PUT A BOW ON IT!
Here's the perfect way for the Astros to put their final stamp on the offseason
Dec 22, 2022, 3:49 pm
Framber Valdez would look good in an Astros uniform long-term. Composite image by Brandon Strange.
The Houston Astros have made multiple moves in free agency, headlined by the signing of José Abreu, but the 2022 World Series Champions should also take this offseason to sign two of their stars before their price gets even higher.
Pitcher Framber Valdez and right fielder Kyle Tucker each had a strong 2022 season for the Astros and played key roles in the team’s postseason run. One thing Houston has seen over the past few seasons is that it needs to lock down their key players early before they hit the open market.
After the Astros won their first World Series Championship in 2017, Houston turned around and reached an agreement with Jose Altuve just before the 2018 regular season began. The Astros were able to reach deals with third baseman Alex Bregman ahead of the 2019 season, which locked him down until 2024.
Houston sealed Lance McCullers Jr. prior to start of the 2021 season. The biggest extension recently was that of Yordan Alvarez, who signed a six-year extension that will keep him in Houston through 2028.
The common theme among all the extensions? The Astros never allowed those players to reach the open market. Of course there are examples of those that did reach free agency and neither returned to Houston—George Springer and Carlos Correa. Gerrit Cole can be thrown in there as well, though his circumstances were a bit different.
Valdez started 31 regular season games for Houston in 2022. The 29-year-old put together his best performance throughout his entire career, averaging just a 2.82 ERA and notching 17 wins to only six losses in his 31 starts.
In the postseason, the native of the Dominican Republic only increased his phenomenal play. Valdez’ ERA dropped to 1.44 in four starts against Major League Baseball’s best. He struck out 33 batters, and the Astros went 3-0 in the four games he started.
Tucker was able to continue his strong play from 2021 and keep it at the same level in 2022, showing a level of consistency that is always crucial for players seeking extensions.
The 25-year-old, who will be 26 by the time the 2023 season starts, posted .257/.330/.478 in the regular season, delivered 30 homers, and he drove in 107 runs, a career-high for Tucker.
During the Astros’ 2022 postseason run, Tucker’s numbers fell to .204/.298/.408, but that is common for all players in the playoffs. The right fielder out of Tampa, Florida, still managed to hit three homers and drive in six RBI for Houston.
In the open market, both players will be sure to garner heavy interest from teams across MLB, particularly from those willing to spend. The San Francisco Giants seemed willing to commit over $300 million and 12 years just on Carlos Correa. The New York Mets did.
The Mets have committed over $380 million in payroll just for 2023 alone, and of course the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees will always be vying to spend cash to acquire top talent.
The bottom line is the Astros should give both Valdez and Tucker extensions this offseason, or at least some point before they become free agents. While Houston has shown it is willing to let key faces walk, losing both Valdez and Tucker could prove to be one too many losses to overcome.
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With the Astros now officially ten games under .500 for the season, manager Joe Espada is taking a lot of heat from the fanbase for the team's struggles.
While we don't agree with the sentiment, we even hear fans clamoring for the return of Dusty Baker and Martin Maldonado, thinking the Astros wouldn't be in this mess if they were still here.
Which is ridiculous. First of all, Maldonado has been awful for the White Sox, hitting .048 (even worse than Jose Abreu's .065). And for those of you that think his work with the pitching staff justifies his pathetic offense. Let me say this: Where was Maldy's game calling genius for Hunter Brown, Cristian Javier, and Framber Valdez last year? All of them regressed significantly.
And as far as Baker is concerned, we have no idea how much a difference he would make, we can only speculate. Baker would also be dealing with a pitching staff ravaged with injuries. And let's not forget, Baker was the guy that refused to move Jose Abreu down in the batting order, even though he would finish the regular season with the ninth-worst OPS in baseball.
The reality of the situation is managers can only do so much in baseball. Which leads us to something else that needs to be considered. Is Espada being handcuffed by the front office? Espada and GM Dana Brown both said recently that Jon Singleton was going to get more at-bats while they give Abreu time off to try to figure things out. Yet, there Abreu was in the lineup again in the opening game of the Cubs series.
It makes us wonder how much power does Espada truly have? The Astros have some other options at first base. Yainer Diaz may only have eight games played at the position, but how much worse could he be than Abreu defensively? Abreu already has four errors, and Diaz is obviously a way better hitter. Victor Caratini isn't considered a plus offensive player, but his .276 batting average makes him look like Babe Ruth compared to Abreu. Let him catch more often and play Diaz at first. Starting Diaz at first more often could also lengthen his career long-term.
Maybe that's too wild of a move. Okay, fine. How about playing Mauricio Dubon at first base? I understand he doesn't have much experience at that position, but what's the downside of trying him there? If he can play shortstop, he can play first base. He's driving in runs at a higher rate (11 RBIs) than everyone on the team outside of Kyle Tucker and Yordan Alvarez. And he's producing like that as part-time player right now.
The other criticism we see of Espada is his use of Jon Singleton to pinch hit late in games. Let's be real, though, who else does Espada have on the roster to go to? Batting Abreu late in games in which you're trailing should be considered malpractice. Espada can only use who he has to work with. This all really stems from the Astros poor farm system.
They don't have anyone else to turn to. The draft picks the club lost from the sign-stealing scandal are really hurting them right now. First and second rounders from 2020 and 2021 should be helping you in 2024 at the big league level.
Maybe they go to Astros prospect Joey Loperfido soon, but after a hot start he has only two hits in his last six games.
Finally, we have to talk about what seems like a committee making baseball decisions. Lost in a committee is accountability. Who gets the blame for making poor decisions?
As time continues to pass it looks like moving on from former GM James Click was a massive mistake. He's the guy that didn't sign Abreu, but did trade Myles Straw (recently DFA'd) for Yainer Diaz and Phil Maton. He also built an elite bullpen without breaking the bank, and helped the club win a World Series in 2022.
The reality of the situation is Dusty Baker and James Click are not walking back through that door. And all good runs come to an end at some point. Is this what we're witnessing?
Don't miss the video above as we hit on all the points discussed and much more!
Catch Stone Cold 'Stros (an Astros podcast) with Charlie Pallilo, Brandon Strange, and Josh Jordan. We drop two episodes every week on SportsMapHouston's YouTube channel. You can also listen on Apple Podcast, Spotifyor wherever you get your podcasts.