How latest bombshell report provides important context to Texans trade for Diggs
WHEELING AND DEALING
04 April
WHEELING AND DEALING
When the Texans traded for Stefon Diggs on Wednesday, a lot was made of his unhappiness in Buffalo that helped facilitate his trade to Houston.
Well, things just got more interesting as Adam Schefter is reporting the Texans wiped out the final three years of his deal, which will allow him to be a free agent after the season
More about the Texans wiping out final three seasons on Stefon Diggs’ deal, allowing him to become a free agent next off-season while guaranteeing him more money this season:https://t.co/TfKcHLQ2vo
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 4, 2024
The thought being the Texans will get the best version of Diggs who will be playing for a new contract, and the team can receive a compensatory pick should he walk in free agency.
Which means the Texans traded a second-round pick to rent Diggs for the 2024 season. That seems like a high price to pay for a one-year rental, in my opinion.
It's also important to note, while everyone seems to be praising GM Nick Caserio for this move, Albert Breer is reporting that the highest comp pick the Texans could receive for Diggs would be a fifth-round pick.
And we're seeing other reports saying the Texans can't receive any comp pick for Diggs because they altered his deal. Whether it's a fifth or no pick at all, there's not much to be gained here when it comes to draft picks for the Texans.
Also significant: Because this will be Texans WR Stefon Diggs' 10th NFL season, the most Houston can get in a comp pick if he leaves after this year would be a fifth-round pick. So cutting years off the deal is a big concession.
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) April 4, 2024
Breer points out this is a “big concession” by the Texans. And depending on how the Texans renegotiated the deal, there's a chance Diggs' franchise tag number could jump to over $27 million. Which the team would likely not be willing to pay.
As it stands right now, Texans fans shouldn't get too attached to watching Diggs play in Houston. And they may want to hold off on buying a Diggs jersey, since he probably won't be with the team in 2025.
One of the big stories across MLB this season has been the Astros shockingly slow start. It's the first day of May, and the 'Stros are nine games under .500 and in last place in the AL West.
With so many Astro haters across the country and in the national media, it's no surprise they are enjoying Houston's struggles in 2024.
However, it is fair to question why a team with such high expectations is not living up to them. One of the first things to consider is, what's changed since last year?
Enter the Dusty Baker narrative. USA Today's Bob Nightengale wrote about the Astros slow start out of the gate and how the loss of Dusty Baker is having a negative impact on the club. He also stated that Baker retired because of “the constant media criticism and interference” from the Astros’ analytics team.
Which as an Astros fan sounds odd. Baker was known in Houston for not following the analytics by starting Martin Maldonado over Yainer Diaz. He also took heat for not using Chas McCormick enough, despite him being one of the team's best hitters in 2023. Baker was also constantly asked about Jose Abreu hitting in the heart of his batting order, even though he would finish with the ninth-worse OPS in baseball.
Since there weren't any quotes in the article, it makes us wonder. Is this something Nightengale believes, something he heard in passing, or was he told this by a current or former member of the organization? Hard to know.
Nightengale also said in the piece that “the Astros now are recognizing just how much they miss the future Hall of Famer.”
Here's something else to keep in mind. Baker was in the news just last week for winning a Lifetime Achievement Award presented by Baseball Digest. Nothing against Nightengale, but this does feel like convenient timing at the very least.
Also, a Houston media outlet recently published a piece about when Baker leaves an organization, the team falls off. The article does a fine job of pointing out how that was the case in some circumstances. But if you dig deeper, you'll see that's really not the whole story, or true for that matter.
Be sure to watch the video above as we examine Baker's role in the Astros' 2024 woes, and analyze if teams really take a step back when Baker is no longer their manager.