February 21, 2025 • 38 mins
Chris Gordy and Ross Villarreal are fresh back from Houston Astros Spring Training in West Palm, getting you caught up to date on all things Astros as Spring Training gets underway. The guys run through position breakdowns, including Jose Altuve's move to left field, as well as every other position. How does the pitching staff shape up? What about the bullpen?
As always, every Crawford Boxcast is presented by Karbach Brewing and the Crawford Bock, it is always in season!
As always, every Crawford Boxcast is presented by Karbach Brewing and the Crawford Bock, it is always in season!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:09):
Astros fans cheers, Rocky Lucky.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
Welcome to the Crawford Box Casts, proudly for you by
Crawford Bach from Carmack BREWIY. You're getting down there. Oh
my goodness, the Crawford box cast starts now here we go.
Speaker 1 (00:30):
Here's Chris Gordy and Ross via Reel.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
It is an all new addition to the Crawford box Cast,
presented by Carbach Burning, Chris Gory and Ross Viiel, fresh
off separate trips to West Palm Beach. I was down
there for the first few days when pictures and catchers reported,
Ross and Matt Thomas were down there for when position
players reported it really got into the thick of it.
And now here we are on the precipice of the
(00:58):
start of spring train games. And of course all of
our coverage from the start of spring training was presented
by Carbok Purring and the Crawford back Make sure you
guys are loaded up for the start of spring training.
This time of year. Look, I know it's been cold,
it's about to get warmer. This is the time of
year I love to go out in my backyard. Five
up the grill, I pull up Astro Spring Training games
(01:19):
on iHeartRadio, and I enjoy listening to Robert Ford, Steve
Sparks and whatever other collection of hosts they have in there,
Blumber Todd Kallis, all the different guys, and most importantly
sitting in my outdoor lawn chair with an ice cooled
Crawford back in my hands. It is that time of year, folks,
It is go time. Ross, welcome in, Welcome into another
season of Astros baseball.
Speaker 1 (01:40):
Yeah, glad to be back.
Speaker 3 (01:42):
We kind of talk about how the calendar goes with
the off season, and really when Astros FanFest gets here,
we start to feel like the season is coming. And
then now it's basically upon us with spring training in
full swing and the games starting up tomorrow. So it's back.
It's spectacular and really, Gordy, I don't know how if
this happens to you as you're a veteran of going
(02:03):
to these spring training trips. We just came back from
West Palm Landed last night. Like almost every time I
come back, I start to feel more and more optimistic,
like convincing myself that everything is going to be great,
because it starts with like you talk to Dana Brown,
Joe a spot of the players. Everybody's like, hey, I'm
doing this, I'm gonna be better at this, And I'm like, yeah, yeah,
we are going to be better at this. I'm like,
(02:24):
my opinion of my outlook of the twenty five Houston
Astros is like as high as it's been in three
four months.
Speaker 2 (02:31):
Yeah, it's you know, look, there's been a lot of
change and a team that has certainly had to overcome it,
and they're going to have to overcome it from you know,
throughout the years. You lose George Springer and hey, okay,
everything's gonna be fine. You lose Carlos Kraha Man, that
one hurts. Okay, I think we're gonna be fine. You
lose Garrett Cole, you lose you know, this piece, that piece.
I mean, this is the biggest loss though in one season.
(02:53):
When you say goodbye to Alex Bregman, who just a
little over a week ago signs with the Boston Red Sox.
You lose Kyle Tucker via trade. Now, you did get
some good pieces back for Kyle Tucker to soften the
blow there. And then you said goodbye to Justin Verlander,
who left in free agency for the San Francisco Giants.
And Ryan Presley, you traded him away to the Cubs
(03:15):
and basically a salary dump. So four big pieces that
have been part, huge parts of this championship run the
Astros have had you say goodbye to yeah.
Speaker 3 (03:25):
And that's the thing too, Like when George Springer left,
even though it was in a straight center fielder for
centerfielder swap, that was when Kyle Tucker was basically emerging
and in coming into his own and was expected to
be the air apparent as far as a plus outfielder
for the Astros. When Carlos Korea left, even though Jeremy
Paniel wasn't talked about a lot, he wasn't in a
(03:46):
high on a lot of people's prospects list. I think
maybe Baseball Prospectives had him the highest. He was like
seventeenth or something on their list, and he had a
great rookie campaign. Still, the Astros kind of had a.
Speaker 1 (03:56):
Contingency plan there.
Speaker 3 (03:59):
Now with Kyle Yle Tucker gone and Alex Bregman gone,
you're thinking an agri at least in the infield that
Christian Walker and Essock Paradus can give you more production
than what you got there. But as far as outfield,
We're kind of sitting there saying, where's the production gonna
come from? Because what Kyle Tucker did, Maybe at some
point Cam Smith will be ready. He's supposed to play
(04:20):
third base and maybe a little bit of left field.
Maybe at some point Jacob Melton will be ready as well.
But neither of those guys is highly regarded as the
other two. So that's where we get therein lies the
big question mark outfield production, especially with Kyle Tucker out now.
Maybe they're thinking they're going to gain some of that
back move with this jose Al twove and left move,
(04:41):
but at some point the attrition which has hurt to
an extent, you're not anywhere as dominant as you were
as twenty nineteen, but you still won it all in
twenty twenty two. But at some point you have to
hit a tipping point where somebody's going to have to
step up. And we do have a lot of question
marks with that coming up into this season.
Speaker 2 (04:57):
Yeah, and let's get into it with some of the questions.
Obviously in the outfield, we know Jake Myers is probably
going to be in center and Chas McCormick in right now.
Both those guys have to stay healthy. But there's been
the conversation and Joe spot I said all throughout spring
training they want to get Jordan on Alvarez off his
feet and basically a permanent DH. You know. He was
(05:20):
even asked, I think Jordan played about forty games on
left field last year. A Spota said that's way too many,
and I think it was Matt Kauerharror of the Houston Chronicle.
Ass so what like half that? Like twenty? He goes,
I don't want to put a number on it, but
you get the idea. We don't want Ord on the left,
so you take that away, and now it's the whole
swapperoo basically of because I saw people like doing depth
(05:43):
charts like, oh, Dubon, Dubon's just left field, Yeah, Duboni left,
and then Jake Myers and Kaz and then this Jose
al twove thing started. It started with the conversation about Bregman. Oh,
if he comes back, we can move al tuo ve
to left field. But it sounds like those conversations about
al tu Veda left field were already being laid because
we talked about it in the box Gast many months,
(06:03):
for many months. Ol two vase defense has dipped, but
you still need his batting three hundred bat in the lineup.
So in order to do that, al tuove to left
field became a real thing, and it is a very
real thing.
Speaker 3 (06:16):
Yeah, and we talked about with Joe Spotta when we
had him on the Bat Thomas Show with Ross. At
first he told us off air, he was like, guys,
this is not something that just came out of the
left field, and then we did bring it up on air.
I'm pretty sure, so I'm not talking out of school here,
but yeah, it's just something that has been discussed. And
if we go look at the advanced ment of the
altzeba's average, the fielding Bible, deserve runs saved, all that
(06:39):
type of stuff. If you look at the bottom of
the barrel as far as second base defense, there you
are going to find somewhere jose al Tuovey. So this
has been thought of, This has been talked about. He's
turning thirty five years old in May, and it kind
of makes sense to get the ball rolling now to
where he's hitting that age two of your prospects that
(07:00):
you want to come up play in the infield. Talking
about Bryce Matthews, and camp Smith. You need outfield production
and you don't you're going to have. You're taking away
a huge negative as far as that infield defense, and
I'm hoping he's about average and left field. If he
goes from a huge negative and second base and he's
average and left that's a win, especially if you are
(07:21):
going to put Dubond and we'll see what happens with
Brendan Rodgers, others, et cetera. But yeah, getting the ball
rolling now makes sense. If you're like me, which I
think you were, Gordy. We kind of scoffed and laughed
at it when we first heard it. Yeah, but when
you start to sit down and think about it, it
makes a lot of sense.
Speaker 2 (07:36):
Yeah, it's the one position, particularly at minute Maine. I mean,
it's just all about playing the ball off the wall.
If it's high up, it's going to bounce off the wall,
you know, ificalla, just just get the ball in. I
talk with Joe Spot about this when I was at
you know, in wes Palm. He was telling me how
teams are very careful at min and made Park about
sending runners from second to home because that left field,
(08:00):
so you know, there's not much room to play with.
There any competent left fielder that gets the ball really in,
really quick, you're not gonna be able to steal home.
So he's like even Gary Pettis, who was one of
the most aggressive base coaches at third base, like they
kind of they were very sensitive about when they would
send a guy from second to home because of that
(08:22):
short area and left and so I do think that's
Behooves al Tuovey with that space. The question will be
the ross on the road and some of these more
cavernous ballparks, you know, do you want Altuve out left field?
You know, with some of those areas that have like
Toronto has got a huge area to cover, Like do
you want him out there? So it'll be fascinating to see.
(08:42):
But I'm looking at ESPN right now. Their depth chart
online has already updated this to reflect it. Scott Theano
Diaz a catcher, Christian Walker at first, Mauricio du Bonn
as you're starting second base in basement, Jeremy Penny at short,
essak Paridis at third, with Jose al tuove and left,
Jake Myers at center, and Chess McCormick and right with
the order on your DH look none of this is
(09:02):
set in stone, right. I mean, they're gonna try this
throughout spring training. As long as Jose can shag fly
balls and deal with the sun and the wind and
the elements, they're gonna give this a go. But if
they have to go back, they'll go back. But I
do think just look at that infield to Bond and
Paradis like that is a pretty a pretty solid defensive
(09:25):
infield and no defense against Altuve, but it just it
solves a lot of problems with her. And we go
a call her the other day, who I think, Ashawn Salisbury,
how do you send a Hall of fame second basement
out to left field? How do you do that? And
the answered simple, He's a Hall of Fame hitter, not
a Hall of Fame defender. No right, especially right now.
Speaker 3 (09:44):
Yeah, his gold glove was ten years ago at this point.
And actually now I just remembered this. I remember being
told that this was like, you know, you couldn't talk
about it at the time. I remember were hearing and
thinking it was crazy. It was like in twenty twenty,
twenty twenty one, whenever DJ lem Mayhew was a free agent,
(10:06):
I had heard that they the Astros were thinking about
signing dj lem Mayhew, playing him at second and then
moving al Tuve to left. That was four years ago,
so this has probably been in the pipeline or at
least talked about or floated about as an idea for
quite some time.
Speaker 2 (10:22):
Which they would have done that. He's a former LHU Tiger. Yeah,
and now we have no LSU Tigers on the team.
I'll expect about baby. The other part of this too
is in twenty twenty three, Racio Dubon became the first
Honduran to win a Gold Glove award. He he is
really good defensively, so him being at second base, like
it's it's you, that's the quiet thing. Nobody wants to
(10:46):
say outright, but we're saying it outright. You have upgraded defensively,
putting Devon a second over Josel Tuv. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (10:52):
And you know, Joe Spot is not going to go
out there and say that. Dana Brown's not gonna go
out there and say that. But they have the numbers
that we all look at, and you know we we
there are arguments between people like oh, eye tests and
all look at it.
Speaker 1 (11:03):
His fielding percentage is really good.
Speaker 3 (11:05):
Look focus twenty twenty five moneyball was what like over
twenty years ago. Now at this point, these people know
about the zone ratings and metrics and all that type
of stuff, And quite frankly, a thirty five year old
who's five foot six is not gonna move around as
much as somebody who's younger, taller, lengthier can get two
more balls.
Speaker 1 (11:24):
So, yeah, he's wasn't making a lot of errors.
Speaker 3 (11:26):
He's still good at flipping double plays all that type
of stuff, makes good quick throws. But if you're not
having the range, that's where he suffers. So you have
to kind of put him somewhere else where he's not
gonna hurt you as much. And this is a transition
that needs to be made. He's under contract for what
four more years at this point?
Speaker 2 (11:43):
I think.
Speaker 3 (11:43):
So he's under contract for four more years. You can't
play him at second base for four more years. Get
it going now, I'm on board with it.
Speaker 2 (11:51):
Yeah, and again we're gonna we're gonna find out, like
I said, not sitting stone, if he gets out there,
somebody spring crany games and he's making errors and balls,
you know, the wind catches it and it's dropping it.
But you know what oult team has always been good
out How many times does he run out into the
outfield from his second base spot to go truck out
a ball like he's been really good at that.
Speaker 3 (12:10):
Yeah, I don't think we should. I don't think either
of were saying leftfield's gonna be tough. It's gonna be hard,
it's gonna be a transition. There are gonna be some
bumps in the road, and the very first time that
he misplays a ball or he misses the cutoff man
or whatever, it's gonna go viral. It is, it's gonna
be a look at this, Oh, look at the astros,
Look at these idiots.
Speaker 1 (12:28):
Why would they do this? It's going to be a process.
Speaker 3 (12:34):
He's not gonna be first of all, he's probably never
he's never gonna be a gold glover and left and
it's certainly not gonna happen overnight for him to hit
his ceiling as a left field defender. But that's why
you do it now, that's why you have spring training.
That's why he's working out there in drills. You work
out the kinks, you get it to where it's serviceable
enough this year. You're not gonna throw him out there
(12:55):
for one hundred games and left any ways this year,
and you kind of make that transition slow going as
we go along. It's going to be a process and
I'm glad they got that process started now.
Speaker 2 (13:03):
Yeah, so experiment started. We will see how this goes
as they get into spring training games. The other part
is the outfield, and yes, we are all banking on
Jake Myers and Chas mccork but I will tell you
from what several people I talk to down in West
Palm told me about Jake Myers. They basically said they
(13:24):
love his defense. They think he's a plus defender. They
don't care what he does with the bat. Now they're
being phasitious. They want it. He can't bat zero zero zero, Yeah,
you're going to do something. But he's gonna bat ninth
in the lineup and whatever he gives you offensively great.
The flip side is Chas McCormick. They have high hopes
for him. We've seen times where Chas's bat has come
(13:46):
on and Chas is great defensively. I mean, he'll always
live on for the what the Catch and Philly or
the World Series. Uh, you know, phenomenal defensive play. But
he's gonna bring it defensively, but he has got to
bring it at the plate this year. We have to
see a more confident chasm Cormick get the plate and
if he struggles at all, there are other guys who
are gonna get opportunities. They brought back Ben Gammele who
(14:07):
finished the season here last year, kind of a journeyman
who's played a bunch of different teams, played with the Mets.
They're they're gonna give him an opportunity. And then Taylor
Tremmel another guy who young guy, one of our favorite interviews,
Master Tranfest. You know, play with the Yankees, play with
the Mariners. The batting average has not been there, but
they're banking on, you know, throughout this spring training. They're
(14:28):
gonna get a lot of reps and we'll see if
something clicks with them. And then there's the other cases
of Zach Dezenzo, young prospect. They really like Shay Whitcomb,
a guy they really like their top prospect. Now Cam
Smith has said he's a third baseman, but they're gonna
experiment and play him in the corner outfield spots. So yeah,
maybe something emerges from some of those guys. But that's
(14:48):
kind of where you are as far as outfield depth goes.
Speaker 3 (14:52):
Yeah, Unfortunately, the way that this team is built right now,
the way that Jim Crane is trying to stay under
the text, they are going to look internally for most
of their options. And all those guys you listen, they're
just hoping. All you need is one of those guys
to work out. And I don't know who it's going
to be. I don't know to what level, but you
got a lot of games. You're gonna be flipping those
(15:13):
guys around. Joe Spotta talked about it. A bunch of
guys have an opportunity. They're gonna get shots. Unfortunately, they're
only going to get a small sample size to get
those shots. But it's gonna be it's basically like a tryouts.
Who's looking good, who's gonna get the hot hand, who's
going to prove themselves and earn some playing time.
Speaker 1 (15:29):
It's absolutely out there for the taking right now in
this outfield for the Astros.
Speaker 2 (15:33):
Yeah, and hope is just something emergence. Look, I've seen
everybody say, oh, well, this guy's available, that guy's available.
They made it known when they traded Kyle Tucker and
then even when they moved Ryan Presley. The goal was
to get under the luxury tax here. Jim Crane did
not like doing it. You call them cheap, you can
say whatever you want. They have one of the highest
payrolls in baseball. They just didn't want to be in
(15:55):
that luxury tax for whatever reason, and so they got
under it. They're not going to go out and add
a big free agent, you know. I mean, I think
they called on some tandair, but yeah, nothing really came
of that. So this is what it is. And the
good news is, and I've talked to some people about this.
This off season, Jose Brady's money comes off the books
and Rafael Montero's money comes off the books, two bus contracts.
(16:18):
But they will have in other words, they're gonna have
more money to spend this next offseason. So maybe they
go get that outfielder next off season. Whatever. We'll see
when they get there. But for this season, this is
kind of what you got.
Speaker 1 (16:30):
Yeah. Uh.
Speaker 3 (16:32):
And you're just hoping for You're gonna hope for the
internal growth, like I said, hopefully. Maybe let's just pray
that Jacob Melton is just like completely mashing at the
beginning of the year, triple.
Speaker 2 (16:41):
Out and he's a little bit banged up right now,
so he's not doing anything. Well you didn't see him out.
Speaker 1 (16:47):
There, right, No I didn't.
Speaker 2 (16:48):
Yeah he was, he's been banged up, fantastic. Yeah, this
is where Joey Lo Braffito would have been.
Speaker 3 (16:55):
Hey, oh please, he's striking out a lot.
Speaker 2 (16:58):
Yeah, the too much you got from you say, Kaku,
she was great. But now he is a Los Angeles
angel and Joey lit Brafido is a blue Jay and
you don't have either of those guys. That's what stings
about trade moves, but it is what's right.
Speaker 1 (17:09):
We got pedro leone. He just put him out there.
Speaker 2 (17:12):
His name has not even come up now, I mean that's.
Speaker 1 (17:15):
He was in camp. I saw on him. Say how
old does he know? He's like twenty eight?
Speaker 2 (17:19):
He's he knows bring chicken twenty six, will be twenty seven. Yeah, okay,
but no, he's a guy. Just I wouldn't.
Speaker 1 (17:29):
He's a quadruple player.
Speaker 3 (17:30):
It looks like unfortunately, because I mean it did seem
like a big coup and they were able to sign him.
They sign him to a bunch of money at international money,
like a million or two.
Speaker 2 (17:38):
Yeah, No, He's a guy who's been talking about for
many years in the system. He's just every year when
they do his MLB Prospect ranking four.
Speaker 1 (17:45):
Million dollars in twenty twenty one.
Speaker 2 (17:47):
Yeah, every year when those MLB Prospect rankings come out,
he's dropped in those rankings. Every year goes. Let's talk
about infield depth. We know Jan Ardiez behind him plate.
We feel pretty good about Victor Carrottini as the backup catcher.
I feel pretty good about Sezar Salazar, your third catcher.
I think I think at some point this year they
may carry three cat I think it behooves you.
Speaker 3 (18:08):
Yeah, But also I think as we kind of gloss
over that and say we're set, this is a thing
though the Astros haven't really wanted to play Yanar Diaz
as a set and forget everyday type of catcher.
Speaker 1 (18:20):
What you did, what you're able to do last year
is you.
Speaker 3 (18:23):
Were able to play a little bit of Kroteni at first,
to play both, I mean smattering of youan yourdas at
first they don't like that.
Speaker 1 (18:29):
But putting him at d H.
Speaker 3 (18:31):
But if you're wanting to use all your DH days
with Jordon Alvarez, what's going to happen there. So I
am actually pretty curious to see what happens there. And
by the way, first base is taken up by this guy,
Christian Walker, who's going to be there every night.
Speaker 2 (18:43):
Well, I hate to put this out in the ether,
but odds are your I will to miss some games
this year. He doesn't. He does it every year, So
maybe those are you off the podcast, get out here.
I'm just saying, I'm just saying it's happened. But uh no,
I mean that's where Joe said, like, we want him
off his feet, we want him just dching, and that's it.
(19:05):
Just you want to focus on hitting. We don't want
you track and fly balls. Won't you doing anything? Just dhing?
But again, let's cross our fingers and hope, hope he
stays healthy. But in terms of infield depth, you know,
if we're putting Walker at first John Singleton, yes, as
of right now is the backup first base. I don't
know if he makes it up, but I see little
to no value to carrying him. I mean again, like
(19:26):
you appreciate him for what he gave you last year,
but in all honesty, I would rather take a flyer
on a Shay Whitcomb or a Zach Desenzo and platoon
that Hey, you're gonna be the backup first baseman for
whatever two times a month or whatever it is that
he would play because Christian Walker, they said, is durable
and he plans to be at first for majority of
the season.
Speaker 1 (19:46):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (19:46):
We had him on and and he was you know,
Matt and I were just talking to him like, hey,
have they talked about your role dhing first? But whatever,
He's like, no, I'm gonna be out there. He wants
to be out there every day. And Joe's about to
said the same thing. So as long as he's healthy,
Christian Walker, he he's going You want to see a
three Christian Walker on the lineup card.
Speaker 2 (20:02):
Yeah, and he's not a guy like you'd be pinch
hitting for late in the game or like I just
think he's he's gonna be in there every day. So
the backup first baseman. Sorry, John Singleton. If if numbers
crunching time comes, I'm saying goodbye to you. Uh Dubon
at second. They brought in Brendan Rodgers from Colorado. This
just happened in the past week. They're gonna give him
(20:23):
every opportunity throughout spring training to prove what he can do.
If he hits, he might be the guy that you keep.
And then Zach Dezenzo, Shay Whitcombe, we'll send you over
sugar Land because we're keeping this guy. So that's kind
of a little bit of flexibility there.
Speaker 3 (20:37):
Yeah, well we'll see what happened with Brendan Rodger is
a Gold Glover career op Okay, so average ops plus
or those you don't know, is one hundred. He's a
career ninety guys, so ten percent below average. Yeah, outside
of Corsfield, he hasn't been very good.
Speaker 2 (20:49):
I should mention another guy that he had gotten there
the day I got down the spring training Luis Ski
or may big bearded guy play with you can't hit?
Speaker 1 (20:58):
It is great.
Speaker 2 (20:59):
And so again he's in camp. We'll see what happens
with him.
Speaker 3 (21:02):
And the bottom line is three hundred hitting eight hundred
oh ps. Second basement don't grow on trees. Yeah, you
had one in Josel twov for years. He's declining and
unfortunately his defense is declined, so you're putting him a
little bit more on left. But Josel two bait will
play some second for the astros.
Speaker 2 (21:16):
But here's the and this is the problem where if
you're penciling in Dubon as your everyday second baseman, who's
your ultimate utility guy? Like that was the great thing
about Dubon was he could literally play every position you
could put him out there.
Speaker 3 (21:30):
Yeah, but I also think you're gonna have guys who
want to be on Christian Walker is gonna want to
be out there every day.
Speaker 1 (21:34):
Same thing.
Speaker 3 (21:34):
This is all of course, barring health, Jeremy Pania and
then Esak Paradis, You're gonna be playing those guys basically
every day. So there's not a whole lot of room
for Dubon to be that kind of play everywhere super
utility guy. Because the only guy who's like in his
thirties that you want to be spelling for extra days
it would be Joseel Twova. So Dubon will play some second there.
Speaker 2 (21:55):
Yeah, and Paradis is twenty six, still relatively young guy,
So I don't know that's throughout the spring training I want.
I would love to see one of Shay Whitcomber's acta
Zenzo just really tear the cover off the ball, Like
if one of those guys give you something, I go,
all right, that's my utility guy. You're you're you're you know,
you're with us when when the season starts, and we'll
(22:17):
go from there. Yeah. So there I have. That's the lineup,
and that's that's uh, you know, defensive positions and all that.
Let's talk pitching. Let's do it starting five. I feel
pretty good about from ber Vealdez, Yes, Hunter Brown, Yes,
Spencer Arraghetti, Yes, Reno Blanco you can flip him how
(22:40):
you for whatever, and then slat in the five spot.
Right now, it feels like it's Hayden Wizzsky, the Houston
native that was part of the Cups trade for Kyle
Tucker and seems like a pretty durable, pretty good guy
that can again, you just asked him to be your
number five guy, and it looks like he can. He
can own that role. If I'm Grayton, just that rotation
(23:01):
one through five, I'd say they're pretty strong. They're not
yeah what Seattle's throwing out there, They're not you know,
maybe what the Yankees have. But I think that's a
pretty good top, you know tier.
Speaker 1 (23:11):
Yeah, the pasion.
Speaker 3 (23:12):
The big question is if they all if Hunter Brown
is the guy that he was the back half and
then some of last year. If Spencer Arraghetty is that
guy who had a three ERA in the second half
of the season, If Blanco Blanco can build on the
year that he had last year, you're literally having one
of the best rotations in baseball.
Speaker 1 (23:31):
Like I can I can see.
Speaker 3 (23:34):
When through one of the you know, multi verses of
twenty twenty five Houston Astros. There is a universe where
they have the best rotation in baseball. It's just all
those if all those ifs happen, and there's probably a
good chance that either A somebody's gonna get hurt and
b there will be some regression because those guys all
all had career years basically.
Speaker 1 (23:52):
Well, and in the case of Ragetty, he was a rookie,
so there.
Speaker 3 (23:55):
Will be some catching up from other teams and knowing
what they're going to throw and learning repertoires and all
that type of stuff.
Speaker 1 (24:02):
But there's a world where this is a.
Speaker 3 (24:05):
Dominant one through five rotation and this Astro's offense that
we're all worried about in him and haunt about the
outfield production and stuff. Well, hey, if you're winning every
game three to one or whatever, you're still winning games
because you're pitching.
Speaker 1 (24:16):
Is that dominant?
Speaker 2 (24:17):
Yeah? Well, look that's your one through five right now?
Why do I say right now? Because you have some
reinforcements coming. It was funny. There were there were a
few guys sitting off to the side one day at
camp and Joe Spotta was joking around. He comes up
to me, he goes, hey, you know what we call
those guys that the Navy seals. These are the enforced reinforcements.
(24:39):
He goes, these are the guys coming in to help. Yeah,
And it was a funny comparison he was making. It
was like, yeah, because you imagine when they get all
these guys back healthy, you have a surplus of starting pitching.
And here's who we're talking about, and we'll run through
them in order of when we should see them. Lance
mc cullors Junior is still a Houston astro.
Speaker 1 (24:57):
I'm still look I gonna be honest. He threw He's
thrown two and he looked pretty good.
Speaker 2 (25:02):
It looks like Lynce mcallch.
Speaker 3 (25:03):
I know we're all worried. If his name was Steve Smith,
we'd be all talking about how great he looks out there.
And now he's going to contribute. Because his name is
Lynce mcullos Junior. We're all worried he's going to get
hurt again. But I said this on air yesterday. I
got a gut feeling he's gonna he's gonna be productive
this year for the Asher.
Speaker 1 (25:22):
He's going to contribute. He's going to be a contributor.
I was I do feel that.
Speaker 2 (25:25):
I was told a funny story that he was when
he was doing opening this coffee shops, the Maven stuff.
He was doing like a thing with fans, and one
of the guys came up to him, going, hey, man,
when did you retire? They thought he retired because they
hadn't seen him since the World Series twenty two in
Philadelphia's last time Lance McCalls Yeah, in Aster's uniform. So
(25:46):
it's you know you're going on. I mean, calendar wise,
that's twenty twenty two. We are in twenty twenty five,
and it's been that long since Lance mccaller's has pitched
a game. So no, I mean, but it's sounding like
he no. The worst thing we could hear was a
few weeks ago, like, oh he's had a little bit
of a setback. Oh God, everybody throws up their hands,
but it was minor in that. Now he's currently on track,
(26:07):
he's throwing, he's starting to face live hitters. We think
in this next week or so, his goal is to
get into some of the spring training games on the
back end, and then we'll start a rehab assignment with
the Sugarland Space Cowboys and then somewhere in about a
month time. It sounds like like somewhere back end of
April early May is when he could be back with
(26:28):
the Houston Astros. So again it's Lance McCullers. So we
got to say tentatives. But if he comes back, what
does it look like? And yes, he's made it known
he does not want to be a bullpen guy. Now
let's come back as a starter. And frankly, if he
can give you five for time out, you take that.
Because somebody was telling me like, oh, he can't go seven,
I said, Okay, Verlander's gone. Who on this stuff goes seven? Yeah,
(26:50):
like maybe Hunter Brownland wasn't doing it last year anyway, Yeah,
Robber's really gooly goes seven.
Speaker 1 (26:55):
Hunter brown can emerge as that type of guy. I
think so he.
Speaker 2 (26:58):
Could, But I just I think those days are gone
from like we have six when verlader Cole who were
going seven to eight every time out like that, that's abnormal,
like that doesn't exist in this day and age of baseball.
But okay, so maybe a month and we get mccullors,
Louis Garcia, another missing piece we have not seen in
a while. Brian mctagger tweeted this out this morning. He said,
(27:22):
Louis Garcia threw a bullpen yesterday, so he is throwing.
We'll see where he comes back. They're thinking somewhere a
couple of months into the season. But Luis s Garcia
another weapon to get back, and he doesn't rock the
baby anymore.
Speaker 1 (27:38):
Oh that's a yeah.
Speaker 3 (27:39):
I know that has no way to the pitch clock,
but yeah, getting getting Louise Garcia back at some point.
Speaker 1 (27:44):
But I think it feels like mccullor is gonna be
ready early on. Yeah, And I'm starting us shift and
I know we're all talking about injury. Injury, injury.
Speaker 3 (27:52):
Now, this this injury that he had repaired was goes
all the way back to twenty twenty one. It's basically
effectively the same injury, and then he had Tommy John
before that.
Speaker 1 (28:02):
So I understand, and maybe I'm getting my hope.
Speaker 3 (28:05):
So, like I said, remember I told you I came
out of spring training feeling super confident and like optimistic.
So maybe I'm just off my rocker here, but I
am actually feeling more confident than maybe the rest of
the fan base that he can be able to contribute
to the Houston Astros this season. He also talked about
it when you were there, right, He said it was
a fifteen to seventeen month recovery. At fifteen months, he
(28:28):
rushed himself back, so he should be fine. He should
be good to go. I understand we've had setback after
setback after setback, and he could still get hurt the end.
You know, the track record does show that, But I'm
feeling optimistic.
Speaker 2 (28:39):
The other one to keep an eye on outside of
Lance mccollers, Luis Garcia, JP Frantz, it sounds like people
I talked to his goal is kind of All Star break,
like he may be able to get back all post
All Star break and whatever role you need him, like
long leaving into.
Speaker 1 (28:56):
A triple A and then whatever, we'll call you up
when we again.
Speaker 2 (28:59):
Just another arm that you might be able to get
back and then it's sounding like Christian Hovey are just
from where the injury happened that I don't know. I
don't I don't know if he'll do anything. I wouldn't.
Speaker 1 (29:09):
I wouldn't want to count on anything from him.
Speaker 2 (29:11):
Yeah, usually it was that spring training. He was walking around,
he was doing some he was pretty late, right, was
it like July August or somewhere, Yeah, or was it
before that. It was somewhere in there, but it was midsummer.
But yeah, it's just the timeline. I wouldn't lean on him, but.
Speaker 1 (29:27):
It sucks to because June seventh he was throwing those
new hitters.
Speaker 2 (29:31):
Ross and then you get the big contract extension and
you felt really good about Javier being one of your
top three pitchers for the first.
Speaker 3 (29:38):
Middle of the year last year, and what's normally going
to be, you know, eighteen months sometimes two years recovery. Anyways,
I would say, don't even try to count on anything
from Christian Xavier literally unless you're like in the thick
of a playoff race.
Speaker 1 (29:49):
But at the same time.
Speaker 3 (29:50):
Like it feels like Luis Carcia rushed back, feels like
Colors Junior rush back, Like I'm done with the guy's
rushing back and didn't have with JP Frantz last year
he can't. He had an injury, came back. Feels like
he was rushed back because he got hurt again.
Speaker 1 (30:02):
It was out for the year.
Speaker 2 (30:03):
Well, they were in a dire situation. I mean they
needed arms last year, and luckily arra Getty and Hunter
Brown settled down and emerged as to your studs. So
anyway we sell this to say the starting five right now,
we go put about there's some other names who could
come back. And then just to give you two names
to keep an eye on who were knocking on the door.
(30:23):
Ryan Gustow is down in sugar Land. He was supposed
to start Game one sixty two last year and it
got rained out, so he didn't get to make his
big league debut. But he's pitching the Saturday opener in
spring training. Keeping eye on him. And then aj blue Balls,
the other one who was knocking on the door, got
really close to a call up last year and he's
looked really good throughout the spring. I watched him throw
a bullpen the other day and he's got good stuff.
Speaker 3 (30:46):
Man.
Speaker 2 (30:46):
I like him a lot. So those are two names
of keeping on that I can almost guarantee Ross will
make spots starts somewhere this year. Yeah, like they're gonna
get called up very quickly. Let's touch on the bullpen.
This will be a fun one. So you say question marks. Yeah,
so you say goodbye. Well, let's work backwards. Okay, So
ninth inning closer, it's Josh Josh Hater. Bounce back, yere,
(31:07):
I'm ready for it.
Speaker 1 (31:08):
Let's go.
Speaker 2 (31:08):
Which, by the way, MLB Network did their Top one
hundred players, Josh Hater was not in it. Mmm. I
think that's a glaring emssion. Look, you could say he
did his era blew up a little bit last year,
but there was a stretch where he had what twenty
one straight saves or something like that in the season
like twenty nine. I thought, yeah, like, he's still one
of the best closers in baseball. Let's not act like
(31:29):
he's not. So taking him out of the top one
hundred players in baseball thing is absolutely idiotic. But you
got him at ninth in the ninth inning, Brider, Brak,
you all signs points and heat will bump up and
be that eighth inn guy. Now, Bray, you was very
he was a roller coaster last year to me.
Speaker 3 (31:44):
Like, yeah, he no, Well he was shaky to start
and then he kind of was really nails down the stretch.
Speaker 1 (31:50):
Yeah, he just had some he had to go look
it up, but he just had some of those outings.
Speaker 2 (31:53):
Man, it was like base hit or or he'd come
into a one run game and give Bassolo Homer. It's like,
come on to Bray, what are you doing, dude. But
nonetheless he was. He was way more dominant and better
than Ryan Presley I was, to say the least. So
you feel pretty good about those guys. Who would you
go to in the seventh? I feel like maybe Taylor
(32:15):
Scott has maybe earned that spot. Yeah, but they do
like Taylor Scott is kind of a guy they would
go to for an inning plus at times.
Speaker 3 (32:23):
Look, at the end of the day, nobody's going to
be in a set role, nor should they be. It's
about the Matchups's about what part of the line If
it's you know, one, two, three of the lineup and
it's a one run game and it happens to be
the sixth or seventh, I'm okay with Brian A Brad
who going in in there and kind of being your
He's been your your fireman. He's putting out fires all
over the place for you. But yeah, Taylor Scott is
(32:43):
probably the guy that you have put next in line. Yeah,
after the first month of the season. Brian O Brady
last year to eighty seven era. Okay, he's really good.
Speaker 2 (32:51):
So those are your guys. Those are basically probably your
seven eight nine. Who are the other guys, Well, Sean
Dubin is in the mix, the former Lowe's employee. Great
story from him.
Speaker 1 (33:02):
I like Sean duben is, you know, a spot starter
and arm But.
Speaker 2 (33:05):
Nick Hernandez who came up and Pitchford a little bit
last year. How about Brian King what to find in him?
Former McNee state cowboy.
Speaker 1 (33:15):
That left he you need a left He's.
Speaker 2 (33:17):
Got some really good innings last year in his debut.
Caleb Bord another guy former Red Sox that they picked up,
that they liked what they saw to him at times,
and he's been banged up here a little bit lately,
so the hope is he gets back right soon. But
that's another one. And then the guy who missed I
think all last year but was really hot for them
(33:37):
at the back end of two seasons ago. Bennett's SUSA.
That's another guy in the mix, but really Ross that
built all this up to get to the guy that
I think it's go time for one. Forrest Whitley.
Speaker 1 (33:49):
He better make this team or he's gonna be a
free agent.
Speaker 2 (33:51):
The former Astro you know, was one time number one
prospect in the Astros farm system, former draft pick, has
seen it and done it all, gone through everything from
ped what PD suspensions, injuries, fluke injuries and everything. Tommy
Jonathan too, right, Yeah, everything in the book you could
(34:11):
have for Swiftley has had it yet. Made his big
league debut last year and yes, gave up some runs,
but Ross those were unearned. Fort Shately has a zero
point zero earned run you know, e er to his
to his stats.
Speaker 1 (34:26):
But dude is twenty seven years old.
Speaker 2 (34:28):
But when you talk about long relief options, there's not
many options in there.
Speaker 3 (34:34):
Yeah, I just keeping my expectations low. He was good
in Triple A last year when he did play before
getting hurt, So I'm just going to keep expectations low.
But I'm hoping it would be great story, a fantastic story.
What a journey would be for somebody that was one
of the top pitching prospects and all of it. This
was literally a tap ten prospect in baseball to where
(34:57):
he was to go through Tommy John and this is
all this other stuff and all these injuries and come out,
uh and produce.
Speaker 1 (35:05):
That'd be great.
Speaker 3 (35:05):
And that's really the type of stuff that that the
Astros are gonna need in twenty twenty five if they're
gonna not necessarily, I think they can win the division
with the way the team is now, but they're not
one of the favorites. They're not thought up up there
with the Yankees or Oreos of those those teams.
Speaker 2 (35:18):
Trying to see if there's anybody else that I'm missing,
and here Luis Contreras is another arm. Yeah, you mentioned
Bennett Susa, right, I think you mentioned Sousa. Caleb Ord
is dealing with some believe tightness or whatever. I'll tell
you this. They like him a lot. They think he's
I like Caleb Ord too.
Speaker 1 (35:33):
He's been good.
Speaker 2 (35:34):
They think he's gonna he's gonna pitch a good bit.
And then all the other guys are kind of you know,
camp invites that we'll see.
Speaker 1 (35:40):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (35:40):
Look, the bottom line is you only need like two
of those. You need Taylor if Taylor Scott can get
close to what he was last year. You really only
need one of those guys one and a half. Ish,
I'll just say to to kind of come through for you.
Speaker 2 (35:52):
Yeah. So as we wrap up here, Ross, give me,
give me your feeling of this Astros team. They are
vegasasm as the slow light favorites to still win the
AL West, still be a playoff team. How are we feeling?
Speaker 3 (36:05):
Yeah, it depends on what projections you look at. I
think Pakota, which is Baseball perspectives, has them in eighty
four wins. I want to say Zips has him at ninety,
which is crazy. Vangrass has them at like eighty seven.
I'm feeling I'm feeling a good strong eighty nine wins
American League West champs.
Speaker 2 (36:21):
What's up?
Speaker 3 (36:23):
Yeah, we can recalibrate when we do a box cast
before the season start, right.
Speaker 2 (36:27):
Yeah, we'll go in gut feeling right dinnictions. But yeah,
I mean I just the only thing I look at
Ross and I worry about is where's the pop Outside
of jord On Alvarez. You lose Kyle Tucker and Alex Bregman,
who were two of your home run big home run guys.
Speaker 1 (36:44):
Christian Walker him, he's a Paradius him.
Speaker 2 (36:47):
And Paradius with the short porch and letter. The Crawford
Box isn't left. I thought, is both those guys can
zip a lot of balls out that direction. So you
just hope, I mean, okay, so maybe you don't have
a bunch of third already plus home run guys, but
maybe you have multiple twenty home ern guys, like maybe
Chaz finds a stroke and hits twenty four. You know,
like that's what you're gonna kind of need this year.
Speaker 1 (37:09):
And Jacob Meltin, let's go fifteen home runs for dumb
just kidding. Well, maybe a little too optimist.
Speaker 2 (37:15):
Can I get some Ben Gammele home runs? Can that happen?
Speaker 1 (37:17):
I wouldn't count on much. He's thirty two?
Speaker 2 (37:20):
Yeah, Well, there you have it. This is an extended
spring training preview and started the season preview of the
Crawford Box Guests presented by Carbox Brewing and the Crawford
Back Make sure throughout all the spring you are loaded
up on plenty of Crawford bach. It is the taste
I just associated with the astros when I have it.
When you see those tequila sunder ice stripes on the
(37:42):
side of the can you know it is time for
Crawford back. It's always in season and we're in season now.
It is astrospring training. So make sure you guys are
listening on Sports Talks up an I. You can listen
to games on the free iHeartRadio app like I do
and joy yourself. A Crawford Bok for Ross Viil, Chris Gordy.
I'll to you. We'll talk to you guys real soon
right here on the Crawford Box. Guest
Astros fans cheers, Rocky Lucky.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
Welcome to the Crawford Box Casts, proudly for you by
Crawford Bach from Carmack BREWIY. You're getting down there. Oh
my goodness, the Crawford box cast starts now here we go.
Speaker 1 (00:30):
Here's Chris Gordy and Ross via Reel.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
It is an all new addition to the Crawford box Cast,
presented by Carbach Burning, Chris Gory and Ross Viiel, fresh
off separate trips to West Palm Beach. I was down
there for the first few days when pictures and catchers reported,
Ross and Matt Thomas were down there for when position
players reported it really got into the thick of it.
And now here we are on the precipice of the
(00:58):
start of spring train games. And of course all of
our coverage from the start of spring training was presented
by Carbok Purring and the Crawford back Make sure you
guys are loaded up for the start of spring training.
This time of year. Look, I know it's been cold,
it's about to get warmer. This is the time of
year I love to go out in my backyard. Five
up the grill, I pull up Astro Spring Training games
(01:19):
on iHeartRadio, and I enjoy listening to Robert Ford, Steve
Sparks and whatever other collection of hosts they have in there,
Blumber Todd Kallis, all the different guys, and most importantly
sitting in my outdoor lawn chair with an ice cooled
Crawford back in my hands. It is that time of year, folks,
It is go time. Ross, welcome in, Welcome into another
season of Astros baseball.
Speaker 1 (01:40):
Yeah, glad to be back.
Speaker 3 (01:42):
We kind of talk about how the calendar goes with
the off season, and really when Astros FanFest gets here,
we start to feel like the season is coming. And
then now it's basically upon us with spring training in
full swing and the games starting up tomorrow. So it's back.
It's spectacular and really, Gordy, I don't know how if
this happens to you as you're a veteran of going
(02:03):
to these spring training trips. We just came back from
West Palm Landed last night. Like almost every time I
come back, I start to feel more and more optimistic,
like convincing myself that everything is going to be great,
because it starts with like you talk to Dana Brown,
Joe a spot of the players. Everybody's like, hey, I'm
doing this, I'm gonna be better at this, And I'm like, yeah, yeah,
we are going to be better at this. I'm like,
(02:24):
my opinion of my outlook of the twenty five Houston
Astros is like as high as it's been in three
four months.
Speaker 2 (02:31):
Yeah, it's you know, look, there's been a lot of
change and a team that has certainly had to overcome it,
and they're going to have to overcome it from you know,
throughout the years. You lose George Springer and hey, okay,
everything's gonna be fine. You lose Carlos Kraha Man, that
one hurts. Okay, I think we're gonna be fine. You
lose Garrett Cole, you lose you know, this piece, that piece.
I mean, this is the biggest loss though in one season.
(02:53):
When you say goodbye to Alex Bregman, who just a
little over a week ago signs with the Boston Red Sox.
You lose Kyle Tucker via trade. Now, you did get
some good pieces back for Kyle Tucker to soften the
blow there. And then you said goodbye to Justin Verlander,
who left in free agency for the San Francisco Giants.
And Ryan Presley, you traded him away to the Cubs
(03:15):
and basically a salary dump. So four big pieces that
have been part, huge parts of this championship run the
Astros have had you say goodbye to yeah.
Speaker 3 (03:25):
And that's the thing too, Like when George Springer left,
even though it was in a straight center fielder for
centerfielder swap, that was when Kyle Tucker was basically emerging
and in coming into his own and was expected to
be the air apparent as far as a plus outfielder
for the Astros. When Carlos Korea left, even though Jeremy
Paniel wasn't talked about a lot, he wasn't in a
(03:46):
high on a lot of people's prospects list. I think
maybe Baseball Prospectives had him the highest. He was like
seventeenth or something on their list, and he had a
great rookie campaign. Still, the Astros kind of had a.
Speaker 1 (03:56):
Contingency plan there.
Speaker 3 (03:59):
Now with Kyle Yle Tucker gone and Alex Bregman gone,
you're thinking an agri at least in the infield that
Christian Walker and Essock Paradus can give you more production
than what you got there. But as far as outfield,
We're kind of sitting there saying, where's the production gonna
come from? Because what Kyle Tucker did, Maybe at some
point Cam Smith will be ready. He's supposed to play
(04:20):
third base and maybe a little bit of left field.
Maybe at some point Jacob Melton will be ready as well.
But neither of those guys is highly regarded as the
other two. So that's where we get therein lies the
big question mark outfield production, especially with Kyle Tucker out now.
Maybe they're thinking they're going to gain some of that
back move with this jose Al twove and left move,
(04:41):
but at some point the attrition which has hurt to
an extent, you're not anywhere as dominant as you were
as twenty nineteen, but you still won it all in
twenty twenty two. But at some point you have to
hit a tipping point where somebody's going to have to
step up. And we do have a lot of question
marks with that coming up into this season.
Speaker 2 (04:57):
Yeah, and let's get into it with some of the questions.
Obviously in the outfield, we know Jake Myers is probably
going to be in center and Chas McCormick in right now.
Both those guys have to stay healthy. But there's been
the conversation and Joe spot I said all throughout spring
training they want to get Jordan on Alvarez off his
feet and basically a permanent DH. You know. He was
(05:20):
even asked, I think Jordan played about forty games on
left field last year. A Spota said that's way too many,
and I think it was Matt Kauerharror of the Houston Chronicle.
Ass so what like half that? Like twenty? He goes,
I don't want to put a number on it, but
you get the idea. We don't want Ord on the left,
so you take that away, and now it's the whole
swapperoo basically of because I saw people like doing depth
(05:43):
charts like, oh, Dubon, Dubon's just left field, Yeah, Duboni left,
and then Jake Myers and Kaz and then this Jose
al twove thing started. It started with the conversation about Bregman. Oh,
if he comes back, we can move al tuo ve
to left field. But it sounds like those conversations about
al tu Veda left field were already being laid because
we talked about it in the box Gast many months,
(06:03):
for many months. Ol two vase defense has dipped, but
you still need his batting three hundred bat in the lineup.
So in order to do that, al tuove to left
field became a real thing, and it is a very
real thing.
Speaker 3 (06:16):
Yeah, and we talked about with Joe Spotta when we
had him on the Bat Thomas Show with Ross. At
first he told us off air, he was like, guys,
this is not something that just came out of the
left field, and then we did bring it up on air.
I'm pretty sure, so I'm not talking out of school here,
but yeah, it's just something that has been discussed. And
if we go look at the advanced ment of the
altzeba's average, the fielding Bible, deserve runs saved, all that
(06:39):
type of stuff. If you look at the bottom of
the barrel as far as second base defense, there you
are going to find somewhere jose al Tuovey. So this
has been thought of, This has been talked about. He's
turning thirty five years old in May, and it kind
of makes sense to get the ball rolling now to
where he's hitting that age two of your prospects that
(07:00):
you want to come up play in the infield. Talking
about Bryce Matthews, and camp Smith. You need outfield production
and you don't you're going to have. You're taking away
a huge negative as far as that infield defense, and
I'm hoping he's about average and left field. If he
goes from a huge negative and second base and he's
average and left that's a win, especially if you are
(07:21):
going to put Dubond and we'll see what happens with
Brendan Rodgers, others, et cetera. But yeah, getting the ball
rolling now makes sense. If you're like me, which I
think you were, Gordy. We kind of scoffed and laughed
at it when we first heard it. Yeah, but when
you start to sit down and think about it, it
makes a lot of sense.
Speaker 2 (07:36):
Yeah, it's the one position, particularly at minute Maine. I mean,
it's just all about playing the ball off the wall.
If it's high up, it's going to bounce off the wall,
you know, ificalla, just just get the ball in. I
talk with Joe Spot about this when I was at
you know, in wes Palm. He was telling me how
teams are very careful at min and made Park about
sending runners from second to home because that left field,
(08:00):
so you know, there's not much room to play with.
There any competent left fielder that gets the ball really in,
really quick, you're not gonna be able to steal home.
So he's like even Gary Pettis, who was one of
the most aggressive base coaches at third base, like they
kind of they were very sensitive about when they would
send a guy from second to home because of that
(08:22):
short area and left and so I do think that's
Behooves al Tuovey with that space. The question will be
the ross on the road and some of these more
cavernous ballparks, you know, do you want Altuve out left field?
You know, with some of those areas that have like
Toronto has got a huge area to cover, Like do
you want him out there? So it'll be fascinating to see.
(08:42):
But I'm looking at ESPN right now. Their depth chart
online has already updated this to reflect it. Scott Theano
Diaz a catcher, Christian Walker at first, Mauricio du Bonn
as you're starting second base in basement, Jeremy Penny at short,
essak Paridis at third, with Jose al tuove and left,
Jake Myers at center, and Chess McCormick and right with
the order on your DH look none of this is
(09:02):
set in stone, right. I mean, they're gonna try this
throughout spring training. As long as Jose can shag fly
balls and deal with the sun and the wind and
the elements, they're gonna give this a go. But if
they have to go back, they'll go back. But I
do think just look at that infield to Bond and
Paradis like that is a pretty a pretty solid defensive
(09:25):
infield and no defense against Altuve, but it just it
solves a lot of problems with her. And we go
a call her the other day, who I think, Ashawn Salisbury,
how do you send a Hall of fame second basement
out to left field? How do you do that? And
the answered simple, He's a Hall of Fame hitter, not
a Hall of Fame defender. No right, especially right now.
Speaker 3 (09:44):
Yeah, his gold glove was ten years ago at this point.
And actually now I just remembered this. I remember being
told that this was like, you know, you couldn't talk
about it at the time. I remember were hearing and
thinking it was crazy. It was like in twenty twenty,
twenty twenty one, whenever DJ lem Mayhew was a free agent,
(10:06):
I had heard that they the Astros were thinking about
signing dj lem Mayhew, playing him at second and then
moving al Tuve to left. That was four years ago,
so this has probably been in the pipeline or at
least talked about or floated about as an idea for
quite some time.
Speaker 2 (10:22):
Which they would have done that. He's a former LHU Tiger. Yeah,
and now we have no LSU Tigers on the team.
I'll expect about baby. The other part of this too
is in twenty twenty three, Racio Dubon became the first
Honduran to win a Gold Glove award. He he is
really good defensively, so him being at second base, like
it's it's you, that's the quiet thing. Nobody wants to
(10:46):
say outright, but we're saying it outright. You have upgraded defensively,
putting Devon a second over Josel Tuv. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (10:52):
And you know, Joe Spot is not going to go
out there and say that. Dana Brown's not gonna go
out there and say that. But they have the numbers
that we all look at, and you know we we
there are arguments between people like oh, eye tests and
all look at it.
Speaker 1 (11:03):
His fielding percentage is really good.
Speaker 3 (11:05):
Look focus twenty twenty five moneyball was what like over
twenty years ago. Now at this point, these people know
about the zone ratings and metrics and all that type
of stuff, And quite frankly, a thirty five year old
who's five foot six is not gonna move around as
much as somebody who's younger, taller, lengthier can get two
more balls.
Speaker 1 (11:24):
So, yeah, he's wasn't making a lot of errors.
Speaker 3 (11:26):
He's still good at flipping double plays all that type
of stuff, makes good quick throws. But if you're not
having the range, that's where he suffers. So you have
to kind of put him somewhere else where he's not
gonna hurt you as much. And this is a transition
that needs to be made. He's under contract for what
four more years at this point?
Speaker 2 (11:43):
I think.
Speaker 3 (11:43):
So he's under contract for four more years. You can't
play him at second base for four more years. Get
it going now, I'm on board with it.
Speaker 2 (11:51):
Yeah, and again we're gonna we're gonna find out, like
I said, not sitting stone, if he gets out there,
somebody spring crany games and he's making errors and balls,
you know, the wind catches it and it's dropping it.
But you know what oult team has always been good
out How many times does he run out into the
outfield from his second base spot to go truck out
a ball like he's been really good at that.
Speaker 3 (12:10):
Yeah, I don't think we should. I don't think either
of were saying leftfield's gonna be tough. It's gonna be hard,
it's gonna be a transition. There are gonna be some
bumps in the road, and the very first time that
he misplays a ball or he misses the cutoff man
or whatever, it's gonna go viral. It is, it's gonna
be a look at this, Oh, look at the astros,
Look at these idiots.
Speaker 1 (12:28):
Why would they do this? It's going to be a process.
Speaker 3 (12:34):
He's not gonna be first of all, he's probably never
he's never gonna be a gold glover and left and
it's certainly not gonna happen overnight for him to hit
his ceiling as a left field defender. But that's why
you do it now, that's why you have spring training.
That's why he's working out there in drills. You work
out the kinks, you get it to where it's serviceable
enough this year. You're not gonna throw him out there
(12:55):
for one hundred games and left any ways this year,
and you kind of make that transition slow going as
we go along. It's going to be a process and
I'm glad they got that process started now.
Speaker 2 (13:03):
Yeah, so experiment started. We will see how this goes
as they get into spring training games. The other part
is the outfield, and yes, we are all banking on
Jake Myers and Chas mccork but I will tell you
from what several people I talk to down in West
Palm told me about Jake Myers. They basically said they
(13:24):
love his defense. They think he's a plus defender. They
don't care what he does with the bat. Now they're
being phasitious. They want it. He can't bat zero zero zero, Yeah,
you're going to do something. But he's gonna bat ninth
in the lineup and whatever he gives you offensively great.
The flip side is Chas McCormick. They have high hopes
for him. We've seen times where Chas's bat has come
(13:46):
on and Chas is great defensively. I mean, he'll always
live on for the what the Catch and Philly or
the World Series. Uh, you know, phenomenal defensive play. But
he's gonna bring it defensively, but he has got to
bring it at the plate this year. We have to
see a more confident chasm Cormick get the plate and
if he struggles at all, there are other guys who
are gonna get opportunities. They brought back Ben Gammele who
(14:07):
finished the season here last year, kind of a journeyman
who's played a bunch of different teams, played with the Mets.
They're they're gonna give him an opportunity. And then Taylor
Tremmel another guy who young guy, one of our favorite interviews,
Master Tranfest. You know, play with the Yankees, play with
the Mariners. The batting average has not been there, but
they're banking on, you know, throughout this spring training. They're
(14:28):
gonna get a lot of reps and we'll see if
something clicks with them. And then there's the other cases
of Zach Dezenzo, young prospect. They really like Shay Whitcomb,
a guy they really like their top prospect. Now Cam
Smith has said he's a third baseman, but they're gonna
experiment and play him in the corner outfield spots. So yeah,
maybe something emerges from some of those guys. But that's
(14:48):
kind of where you are as far as outfield depth goes.
Speaker 3 (14:52):
Yeah, Unfortunately, the way that this team is built right now,
the way that Jim Crane is trying to stay under
the text, they are going to look internally for most
of their options. And all those guys you listen, they're
just hoping. All you need is one of those guys
to work out. And I don't know who it's going
to be. I don't know to what level, but you
got a lot of games. You're gonna be flipping those
(15:13):
guys around. Joe Spotta talked about it. A bunch of
guys have an opportunity. They're gonna get shots. Unfortunately, they're
only going to get a small sample size to get
those shots. But it's gonna be it's basically like a tryouts.
Who's looking good, who's gonna get the hot hand, who's
going to prove themselves and earn some playing time.
Speaker 1 (15:29):
It's absolutely out there for the taking right now in
this outfield for the Astros.
Speaker 2 (15:33):
Yeah, and hope is just something emergence. Look, I've seen
everybody say, oh, well, this guy's available, that guy's available.
They made it known when they traded Kyle Tucker and
then even when they moved Ryan Presley. The goal was
to get under the luxury tax here. Jim Crane did
not like doing it. You call them cheap, you can
say whatever you want. They have one of the highest
payrolls in baseball. They just didn't want to be in
(15:55):
that luxury tax for whatever reason, and so they got
under it. They're not going to go out and add
a big free agent, you know. I mean, I think
they called on some tandair, but yeah, nothing really came
of that. So this is what it is. And the
good news is, and I've talked to some people about this.
This off season, Jose Brady's money comes off the books
and Rafael Montero's money comes off the books, two bus contracts.
(16:18):
But they will have in other words, they're gonna have
more money to spend this next offseason. So maybe they
go get that outfielder next off season. Whatever. We'll see
when they get there. But for this season, this is
kind of what you got.
Speaker 1 (16:30):
Yeah. Uh.
Speaker 3 (16:32):
And you're just hoping for You're gonna hope for the
internal growth, like I said, hopefully. Maybe let's just pray
that Jacob Melton is just like completely mashing at the
beginning of the year, triple.
Speaker 2 (16:41):
Out and he's a little bit banged up right now,
so he's not doing anything. Well you didn't see him out.
Speaker 1 (16:47):
There, right, No I didn't.
Speaker 2 (16:48):
Yeah he was, he's been banged up, fantastic. Yeah, this
is where Joey Lo Braffito would have been.
Speaker 3 (16:55):
Hey, oh please, he's striking out a lot.
Speaker 2 (16:58):
Yeah, the too much you got from you say, Kaku,
she was great. But now he is a Los Angeles
angel and Joey lit Brafido is a blue Jay and
you don't have either of those guys. That's what stings
about trade moves, but it is what's right.
Speaker 1 (17:09):
We got pedro leone. He just put him out there.
Speaker 2 (17:12):
His name has not even come up now, I mean that's.
Speaker 1 (17:15):
He was in camp. I saw on him. Say how
old does he know? He's like twenty eight?
Speaker 2 (17:19):
He's he knows bring chicken twenty six, will be twenty seven. Yeah, okay,
but no, he's a guy. Just I wouldn't.
Speaker 1 (17:29):
He's a quadruple player.
Speaker 3 (17:30):
It looks like unfortunately, because I mean it did seem
like a big coup and they were able to sign him.
They sign him to a bunch of money at international money,
like a million or two.
Speaker 2 (17:38):
Yeah, No, He's a guy who's been talking about for
many years in the system. He's just every year when
they do his MLB Prospect ranking four.
Speaker 1 (17:45):
Million dollars in twenty twenty one.
Speaker 2 (17:47):
Yeah, every year when those MLB Prospect rankings come out,
he's dropped in those rankings. Every year goes. Let's talk
about infield depth. We know Jan Ardiez behind him plate.
We feel pretty good about Victor Carrottini as the backup catcher.
I feel pretty good about Sezar Salazar, your third catcher.
I think I think at some point this year they
may carry three cat I think it behooves you.
Speaker 3 (18:08):
Yeah, But also I think as we kind of gloss
over that and say we're set, this is a thing
though the Astros haven't really wanted to play Yanar Diaz
as a set and forget everyday type of catcher.
Speaker 1 (18:20):
What you did, what you're able to do last year
is you.
Speaker 3 (18:23):
Were able to play a little bit of Kroteni at first,
to play both, I mean smattering of youan yourdas at
first they don't like that.
Speaker 1 (18:29):
But putting him at d H.
Speaker 3 (18:31):
But if you're wanting to use all your DH days
with Jordon Alvarez, what's going to happen there. So I
am actually pretty curious to see what happens there. And
by the way, first base is taken up by this guy,
Christian Walker, who's going to be there every night.
Speaker 2 (18:43):
Well, I hate to put this out in the ether,
but odds are your I will to miss some games
this year. He doesn't. He does it every year, So
maybe those are you off the podcast, get out here.
I'm just saying, I'm just saying it's happened. But uh no,
I mean that's where Joe said, like, we want him
off his feet, we want him just dching, and that's it.
(19:05):
Just you want to focus on hitting. We don't want
you track and fly balls. Won't you doing anything? Just dhing?
But again, let's cross our fingers and hope, hope he
stays healthy. But in terms of infield depth, you know,
if we're putting Walker at first John Singleton, yes, as
of right now is the backup first base. I don't
know if he makes it up, but I see little
to no value to carrying him. I mean again, like
(19:26):
you appreciate him for what he gave you last year,
but in all honesty, I would rather take a flyer
on a Shay Whitcomb or a Zach Desenzo and platoon
that Hey, you're gonna be the backup first baseman for
whatever two times a month or whatever it is that
he would play because Christian Walker, they said, is durable
and he plans to be at first for majority of
the season.
Speaker 1 (19:46):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (19:46):
We had him on and and he was you know,
Matt and I were just talking to him like, hey,
have they talked about your role dhing first? But whatever,
He's like, no, I'm gonna be out there. He wants
to be out there every day. And Joe's about to
said the same thing. So as long as he's healthy,
Christian Walker, he he's going You want to see a
three Christian Walker on the lineup card.
Speaker 2 (20:02):
Yeah, and he's not a guy like you'd be pinch
hitting for late in the game or like I just
think he's he's gonna be in there every day. So
the backup first baseman. Sorry, John Singleton. If if numbers
crunching time comes, I'm saying goodbye to you. Uh Dubon
at second. They brought in Brendan Rodgers from Colorado. This
just happened in the past week. They're gonna give him
(20:23):
every opportunity throughout spring training to prove what he can do.
If he hits, he might be the guy that you keep.
And then Zach Dezenzo, Shay Whitcombe, we'll send you over
sugar Land because we're keeping this guy. So that's kind
of a little bit of flexibility there.
Speaker 3 (20:37):
Yeah, well we'll see what happened with Brendan Rodger is
a Gold Glover career op Okay, so average ops plus
or those you don't know, is one hundred. He's a
career ninety guys, so ten percent below average. Yeah, outside
of Corsfield, he hasn't been very good.
Speaker 2 (20:49):
I should mention another guy that he had gotten there
the day I got down the spring training Luis Ski
or may big bearded guy play with you can't hit?
Speaker 1 (20:58):
It is great.
Speaker 2 (20:59):
And so again he's in camp. We'll see what happens
with him.
Speaker 3 (21:02):
And the bottom line is three hundred hitting eight hundred
oh ps. Second basement don't grow on trees. Yeah, you
had one in Josel twov for years. He's declining and
unfortunately his defense is declined, so you're putting him a
little bit more on left. But Josel two bait will
play some second for the astros.
Speaker 2 (21:16):
But here's the and this is the problem where if
you're penciling in Dubon as your everyday second baseman, who's
your ultimate utility guy? Like that was the great thing
about Dubon was he could literally play every position you
could put him out there.
Speaker 3 (21:30):
Yeah, but I also think you're gonna have guys who
want to be on Christian Walker is gonna want to
be out there every day.
Speaker 1 (21:34):
Same thing.
Speaker 3 (21:34):
This is all of course, barring health, Jeremy Pania and
then Esak Paradis, You're gonna be playing those guys basically
every day. So there's not a whole lot of room
for Dubon to be that kind of play everywhere super
utility guy. Because the only guy who's like in his
thirties that you want to be spelling for extra days
it would be Joseel Twova. So Dubon will play some second there.
Speaker 2 (21:55):
Yeah, and Paradis is twenty six, still relatively young guy,
So I don't know that's throughout the spring training I want.
I would love to see one of Shay Whitcomber's acta
Zenzo just really tear the cover off the ball, Like
if one of those guys give you something, I go,
all right, that's my utility guy. You're you're you're you know,
you're with us when when the season starts, and we'll
(22:17):
go from there. Yeah. So there I have. That's the lineup,
and that's that's uh, you know, defensive positions and all that.
Let's talk pitching. Let's do it starting five. I feel
pretty good about from ber Vealdez, Yes, Hunter Brown, Yes,
Spencer Arraghetti, Yes, Reno Blanco you can flip him how
(22:40):
you for whatever, and then slat in the five spot.
Right now, it feels like it's Hayden Wizzsky, the Houston
native that was part of the Cups trade for Kyle
Tucker and seems like a pretty durable, pretty good guy
that can again, you just asked him to be your
number five guy, and it looks like he can. He
can own that role. If I'm Grayton, just that rotation
(23:01):
one through five, I'd say they're pretty strong. They're not
yeah what Seattle's throwing out there, They're not you know,
maybe what the Yankees have. But I think that's a
pretty good top, you know tier.
Speaker 1 (23:11):
Yeah, the pasion.
Speaker 3 (23:12):
The big question is if they all if Hunter Brown
is the guy that he was the back half and
then some of last year. If Spencer Arraghetty is that
guy who had a three ERA in the second half
of the season, If Blanco Blanco can build on the
year that he had last year, you're literally having one
of the best rotations in baseball.
Speaker 1 (23:31):
Like I can I can see.
Speaker 3 (23:34):
When through one of the you know, multi verses of
twenty twenty five Houston Astros. There is a universe where
they have the best rotation in baseball. It's just all
those if all those ifs happen, and there's probably a
good chance that either A somebody's gonna get hurt and
b there will be some regression because those guys all
all had career years basically.
Speaker 1 (23:52):
Well, and in the case of Ragetty, he was a rookie,
so there.
Speaker 3 (23:55):
Will be some catching up from other teams and knowing
what they're going to throw and learning repertoires and all
that type of stuff.
Speaker 1 (24:02):
But there's a world where this is a.
Speaker 3 (24:05):
Dominant one through five rotation and this Astro's offense that
we're all worried about in him and haunt about the
outfield production and stuff. Well, hey, if you're winning every
game three to one or whatever, you're still winning games
because you're pitching.
Speaker 1 (24:16):
Is that dominant?
Speaker 2 (24:17):
Yeah? Well, look that's your one through five right now?
Why do I say right now? Because you have some
reinforcements coming. It was funny. There were there were a
few guys sitting off to the side one day at
camp and Joe Spotta was joking around. He comes up
to me, he goes, hey, you know what we call
those guys that the Navy seals. These are the enforced reinforcements.
(24:39):
He goes, these are the guys coming in to help. Yeah,
And it was a funny comparison he was making. It
was like, yeah, because you imagine when they get all
these guys back healthy, you have a surplus of starting pitching.
And here's who we're talking about, and we'll run through
them in order of when we should see them. Lance
mc cullors Junior is still a Houston astro.
Speaker 1 (24:57):
I'm still look I gonna be honest. He threw He's
thrown two and he looked pretty good.
Speaker 2 (25:02):
It looks like Lynce mcallch.
Speaker 3 (25:03):
I know we're all worried. If his name was Steve Smith,
we'd be all talking about how great he looks out there.
And now he's going to contribute. Because his name is
Lynce mcullos Junior. We're all worried he's going to get
hurt again. But I said this on air yesterday. I
got a gut feeling he's gonna he's gonna be productive
this year for the Asher.
Speaker 1 (25:22):
He's going to contribute. He's going to be a contributor.
I was I do feel that.
Speaker 2 (25:25):
I was told a funny story that he was when
he was doing opening this coffee shops, the Maven stuff.
He was doing like a thing with fans, and one
of the guys came up to him, going, hey, man,
when did you retire? They thought he retired because they
hadn't seen him since the World Series twenty two in
Philadelphia's last time Lance McCalls Yeah, in Aster's uniform. So
(25:46):
it's you know you're going on. I mean, calendar wise,
that's twenty twenty two. We are in twenty twenty five,
and it's been that long since Lance mccaller's has pitched
a game. So no, I mean, but it's sounding like
he no. The worst thing we could hear was a
few weeks ago, like, oh he's had a little bit
of a setback. Oh God, everybody throws up their hands,
but it was minor in that. Now he's currently on track,
(26:07):
he's throwing, he's starting to face live hitters. We think
in this next week or so, his goal is to
get into some of the spring training games on the
back end, and then we'll start a rehab assignment with
the Sugarland Space Cowboys and then somewhere in about a
month time. It sounds like like somewhere back end of
April early May is when he could be back with
(26:28):
the Houston Astros. So again it's Lance McCullers. So we
got to say tentatives. But if he comes back, what
does it look like? And yes, he's made it known
he does not want to be a bullpen guy. Now
let's come back as a starter. And frankly, if he
can give you five for time out, you take that.
Because somebody was telling me like, oh, he can't go seven,
I said, Okay, Verlander's gone. Who on this stuff goes seven? Yeah,
(26:50):
like maybe Hunter Brownland wasn't doing it last year anyway, Yeah,
Robber's really gooly goes seven.
Speaker 1 (26:55):
Hunter brown can emerge as that type of guy. I
think so he.
Speaker 2 (26:58):
Could, But I just I think those days are gone
from like we have six when verlader Cole who were
going seven to eight every time out like that, that's abnormal,
like that doesn't exist in this day and age of baseball.
But okay, so maybe a month and we get mccullors,
Louis Garcia, another missing piece we have not seen in
a while. Brian mctagger tweeted this out this morning. He said,
(27:22):
Louis Garcia threw a bullpen yesterday, so he is throwing.
We'll see where he comes back. They're thinking somewhere a
couple of months into the season. But Luis s Garcia
another weapon to get back, and he doesn't rock the
baby anymore.
Speaker 1 (27:38):
Oh that's a yeah.
Speaker 3 (27:39):
I know that has no way to the pitch clock,
but yeah, getting getting Louise Garcia back at some point.
Speaker 1 (27:44):
But I think it feels like mccullor is gonna be
ready early on. Yeah, And I'm starting us shift and
I know we're all talking about injury. Injury, injury.
Speaker 3 (27:52):
Now, this this injury that he had repaired was goes
all the way back to twenty twenty one. It's basically
effectively the same injury, and then he had Tommy John
before that.
Speaker 1 (28:02):
So I understand, and maybe I'm getting my hope.
Speaker 3 (28:05):
So, like I said, remember I told you I came
out of spring training feeling super confident and like optimistic.
So maybe I'm just off my rocker here, but I
am actually feeling more confident than maybe the rest of
the fan base that he can be able to contribute
to the Houston Astros this season. He also talked about
it when you were there, right, He said it was
a fifteen to seventeen month recovery. At fifteen months, he
(28:28):
rushed himself back, so he should be fine. He should
be good to go. I understand we've had setback after
setback after setback, and he could still get hurt the end.
You know, the track record does show that, But I'm
feeling optimistic.
Speaker 2 (28:39):
The other one to keep an eye on outside of
Lance mccollers, Luis Garcia, JP Frantz, it sounds like people
I talked to his goal is kind of All Star break,
like he may be able to get back all post
All Star break and whatever role you need him, like
long leaving into.
Speaker 1 (28:56):
A triple A and then whatever, we'll call you up
when we again.
Speaker 2 (28:59):
Just another arm that you might be able to get
back and then it's sounding like Christian Hovey are just
from where the injury happened that I don't know. I
don't I don't know if he'll do anything. I wouldn't.
Speaker 1 (29:09):
I wouldn't want to count on anything from him.
Speaker 2 (29:11):
Yeah, usually it was that spring training. He was walking around,
he was doing some he was pretty late, right, was
it like July August or somewhere, Yeah, or was it
before that. It was somewhere in there, but it was midsummer.
But yeah, it's just the timeline. I wouldn't lean on him, but.
Speaker 1 (29:27):
It sucks to because June seventh he was throwing those
new hitters.
Speaker 2 (29:31):
Ross and then you get the big contract extension and
you felt really good about Javier being one of your
top three pitchers for the first.
Speaker 3 (29:38):
Middle of the year last year, and what's normally going
to be, you know, eighteen months sometimes two years recovery. Anyways,
I would say, don't even try to count on anything
from Christian Xavier literally unless you're like in the thick
of a playoff race.
Speaker 1 (29:49):
But at the same time.
Speaker 3 (29:50):
Like it feels like Luis Carcia rushed back, feels like
Colors Junior rush back, Like I'm done with the guy's
rushing back and didn't have with JP Frantz last year
he can't. He had an injury, came back. Feels like
he was rushed back because he got hurt again.
Speaker 1 (30:02):
It was out for the year.
Speaker 2 (30:03):
Well, they were in a dire situation. I mean they
needed arms last year, and luckily arra Getty and Hunter
Brown settled down and emerged as to your studs. So
anyway we sell this to say the starting five right now,
we go put about there's some other names who could
come back. And then just to give you two names
to keep an eye on who were knocking on the door.
(30:23):
Ryan Gustow is down in sugar Land. He was supposed
to start Game one sixty two last year and it
got rained out, so he didn't get to make his
big league debut. But he's pitching the Saturday opener in
spring training. Keeping eye on him. And then aj blue Balls,
the other one who was knocking on the door, got
really close to a call up last year and he's
looked really good throughout the spring. I watched him throw
a bullpen the other day and he's got good stuff.
Speaker 3 (30:46):
Man.
Speaker 2 (30:46):
I like him a lot. So those are two names
of keeping on that I can almost guarantee Ross will
make spots starts somewhere this year. Yeah, like they're gonna
get called up very quickly. Let's touch on the bullpen.
This will be a fun one. So you say question marks. Yeah,
so you say goodbye. Well, let's work backwards. Okay, So
ninth inning closer, it's Josh Josh Hater. Bounce back, yere,
(31:07):
I'm ready for it.
Speaker 1 (31:08):
Let's go.
Speaker 2 (31:08):
Which, by the way, MLB Network did their Top one
hundred players, Josh Hater was not in it. Mmm. I
think that's a glaring emssion. Look, you could say he
did his era blew up a little bit last year,
but there was a stretch where he had what twenty
one straight saves or something like that in the season
like twenty nine. I thought, yeah, like, he's still one
of the best closers in baseball. Let's not act like
(31:29):
he's not. So taking him out of the top one
hundred players in baseball thing is absolutely idiotic. But you
got him at ninth in the ninth inning, Brider, Brak,
you all signs points and heat will bump up and
be that eighth inn guy. Now, Bray, you was very
he was a roller coaster last year to me.
Speaker 3 (31:44):
Like, yeah, he no, Well he was shaky to start
and then he kind of was really nails down the stretch.
Speaker 1 (31:50):
Yeah, he just had some he had to go look
it up, but he just had some of those outings.
Speaker 2 (31:53):
Man, it was like base hit or or he'd come
into a one run game and give Bassolo Homer. It's like,
come on to Bray, what are you doing, dude. But
nonetheless he was. He was way more dominant and better
than Ryan Presley I was, to say the least. So
you feel pretty good about those guys. Who would you
go to in the seventh? I feel like maybe Taylor
(32:15):
Scott has maybe earned that spot. Yeah, but they do
like Taylor Scott is kind of a guy they would
go to for an inning plus at times.
Speaker 3 (32:23):
Look, at the end of the day, nobody's going to
be in a set role, nor should they be. It's
about the Matchups's about what part of the line If
it's you know, one, two, three of the lineup and
it's a one run game and it happens to be
the sixth or seventh, I'm okay with Brian A Brad
who going in in there and kind of being your
He's been your your fireman. He's putting out fires all
over the place for you. But yeah, Taylor Scott is
(32:43):
probably the guy that you have put next in line. Yeah,
after the first month of the season. Brian O Brady
last year to eighty seven era. Okay, he's really good.
Speaker 2 (32:51):
So those are your guys. Those are basically probably your
seven eight nine. Who are the other guys, Well, Sean
Dubin is in the mix, the former Lowe's employee. Great
story from him.
Speaker 1 (33:02):
I like Sean duben is, you know, a spot starter
and arm But.
Speaker 2 (33:05):
Nick Hernandez who came up and Pitchford a little bit
last year. How about Brian King what to find in him?
Former McNee state cowboy.
Speaker 1 (33:15):
That left he you need a left He's.
Speaker 2 (33:17):
Got some really good innings last year in his debut.
Caleb Bord another guy former Red Sox that they picked up,
that they liked what they saw to him at times,
and he's been banged up here a little bit lately,
so the hope is he gets back right soon. But
that's another one. And then the guy who missed I
think all last year but was really hot for them
(33:37):
at the back end of two seasons ago. Bennett's SUSA.
That's another guy in the mix, but really Ross that
built all this up to get to the guy that
I think it's go time for one. Forrest Whitley.
Speaker 1 (33:49):
He better make this team or he's gonna be a
free agent.
Speaker 2 (33:51):
The former Astro you know, was one time number one
prospect in the Astros farm system, former draft pick, has
seen it and done it all, gone through everything from
ped what PD suspensions, injuries, fluke injuries and everything. Tommy
Jonathan too, right, Yeah, everything in the book you could
(34:11):
have for Swiftley has had it yet. Made his big
league debut last year and yes, gave up some runs,
but Ross those were unearned. Fort Shately has a zero
point zero earned run you know, e er to his
to his stats.
Speaker 1 (34:26):
But dude is twenty seven years old.
Speaker 2 (34:28):
But when you talk about long relief options, there's not
many options in there.
Speaker 3 (34:34):
Yeah, I just keeping my expectations low. He was good
in Triple A last year when he did play before
getting hurt, So I'm just going to keep expectations low.
But I'm hoping it would be great story, a fantastic story.
What a journey would be for somebody that was one
of the top pitching prospects and all of it. This
was literally a tap ten prospect in baseball to where
(34:57):
he was to go through Tommy John and this is
all this other stuff and all these injuries and come out,
uh and produce.
Speaker 1 (35:05):
That'd be great.
Speaker 3 (35:05):
And that's really the type of stuff that that the
Astros are gonna need in twenty twenty five if they're
gonna not necessarily, I think they can win the division
with the way the team is now, but they're not
one of the favorites. They're not thought up up there
with the Yankees or Oreos of those those teams.
Speaker 2 (35:18):
Trying to see if there's anybody else that I'm missing,
and here Luis Contreras is another arm. Yeah, you mentioned
Bennett Susa, right, I think you mentioned Sousa. Caleb Ord
is dealing with some believe tightness or whatever. I'll tell
you this. They like him a lot. They think he's
I like Caleb Ord too.
Speaker 1 (35:33):
He's been good.
Speaker 2 (35:34):
They think he's gonna he's gonna pitch a good bit.
And then all the other guys are kind of you know,
camp invites that we'll see.
Speaker 1 (35:40):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (35:40):
Look, the bottom line is you only need like two
of those. You need Taylor if Taylor Scott can get
close to what he was last year. You really only
need one of those guys one and a half. Ish,
I'll just say to to kind of come through for you.
Speaker 2 (35:52):
Yeah. So as we wrap up here, Ross, give me,
give me your feeling of this Astros team. They are
vegasasm as the slow light favorites to still win the
AL West, still be a playoff team. How are we feeling?
Speaker 3 (36:05):
Yeah, it depends on what projections you look at. I
think Pakota, which is Baseball perspectives, has them in eighty
four wins. I want to say Zips has him at ninety,
which is crazy. Vangrass has them at like eighty seven.
I'm feeling I'm feeling a good strong eighty nine wins
American League West champs.
Speaker 2 (36:21):
What's up?
Speaker 3 (36:23):
Yeah, we can recalibrate when we do a box cast
before the season start, right.
Speaker 2 (36:27):
Yeah, we'll go in gut feeling right dinnictions. But yeah,
I mean I just the only thing I look at
Ross and I worry about is where's the pop Outside
of jord On Alvarez. You lose Kyle Tucker and Alex Bregman,
who were two of your home run big home run guys.
Speaker 1 (36:44):
Christian Walker him, he's a Paradius him.
Speaker 2 (36:47):
And Paradius with the short porch and letter. The Crawford
Box isn't left. I thought, is both those guys can
zip a lot of balls out that direction. So you
just hope, I mean, okay, so maybe you don't have
a bunch of third already plus home run guys, but
maybe you have multiple twenty home ern guys, like maybe
Chaz finds a stroke and hits twenty four. You know,
like that's what you're gonna kind of need this year.
Speaker 1 (37:09):
And Jacob Meltin, let's go fifteen home runs for dumb
just kidding. Well, maybe a little too optimist.
Speaker 2 (37:15):
Can I get some Ben Gammele home runs? Can that happen?
Speaker 1 (37:17):
I wouldn't count on much. He's thirty two?
Speaker 2 (37:20):
Yeah, Well, there you have it. This is an extended
spring training preview and started the season preview of the
Crawford Box Guests presented by Carbox Brewing and the Crawford
Back Make sure throughout all the spring you are loaded
up on plenty of Crawford bach. It is the taste
I just associated with the astros when I have it.
When you see those tequila sunder ice stripes on the
(37:42):
side of the can you know it is time for
Crawford back. It's always in season and we're in season now.
It is astrospring training. So make sure you guys are
listening on Sports Talks up an I. You can listen
to games on the free iHeartRadio app like I do
and joy yourself. A Crawford Bok for Ross Viil, Chris Gordy.
I'll to you. We'll talk to you guys real soon
right here on the Crawford Box. Guest
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