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Counterpoint: how holding on to James Harden might pay off for Rockets
Dec 15, 2020, 9:45 am
Good things come to those that wait. Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images
I'm sure by now most of you are aware of the saga surrounding the Rockets and their enigmatic star James Harden. If you aren't, here's a quick rundown: The Rockets failed to re-sign the coach (Mike D'Antoni) who allowed Harden to become a ball-hogging MVP candidate; they parted ways with the general manager (Darryl Morey) who allowed Harden to run the franchise; when they didn't hire the coach he wanted, he decided to demand a trade and list several contenders in the Eastern Conference who he'd like to play for.
Everyone seems to have an opinion as to what the Rockets should do with Harden. Some say trade him and get what you can, some say keep him, others are so done with the whole thing they've become indifferent. I fall in the middle because I want them to keep him, but trade him later. One of my colleague's here at SportsMap, Zach Allen, wrote that he feels they should trade Harden ASAP. I disagree, and here's why:
Harden has no leverage
He's under contract this year and two more after that, although the 2022-2023 season has a player option he likely wouldn't exercise. If he decides to sit out games and practices, he can be fined. This would only make things more contentious with the Rockets and further damage his already off-putting reputation around the league. When Anthony Davis did this when he wanted out of New Orleans, he had a rep for being a good guy. People took it as he wanted out of a bad situation and wanted to find himself in a winning organization. If Harden were to do the same, which seems like he's already doing, it will make him seem more malcontent and diva-ish than he's already perceived to be.
With the offseason additions the Rockets have made, they have some pieces in place to be a playoff team. How far up the ladder can they climb in the uber competitive West? I'd say their ceiling is 3rd seed and their floor is either the 8thseed or just missing out on the playoffs. That said, Harden may start to play with and buy into the system new coach Stephen Silas has going. If he sees the potential in this roster to win, he stays. If not, he could come in and play at his typical high level, elevating his value, then allowing the Rockets to trade him to the highest bidder. The only thing would be selling everyone on the fact that Harden is here to stay for the long haul. The media will be asking those questions often of everyone in the organization. Everyone would have to be on the same page as far as answers are concerned.
While I highly doubt Harden is going to stick around Houston much longer, I'd much rather see the organization take their time in finding the best deal for them moving forward as opposed to bending over for the first offer they get. Trading him ASAP doesn't work because his value wasn't high to begin with given his style of play and dropped with his recent actions and demands. Wait it out. Create the illusion he's staying. Drum up interest and get the highest price you can for him. And remember, Harden doesn't have the leverage he thinks he does. Stay woke.Most Popular
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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.