The legend of Ronel Blanco continues to build with 4 innings and 9 Ks.
***Official Houston Astros 2023-24 Offseason Thread*** [Staff Warning - OP]
...
856,979 Views |
11245 Replies
8:21p, 3/26/24
I'm kind of shocked NY or Texas didn't blow that offer away.
2/50 with an opt out after 1 year is chump change especially if it ends well.
2/50 with an opt out after 1 year is chump change especially if it ends well.
8:25p, 3/26/24
In reply to Mathguy64
Rangerettes couldn't find enough spare change in the bbq grill. Yankees would have taken a $27.5M hit for that contract just in luxury tax penalties. Would have made him effectively cost $52.5M for one year
Mathguy64 said:
I'm kind of shocked NY or Texas didn't blow that offer away.
2/50 with an opt out after 1 year is chump change especially if it ends well.
Rangerettes couldn't find enough spare change in the bbq grill. Yankees would have taken a $27.5M hit for that contract just in luxury tax penalties. Would have made him effectively cost $52.5M for one year
8:30p, 3/26/24
In reply to EastCoastAgNc
The Yankees are already in the deep end. Like they say, in for a penny, in for a pound.
EastCoastAgNc said:Mathguy64 said:
I'm kind of shocked NY or Texas didn't blow that offer away.
2/50 with an opt out after 1 year is chump change especially if it ends well.
Rangerettes couldn't find enough spare change in the bbq grill. Yankees would have taken a $27.5M hit for that contract just in luxury tax penalties. Would have made him effectively cost $52.5M for one year
The Yankees are already in the deep end. Like they say, in for a penny, in for a pound.
8:39p, 3/26/24
Glad GMs are getting wiser. Paying big $$$ to an above average pitcher at best who is coming off a career year will get you in the unemployment line quickly
Im looking for Ray Finkle.... and a clean pair of shorts. Im just a very big Finkle fan. This is my Graceland, sir.
8:48p, 3/26/24
Still hoping Bregman is open to a short term deal seeing what's happened to his fellow Boras clients
8:50p, 3/26/24
Blanco is gonna be too good to take out of the rotation even as we get healthy. Kinda like LuAce in 2021.
8:52p, 3/26/24
Electric Stuff
— James Schiano (@James_Schiano) March 26, 2024
Jared Jones allowed 0 ER in 16.1 IP with 15 K and made PIT's opening day roster. FF up to 101 MPH, great SL, could dominate right away
Spencer Strider had 35 K in 22.2 IP (most in Spring, next closest has 28). New CB is filthy, could be a legendary season coming pic.twitter.com/nwD9oFFrvn
Relievers into rotation
— James Schiano (@James_Schiano) March 26, 2024
AJ Puk added a gyro SL, sinker, and splitter to his fastball and sweeper. Lights out with 1.32 ERA, 23 K in 13.2 IP, 33.9 K-BB%
Jordan Hicks had 28 K in 17 IP including 10 K and 20 whiffs in 5 IP last night. Sat 96-98 after 50 pitches
📽️@PitchingNinja pic.twitter.com/RJXuAiNTtO
Other New Pitches
— James Schiano (@James_Schiano) March 26, 2024
Bryce Miller: Splitter
Hunter Greene: Splitter and CB
Zack Wheeler: Splitter
Joe Ryan: Splitter📽️, Sinker
Joe Musgrove: Sweeper
Hunter Brown: Gyro SL
Tyler Glasnow: Sinker
Patrick Corbin: Cutter (@PitcherList)
Garrett Crochet: Cutter
Erick Fedde: Everything pic.twitter.com/8hRk95snL9
Impressive prospects
— James Schiano (@James_Schiano) March 26, 2024
Jackson Jobe: 102 MPH, +++breakers
Christian Scott: 8 K in 5 IP, new sweeper nasty
Paul Skenes: Moose, 102 MPH
Will Warren: low slot, +command, +sweeper
Ricky Tiedemann: Freaky slider, healthy
Tink Hence: +FF shape
AJ Smith Shawver: new CH, +FF, + SL pic.twitter.com/kXDKnayiUv
9:05p, 3/26/24
Ronel Blanco was dealing😮💨
— Houston Astros (@astros) March 27, 2024
4.1 IP | 1 ER | 10 K pic.twitter.com/HbeHsZJ5RE
9:29p, 3/26/24
Ronel Blanco and his wife had a baby girl today, he said. Blanco arrived at Minute Maid Park in time to start the exhibition against Sugar Land and struck out 10 over 4 1/3 innings. He will open the season in the Astros' rotation.
— Matt Kawahara (@matthewkawahara) March 27, 2024
Big day for Ronel
9:36p, 3/26/24
Pablo Sandoval singles in what could be his final at-bat as a Giant 👏 pic.twitter.com/FY8DTPae7v
— SF Giants on NBCS (@NBCSGiants) March 27, 2024
Pretty cool moment for him
9:42p, 3/26/24
In reply to Ag_07
To me, that deal screams teams don't think he's a #1, his ceiling isn't an #1, and they aren't paying him accordingly. I'm biased because I've felt all long his ceiling is a high-end #2.
He was trying to get a contract based on the second half of last year and the postseason. I don't believe that's who he is and I think teams agree.
Still, that's a good chunck of change for one year he could do a lot with if he uses it right.
Ag_07 said:
I'm thinking they just really don't like what they see and there's a good reason why we passed on him.
I'm gonna trust our talent evaluators. They just didn't ever seem to be interested in Monty. I haven't seen anything that they even kicked the tires on him.
To me, that deal screams teams don't think he's a #1, his ceiling isn't an #1, and they aren't paying him accordingly. I'm biased because I've felt all long his ceiling is a high-end #2.
He was trying to get a contract based on the second half of last year and the postseason. I don't believe that's who he is and I think teams agree.
Still, that's a good chunck of change for one year he could do a lot with if he uses it right.
9:58p, 3/26/24
It would be a gigantic flex. Just when the rest of MLB thinks our window is tightening and we're set to lose some guys without a highly rated farm to reload…
We find another late bloomer gem in Blanco who shows up in Arlington for the All Star game in July with a 12-3 record and ERA in the mid twos. And he's controllable cheap for a long time.
We find another late bloomer gem in Blanco who shows up in Arlington for the All Star game in July with a 12-3 record and ERA in the mid twos. And he's controllable cheap for a long time.
10:02p, 3/26/24
In reply to EastCoastAgNc
Joe said after the game that he told him he made the rotation coming off the mound
EastCoastAgNc said:Ronel Blanco and his wife had a baby girl today, he said. Blanco arrived at Minute Maid Park in time to start the exhibition against Sugar Land and struck out 10 over 4 1/3 innings. He will open the season in the Astros' rotation.
— Matt Kawahara (@matthewkawahara) March 27, 2024
Big day for Ronel
Joe said after the game that he told him he made the rotation coming off the mound
10:22p, 3/26/24
In reply to Deluxe
I was high on him last year. I picked him to be the surprise of the year or something like that. Hopefully I was just a year too early. But I fear his slider just isn't nasty enough.
7:55a, 3/27/24
In reply to tjack16
Would be great if his clients started to look at new agents. This may be the end of the reign of Boras.tjack16 said:
Still hoping Bregman is open to a short term deal seeing what's happened to his fellow Boras clients
8:14a, 3/27/24
In reply to Farmer1906
We probably did him a disservice stretching him out into a starter so late in the spring last year. This year, he's had a full offseason to prep for a 5-6 inning workload.
Agree that he's not be nasty/elite enough to expect a "lightbulb" moment like we saw from B Abreu in 2022, but like I said before, I think he could be kinda like LuAce in 2021. We entered that year thinking the rotation would be too crowded for him to get a shot. But some injuries facilitated his opportunity and he ran with it. Not elite but 11-8 with a 3.30 ERA was plenty good enough. I don't think that's unreasonable for Blank-zero this year.
Worst case is we get everyone back and pitching well, and Blank-zero becomes the best middle inning bridger in baseball.
I was bullish on him heading into spring last year after his Dom winter league performance (similar to B Abreu's before he broke out). Thought he'd carve out a nice role in the back-end of the bullpen.Farmer1906 said:
I was high on him last year. I picked him to be the surprise of the year or something like that. Hopefully I was just a year too early. But I fear his slider just isn't nasty enough.
We probably did him a disservice stretching him out into a starter so late in the spring last year. This year, he's had a full offseason to prep for a 5-6 inning workload.
Agree that he's not be nasty/elite enough to expect a "lightbulb" moment like we saw from B Abreu in 2022, but like I said before, I think he could be kinda like LuAce in 2021. We entered that year thinking the rotation would be too crowded for him to get a shot. But some injuries facilitated his opportunity and he ran with it. Not elite but 11-8 with a 3.30 ERA was plenty good enough. I don't think that's unreasonable for Blank-zero this year.
Worst case is we get everyone back and pitching well, and Blank-zero becomes the best middle inning bridger in baseball.
11:06a, 3/27/24
In reply to bearkatag15
Of course he did. He is the GOAT 3B. France was a fool to hang one up there for him. Everyone knows to intentionally walk the almighty Breggy!bearkatag15 said:
Bregman took France deep
11:11a, 3/27/24
Left-handed reliever Parker Mushinski made the Astros’ opening day roster, source tells @TheAthletic
— Chandler Rome (@Chandler_Rome) March 27, 2024
1:40p, 3/27/24
Will Smith signs an extension with the Dodgers for 10 years at $140 million. Interesting deal. I would assume that the Dodgers could just eat the money if he declines at the end of the contract. But 10 years for a catcher is crazy.
1:55p, 3/27/24
In reply to OKCAg2002
Especially one who is almost 30. Wonder if some of those are team options. It's only $14M a year so they are likely trying to manipulate the luxury tax number knowing it's more like a 6 year, $140M deal in terms of value.OKCAg2002 said:
Will Smith signs an extension with the Dodgers for 10 years at $140 million. Interesting deal. I would assume that the Dodgers could just eat the money if he declines at the end of the contract. But 10 years for a catcher is crazy.
2:45p, 3/27/24
In reply to MaxPower
I'm sure. And $14mm AAV isn't crazy for today's market. In fact, for a hitter like Smith, it's pretty cheap. But he will be an overpaid DH by year 6 or 7 if that deal. The Dodgers have money to burn.
6:13p, 3/27/24
Astros claimed RHP Penn Murfee off waivers from the Atlanta Braves. To make room for Murfee on the 40-man roster, Kendall Graveman was placed on the 60-day IL.
— Julia Morales (@JuliaMorales) March 27, 2024
10:38p, 4/1/24
In reply to Marvin
Ronel Blanco. My man.
Marvin said:
Ketch was all over Blanco as a starter last year. Props.
Ronel Blanco. My man.