The Pallilog
Billy Bluster is back and trying to defend the Hopkins trade
Apr 17, 2020, 5:35 am
The Pallilog
Texans Head Coach and General Manager Bill O'Brien finally deigned to speak with the media Thursday for the first time since the DeAndre Hopkins trade. Emperor O elaborated in defending the virtually universally criticized (evaluating the Texans' side of things) deal. He didn't come across as insane or even unreasonable, but he just isn't going to win an argument on this.
O'Brien framed moving Hopkins as pretty much a financial call given Hopkins's raise request. No one asked O'Brien a question that obviously should have been addressed. Why didn't the Texans simply tell Hopkins that they love him (unless O'Brien was in Billy Bluster mode in saying all flowery things about how great Hopkins is), but he wasn't getting a reworked contract two years into a five year deal? Did they think Hopkins would have retired? Or staged a one man mutiny? I mean, come on. The Texans would have been on solid ground in telling D-Hop that his five year 81 million dollar deal is not some woeful underpay and that the team should not/will not re-do a deal simply because the market goes up elsewhere. Hopkins cashed about 41 million dollars in checks the last two seasons. Using similar logic to claiming he's now underpaid, one could argue that as great as he was Hopkins was overpaid the last two years. Plenty of guys topped 11.2 yards per reception and seven touchdown catches last season.
O'Brien explained that he thought it untenable to pay elite level money for Hopkins in addition to elite money for a left tackle, quarterback, and defensive end. Flawed logic. Deshaun Watson is dirt cheap in 2020 and under his fifth year contract option for 2021 will still be a tremendous bargain. That covers two of the three seasons left on Hopkins's contract. Watson and Hopkins combined carry a 2020 cap hit roughly five million lower than Ryan Tannehill's on his new deal with the Titans, about eight million lower than Phillip Rivers's with the Colts.
The Texans are on the hook for David Johnson in 2020 at a higher cap hit (over 11 million) than a running back playing on the franchise tag. Reminder: Johnson's last good NFL season was 2016. Wide receiver Will Fuller makes more than 10 mil in 2020. Hopkins makes 12.5. Fuller has missed 20 games to injury over the last three seasons. Hopkins has missed two games in his seven season career: the last game of the 4-12 disaster that was 2017, and the meaningless regular season finale in 2019. Among Johnson, Fuller, and Hopkins who is the best player/economic value? J.J. Watt has played more than half the regular season once in the last four years. Watt makes 15.5 mil for 2020. Better value: Watt at 15.5 or Hopkins at 12.5?
A week from when I type this the first round of the NFL Draft will be in the books. Barring a stunning trade the Texans will have been bystanders. They of course can't throw a draft party this year. Next year's will be a drag with the Texans having neither a first nor second round pick.
ESPN isn't teeming with great options as it desperately fills programming hours with video game competitions, spelling bee marathons, years old WNBA games, HORSE games, and other. Other than maybe some fans of the winning team, is anybody sitting through a replay of an entire Super Bowl? Finally, something worth watching start to finish! We all should check out The Last Dance which starts airing Sunday night with the first two episodes of the ten part series that goes deep into the end of the Michael Jordan-led Bulls dynasty.
Dennis Rodman turns 59 next month. 20 years ago if asked, I think I'd have bet the under on whether Rodman makes it to 59. Heck, Rodman probably would have bet the under.
What might have been item one. Catch the doozy of a claim that in 2011 the Warriors offered BOTH Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson to the New Orleans Hornets for Chris Paul?
What might have been item two. The Astros' should have been series this weekend would have had the Angels at Minute Maid Park. Again. The Angels were to have opened the season here with the Astros in Anaheim the following weekend. 10 of their 19 regular season meetings would have occurred before April 20. Weird. Weirder, the Astros and Athletics might have had a fantastic season long race in the American League West but all 19 Astros-Athletics matchups would have been completed before the end of July.
1. Caesar's opened the Texans over/under win total at 7 ½. Which way do you go? 2. Would you prefer the Texans again go 10-6 and again lose in the Divisional Round of the playoffs, or free fall to 5-11? 3. Best non-meat pizza toppings: Bronze-Ricotta cheese Silver-Spinach Gold-Mushrooms
Two first-place teams, identical records, and a weekend set with serious measuring-stick energy.
The Houston Astros and Chicago Cubs open a three-game series Friday night at Daikin Park, in what could quietly be one of the more telling matchups of the summer. Both teams enter at 48-33, each atop their respective divisions — but trending in slightly different directions.
The Astros have been red-hot, going 7-3 over their last 10 while outscoring opponents by 11 runs. They've done it behind one of the best pitching staffs in baseball, with a collective 3.41 ERA that ranks second in the American League. Houston has also been dominant at home, where they’ve compiled a 30-13 record — a stat that looms large heading into this weekend.
On the other side, the Cubs have held their ground in the NL Central but have shown some recent shakiness. They're 5-5 over their last 10 games and have given up 5.66 runs per game over that stretch. Still, the offense remains dangerous, ranking fifth in on-base percentage across the majors. Kyle Tucker leads the way with a .287 average, 16 homers, and 49 RBIs, while Michael Busch has been hot of late, collecting 12 hits in his last 37 at-bats.
Friday’s pitching matchup features Houston’s Brandon Walter (0-1, 3.80 ERA, 1.10 WHIP) and Chicago’s Cade Horton (3-1, 3.73 ERA, 1.29 WHIP), a promising young arm making one of his biggest starts of the season on the road. Horton will have his hands full with Isaac Paredes, who’s slugged 16 homers on the year, and Mauricio Dubón, who’s found a groove with four home runs over his last 10 games.
It’s the first meeting of the season between these two clubs — and if the trends continue, it may not be the last time they cross paths when it really counts.
BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Astros -112, Cubs -107; over/under is 8 1/2 runs
Here's a preview of Joe Espada's Game 1 lineup.
The first thing that stands out is rookie Cam Smith is hitting cleanup, followed by Jake Meyers. Victor Caratini is the DH and is hitting sixth. Christian Walker is all the way down at seventh, followed by Yainer Diaz, and Taylor Trammell who is playing left field.
How the mighty have fallen.
Pretty wild to see Walker and Diaz hitting this low in the lineup. However, it's justified, based on performance. Walker is hitting a pathetic .214 and Diaz is slightly better sporting a .238 batting average.
Screenshot via: MLB.com
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