Big loss for the Astros

[Torridd]

Now that Verlander has gone, if we got a big SS does that even us with them? How far would you say we are from Houston now and what would it take to be on par with them?

[Stradling]

With a great SS, we are still 5-10 games behind them.  They will still win 100 games.  

[Pancake Bear]

18 minutes ago, Torridd said:

Now that Verlander has gone, if we got a big SS does that even us with them? How far would you say we are from Houston now and what would it take to be on par with them?

We could sign Correa and Rodon and we'd still be behind Houston, Seattle, and Texas. /s

[Stradling]

3 minutes ago, Pancake Bear said:

We could sign Correa and Rodon and we'd still be behind Houston, Seattle, and Texas. 

No.  

[Pancake Bear]

1 minute ago, Stradling said:

No.  

Should I have included the /s?

[mmc]

If you're assuming we're going to keep adding why wouldn't you assume the same for them?

[Second Base]

Ballpark figure, I think Houston is a 95 won team and the Angels are an 80 win team. They could sign Aaron Judge and Carlos Correa and they'd still be taking the Astros by a little bit. 

[Dtwncbad]

13 minutes ago, Pancake Bear said:

We could sign Correa and Rodon and we'd still be behind Houston, Seattle, and Texas. 

That’s crazy

[Stradling]

44 minutes ago, Pancake Bear said:

Should I have included the /s?

Yes

[Stradling]

37 minutes ago, Second Base said:

Ballpark figure, I think Houston is a 95 won team and the Angels are an 80 win team. They could sign Aaron Judge and Carlos Correa and they'd still be taking the Astros by a little bit. 

80 win team?  What happened to you?

[Second Base]

16 minutes ago, Stradling said:

80 win team?  What happened to you?

Isn't that where I've been? We won 72 last year, Anderson, Urshela and Renfroe sliding us up into that .500 range. I don't remember saying anything different. 

[Stradling]

3 minutes ago, Second Base said:

Isn't that where I've been? We won 72 last year, Anderson, Urshela and Renfroe sliding us up into that .500 range. I don't remember saying anything different. 

Over time you’ve become an overly pessimistic fan. 

[Second Base]

3 minutes ago, Stradling said:

Over time you’ve become an overly pessimistic fan. 

[Angel Oracle]

17 minutes ago, Second Base said:

Isn't that where I've been? We won 72 last year, Anderson, Urshela and Renfroe sliding us up into that .500 range. I don't remember saying anything different. 

With Trout and Rendon out for 40 and 100 games respectively, and Walsh not himself for half the season.

That said, I understand the pessimism given the past 7 seasons.

Edited December 6, 2022 by Angel Oracle

[Angels 1961]

Astros lost Verlander but signed Abreu and will sign LF and a catcher.

[Angelsjunky]

1 hour ago, Second Base said:

Isn't that where I've been? We won 72 last year, Anderson, Urshela and Renfroe sliding us up into that .500 range. I don't remember saying anything different. 

They won 72, but I don't think that represents their true talent level which, even pessimistically, was about 80 wins. So replace the crap with those guys and we're at 85 wins. With some luck, development, and maybe a big year or two, they could win 90+. But I think the "true talent level" of the team right now is 85 wins or so.

[Second Base]

4 minutes ago, Angelsjunky said:

They won 72, but I don't think that represents their true talent level which, even pessimistically, was about 80 wins. So replace the crap with those guys and we're at 85 wins. With some luck, development, and maybe a big year or two, they could win 90+. But I think the "true talent level" of the team right now is 85 wins or so.

Oh I agree. Just liked the true talent level of the Chargers puts them on par with KC. But actual on field production is another matter entirely. The Angels talent level has been high for years. But their actual on the field success is low. 

It seems to me, the organization as a whole is stuck in this pattern of reacting, rather than creating. But I think that's rooted in the three part series that Fletch masterfully covered. It's a lot easier to be creative when your farm is producing surplus talent, which ours hasn't in years, for a multitude of reasons. 

[Stradling]

1 hour ago, Second Base said:

Yes

[cysomeawfulpitcher]

New division and new league.  So glad we won't have to face him too much.

[Angels_Make_Me_Drink]

The Astros won't skip a beat. They'll still win around 100 games. 

[stormngt]

4 hours ago, Pancake Bear said:

We could sign Correa and Rodon and we'd still be behind Houston, Seattle, and Texas. /s

Then why spend the money?

[Hubs]

14 hours ago, Stradling said:

Over time you’ve become an overly pessimistic fan. 

Cuz the prospects he's so high on don't work out time after time.

Last year we won 73, and the team had major injuries to several players, and they still struggled. The management change was a disruption. But they showed the first two months and by some measures, in August and September they are better than their record.

In regards to the Astros, Major League Baseball keeps letting them cheat, if they're caught again, they need to be banned from baseball. I would gather that their young starters are using foreign substances. One guy was clearly wiping the ball before every pitch one game last year when it wasn't even hot and I couldn't believe they didn't throw him out.

Edited December 6, 2022 by Hubs

[totdprods]

I imagine the Astros are under even more scrutiny from MLB regarding cheating. The last thing MLB would want is for Houston to get away with it again. It would be more damaging for their credibility than Houston’s at that point.