Houston Astros new GM just realized the stakes have changed
THE LANDSCAPE SHIFTED
10 March
THE LANDSCAPE SHIFTED
Houston Astros GM Dana Brown shared an update on how the contract negotiations have been going with Kyle Tucker and Framber Valdez.
Unfortunately for Astros fans, it doesn't look like any extensions are likely to happen before the start of the season. Brown pointed to the length of the contracts as being one of the big concerns holding up any potential deals.
Which is interesting because Brown is well-known for telling owner Jim Crane, “Fasten your seatbelt. It's time.” when it comes to the Astros aversion to long-term deals. And to Brown's credit, he did sign Cristian Javier to an extension this offseason, but that deal is for only five years.
Brown is now saying that he doesn't believe in long-term deals, and it sure seems like Tucker is looking for a 10-year contract. So what changed? Brown told the media he's open to going as long as seven years, but not further than that. Did Jim Crane influence Brown's new outlook on these long-term deals, or has seven years always been a length Brown is unwilling to cross?
Dana Brown: “I just don’t know that I have the comfort of going as long as, say, maybe I’ll have to to get Tucker done. I just don’t like big deals. If they’re open for something a little more than five, maybe I would be open to doing that." - https://t.co/O8zFKCTc3p
— Chandler Rome (@Chandler_Rome) March 8, 2023
When asked about the 8 and 10-year contracts the Braves have handed out (Brown's former organization), Brown basically said those deals were made by his boss, Braves GM Alex Anthopoulos.
So what does this mean moving forward?
Be sure to check out the video above as we examine Brown's comments, and share our thoughts on how these deals for Framber and Tucker may or may not play out.
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When Bryce Young and CJ Stroud were drafted with the first two picks of the NFL Draft, we knew they would be compared to one another for years to come.
And here we are just 11 games into the season and one quarterback has already seen his head coach fired. Panthers owner David Tepper spoke to the media on Wednesday and discussed his decision to fire Frank Reich, and also set the record straight on how they arrived at the decision to draft Young.
In so many words, Tepper basically blamed the Texans for how the top of the draft played out. He mentioned Stroud by name and said the Panthers were ready to draft him at No. 2 overall until the Texans backed out of the three-team trade with the Bears.
Tepper made a point of saying everyone in their building had Bryce Young as the top player on their draft board, despite rumors about Frank Reich preferring Stroud.
CJ Stroud and the Texans have been so much better than Bryce Young and the Panthers that Tepper clearly felt it was necessary to defend himself, and the decisions he's made for the organization.
In the end, the person that gets the worst end of the deal is Bryce Young. Coaching changes can be very difficult on young quarterbacks. And it looks like he'll have to learn a new offense in his second year when the Panthers hire a new coaching staff.
How fortunate we are as Texans fans to have DeMeco Ryans and CJ Stroud leading the team moving forward.
With all of this in mind, is there a reason Texans fans haven't fully bought in to the new-look Texans? JJ Watt was a guest on The Pat McAfee Show this week and was asked about the team's inability to fill the stadium on Sundays.
As a former player for the Colts, McAfee always thought Houston had the loudest and best fans in the NFL. And while the Texans are 9th in attendance this year according to ESPN, even CJ Stroud has asked for the fans to fill the stadium.
So there is something to it. You can see the empty seats in photos. So why aren't the Texans packing NRG with a shiny new franchise QB?
We believe the recent history of the team is why fans are slowly coming back. McAfee wasn't here for:
Bill O'Brien cussing at fans during games
Trading DeAndre Hopkins away for next to nothing
The Jack Easterby disaster
Deshaun Watson allegedly blaming ownership for why he wanted out
The Deshaun Watson scandal
Firing back-to-back coaches after one season, and the list goes on.
Don't miss the video above for the full conversation!
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