I would call that taking the world by storm, wouldn’t you? That stat line is better than what any Astros outfielder could produce and quite frankly all teams would take that in their lineup. Putting Springer down in the minors for two weeks as opposed to having him on the big league roster at the start of the season doesn’t really put a dent in his service time. The Astros clearly punished him for rejecting their contract.
No, they didn’t keep him down that long though. There isn’t a finite line of when a prospect is ready or not, it’s all subjective. The Astros brought him up a whole 2 weeks later than everyone else thought that he should be, that’s minor.
.231/.336/.468 is better than what they were getting, but that isn’t crazy for a corner outfield top prospect. Sure it’s fine, but if he came up and was hitting .280/.350/.500 I would agree maybe they waited too long, but when someone is hitting .230 and people are whining that he should have come up 2 weeks earlier, then maybe it’s a bit nuts.
And it does change his service time. It was not a punishment for rejecting their contract in any way. That 2 weeks in the minors made it so he won’t get an entire year of service time this year. Assuming he stays in the majors he will now be a super 2 player, and end up with 3 prearb years(minus 2 weeks) and 4 arbitration seasons. That is why they kept him down. They essentially get him for 7 years now, why they wouldn’t have done that when everyone agrees they aren’t contenders is beyond me. It makes so much logical sense.
Because they offered him an extension at the beginning of the season, which he turned down and the Astros were being accused of keeping him in the minors because of that. They are not so much fielding the best team as they are taking cost-effectiveness to a whole new level that some think is hampering them more than it is helping them.
They could have kept him in the minors even if he signed it.
They didn’t want to promote him unless he signed an extension.
I’m waiting for Houston to tank the 2014 season in order to get picks 1 and 2 in the 2015 draft.
Just months ago, after the Astros drafted Appel, everyone was lauding them for going all out and building from within. Now, two mistakes (not signing Aiken and Appel struggling) and they’re cast out like pariahs.
I think everyone is overreacting.
Between the Brady Aiken situation, their handling of George Springer, and the widespread belief that they tanked the 2013 season, many are questioning Houston’s game plan. They tanked their season??? They were a bad team and plus even if they did, what did it get them? Aiken and he didn’t sign and there could be a problem with his elbow. I don’t really frown upon them. Plus, they played the Orioles tough this season. They played a lot of teams tough… anyway.
Truth be told, I was really disappointed that they drafted Carlos Correa in 2013.
I was licking my chops at the fact he was going to fall to the O’s.
An infield with Machado, Schoop, Correa really intrigued me!
Actually, I think Luhnow is doing a great job and hired an excellent manager in Bo Porter. Just because Aiken didn’t work out doesn’t mean the A in the Astros is going to fall down!
I know. Sure Houston could have improved, but what does it get you to win 75 games. There is nothing to be gained by doing that. You better letting your young guys get the time and see if they are actually any good.
Too many teams like to get stuck in that middle ground, and there is no point being there. Either be actual contenders, or work towards becoming actual contenders. Houston letting their not great prospects get a chance to play over vets is better for getting the team to contention.
I may be in the minority, but I think teams have an obligation to compete. That doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be sellers if they are 15 games out in July, but I do think that MLB has multiple interested parties in the way each team goes about their business. Let’s start, for many of these teams, with the taxpayer, who has prioritized sports spending on subsidized infra-structure and stadiums over other needs. Then, let’s move on to the other teams, who either directly subsidize through revenue sharing, or indirectly by putting up a product that makes media right valuable and creates more gate receipts. Finally, in the era of wild-cards particularly, a team that chooses not to compete creates a disadvantage for teams not in its league/division.
But last year did Houston really have a chance to compete? If this goes on for 10 years that is one thing, but they at least have a plan to actually be a really good team. Most teams go through cycles, it’s not contention every year. Yes, every team should compete, but Houston has been on their plan for 2.5 years, it’s not like they are the royals who haven’t sniffed the playoffs since the mid 80’s.
People seem to forget that the A’s missed the playoffs 5 straight years before they surprisingly reemerged in 2012, and that is a team that is considered to be run really good.
I take your point, but they have really stripped down. The A’s, for example, had a few years at the 75 win level, but never dropped into the 50’s. Tampa has done a wonderful job with a limited payroll. I’m not saying Houston has to spend like NY or LA, but it’s got to be tough on the fan (and the rest of the league) to watch this. Maybe it will work out for them–they may emerge as a contender with a young talented core and a lot of cash saved. But right now it’s hard to distinguish what’s looking for a buck, and what’s just good strategy. You get the same high draft picks regardless.
And before Tampa did a wonderful job with a limited payroll they lost at least 90 games in 10 straight seasons, and 3 times there they topped 100. I don’t have a problem with how their plan is going. If we are looking at the same thing from them in 5 years then I will feel differently.
Maybe. did you see tampa’s payroll in those years? The then owner wasn’t exactly committed to winning.
But during that time they were able to amass tons of prospects. That period was a big reason they were competitive the last few years, and now the well has really run dry.
You are hitting on something important. It’s not that easy to contend unless you get lots of draft picks and lots of luck with them, or you have lots of money. there’s always a temptation to overdo it on either side (Yankees spend too much, Houston decides to run out a skeleton crew.) I think MLB needs to look again at how it manages competitive balance.
One more very quick point. I wonder if their rep didn’t hurt them in the Aiken thing. If the other side goes into a negotiation always waiting for the other shoe to drop, maybe they were oversensitive. Casey Close might have been a little thin-skinned, and ultimately exercised questionable judgement, but you could see where he was coming from. Deal on the table, then medical exam, then leaked “damaged good” and a halving of the offer. Close may have thought this was SOP for the Astros. A quieter, “Casey, here’s what’s come up in the meds, let’s talk about a reduced bonus” might have saved everyone the angst. And saved Houston dollars and the players they ostensibly wanted.
Honestly I have to think that something really made them question it. You don’t back out of a pick with a talent like that over $1MM that slot still gave you plenty.
I really think there”s part of the story that just isn’t public right now. Because the resolution lacks logic. If your are Aiken and you just learned of this, you grab the five million (albeit with five minutes to go) and if you are the Astros you don’t blow up a whole draft.
The cost of Ross to the padres will mean nothing since they just traded away Street contract and will get rid of Headly’s contract too. Not many high cost players on the padres so pay roll will not be a problem.
Not opposed to moving Ross for some stud bat(s) but unless they are an Aranado type of talent it’s not worth it. I would rather use Ross as the centerpiece to rebuild around. Class guy, wants to be here and big talent.
Never understand these writers that say a team must trade a player when there is not a need. You only trade a player to make your club better not trade a player because another team needs him.
The cost of Ross to the padres will mean nothing since they just traded away Street contract and will get rid of Headly’s contract too. Not many high cost players on the padres so pay roll will not be a problem.
The Astros’ perception problem is fairly obvious–do they value winning, or are they primarily a team run to maximize profitability? MLB’s structure, between revenue sharing, payments from national contracts, placement in the draft, penalties for signing free agents, etc, are primarily set to create some parity, but they also provide a glide-path for teams that look first and foremost to the bottom line. It isn’t whether the Astros could win 75 games instead of 65 games if they spent a little more and brought up their kids a little earlier, it’s whether they are actually making the effort to win longer term, or see that as ancillary to profitability.
So the Astros run their team like a business, and everyone is upset with them about it. Makes sense…
When they run it like Wal-Mart…yes
When they run it like Wal-Mart…yes
Have you ever noticed “run their team like a business” is almost universally code for “treat people terribly?” I just prefer to call a spade a spade.
Today Dipoto seems like a freaking genius.