EVERY-THING SPORTS
Here's why Christian Wood needs to stay put with Rockets...for now
Dec 15, 2021, 12:31 pm
When is the appropriate time to trade Wood? Composite image by Jack Brame.
The Rockets are in the midst of a heater. As of this writing, they've won eight of their last ten games which included an improbable seven game win streak. One of the more impressive things about this run has been the fact that two of their most prized future pieces, Jalen Green and Kevin Porter Jr, have missed some time. Green played in the first game of the streak and KPJ played in the first five. Since then, they've gone with a shell crew that has come together better than a last-minute dinner party menu.
Credit where it's due: coach Stephen Silas has done an awesome job at getting this team ready, playing hard, and adjusting. They're winning games by playing team ball. Whether it's making the extra pass, communicating on defense, or going all out, this team has showed a fire they previously hadn't shown much. Christian Wood was considered a building block when the rebuild was underway. After the James Harden trade, he was seen as one of the centerpieces of this organization moving forward. People wondered why'd this team give him the contract they gave him. Now, they're starting to see.
While his point production is down almost five points a game, his rebounding numbers are up nearly two a game. Factor in the rookies brought in, especially Green as the number two overall pick, and one can see why his scoring may have dropped some. There was some talk that centered around Wood getting traded before the deadline this season. Now we can't say for certain the Rockets actually are entertaining this idea, but I wouldn't be surprised if it has come up. Wood is the type of player teams covet in today's NBA. He's a big that can stretch the floor with his outside shooting, rebound well, and is a decent shot blocker. At 26 with this year and next left on his contract at a reasonable rate, he's going to be a player playoff teams may come after at trade deadline.
No matter what the offer is this season, the Rockets need to stand pat and keep Wood. The recent hot streak they've been on shows what the potential of this team can be if they put it all together. Why not ride this thing out the rest of the season and see what could be heading into the offseason? What if KPJ and Green get back and realize they need to fall in line with what's been taking place? Wouldn't most fans want to see what this team can do fully healthy? Besides, if they really want to trade Wood to see what kind of haul they can get in return (and to get Alperen Sengun more minutes), wouldn't it be beneficial to wait until the offseason, or at least next trade deadline? This approach would allow the team to assess the roster as currently constructed, see what needs improving, see who's available to draft and/or sign, then make the appropriate moves from there.
The Rockets are 28 games into their season right now, which is still a decent chunk away from the midpoint. Ejecting on Wood this soon would be senseless. See what he can do next to Green and KPJ. See what this young core can do with the vets around them. Veteran players can help these youngsters learn what it means to be a pro. Trades like this don't need to take place until the organization has a clear-cut direction. With Wood still under contract past this season, I see no reason to trade him. Unless...there's a Godfather-type offer on the table they can't refuse. Then, and only then, would trading a valuable asset like Wood be acceptable.
How latest reports abruptly shift Houston Astros rotation x-factors
Mar 18, 2024, 7:23 pm
Bruce Bochy doesn’t ever want the Texas Rangers to let go of those memories of their first World Series title.
“We just don’t want to lean on them,” said Bochy, whose first season with the Rangers ended with the first World Series championship for the 63-year-old franchise, and his fourth as a big league manager.
While Texas has the opportunity to be the first team in a quarter-century to win back-to-back world championships — the New York Yankees were the last, with three in a row from 1998-2000 — the Rangers aren’t even defending champs in their own division.
And they aren’t favored to win the AL West this season.
Houston is again the odds-on favorite in the division it has won each of the last six full MLB seasons since the Rangers finished on top in 2016. The Astros won their regular season finale last Oct. 1, matched Texas at 90-72 and won the AL West since they were 9-4 head-to-head.
The Astros have made the AL Championship Series the past seven seasons, even when not division champs in the 2020 season shortened to 60 games because of the pandemic. They made four trips to the Fall Classic and won two titles in that span.
Dusty Baker retired days after Houston lost ALCS Game 7 at home to the Rangers last fall, finishing with 2,183 wins over 26 seasons as a big league manager with five teams.
New Astros manager Joe Espada, their bench coach for six seasons, is certainly familiar with a lineup that has big hitters Jose Altuve, Yordan Alvarez, Alex Bregman and Kyle Tucker, and a loaded starting rotation.
Espada isn't the division's only new manager. Ron Washington, who took the Rangers to their previous World Series in 2010 and 2011, was hired by the Angels, who still have Mike Trout but not two-way star Shohei Ohtani, now with the other team in Los Angeles.
Seattle again revamped its roster without big spending in free agency and hopes for a quicker return to the playoffs. The Mariners missed by one game last season, a year after its first postseason appearance since 2001.
And just like last year, the Athletics go into another season not knowing if it will be their last in Oakland.
HOW THEY PROJECT1. Houston Astros. Three-time Cy Young Award winner Justin Verlander, reacquired in a deadline trade last July, will start this season on the injured list. But the 41-year-old’s IL stint is expected to be a short one. The Astros still have lefty Framber Valdez (12-11, 2.45 ERA, 200 strikeouts and a no-hitter) and right-hander Cristian Javier. Eight-time All-Star second baseman Altuve signed a new $125 million, five-year contract that goes through 2029. But two-time All-Star third baseman Bregman, the only other position player to make all seven ALCS trips, is at the end of a $100 million deal.
2. Texas Rangers. After going from six losing seasons in a row to a World Series title, the Rangers should be playoff contenders again. They return ALCS MVP Adolis García and most of the lineup that hit 233 homers and scored an AL-high 5.4 runs per game. But World Series MVP and AL MVP runner-up shortstop Corey Seager (sports hernia), Gold Glove first baseman Nathaniel Lowe (oblique strain) and All-Star third baseman Josh Jung (calf) missed significant time in the spring. All-Star right-hander Nathan Eovaldi tops a rotation still missing injured multiple Cy Young Award winners Max Scherzer and Jacob deGrom.
3. Seattle Mariners. The front office put together a roster that might be better than last year, but everybody has to stay healthy. Seattle should be better offensively with the additions of Mitch Garver, Mitch Haniger, Jorge Polanco and Luke Raley to go with young superstar Julio Rodriguez. If J.P. Crawford can replicate last season at the plate and Ty France returns to his 2021-22 form, the lineup will be deeper. Couple a better offense with one of the best rotations in baseball led by Luis Castillo, George Kirby and Logan Gilbert, the Mariners should once again contend in the division.
4. Los Angeles Angels. They feel like they’re starting over yet again and still haven't been to the playoffs since 2014. Ohtani left after six seasons for a record $700 million with the perennially contending Dodgers. The Halos added almost nothing in free agency, only revamping their bullpen again and taking low-cost flyers on Aaron Hicks and Miguel Sano. Trout and Anthony Rendon are back, and an open DH spot will allow them to rest their injury-prone bodies more regularly. Their rotation is last year’s group minus Ohtani. The 71-year-old Washington brings a unique blend of expertise and enthusiasm, which should benefit an exciting crop of young talent ready to break through in the majors.
5. Oakland Athletics. This could be the final season playing at the Coliseum with a lease set to expire. So the A's are still trying to figure out where they will play beyond this year with a new ballpark and move to Las Vegas scheduled for 2028. Manager Mark Kotsay has been committed to keeping his team focused on what it can do to be better on the field after two years with a combined 214 losses (112 last season). The A’s acquired Ross Stripling from the San Francisco Giants and added Alex Wood to the rotation.
OLD SKIPPERSWhen the 74-year-old Baker retired, Bochy became the oldest manager in the majors. That lasted only a few weeks until the Angels hired Washington. Bochy will turn 69 on April 16, just 13 days before Washington turns 72. Bochy, with 2,093 wins going into his 27th season, is one of six managers with four World Series titles, his first three coming in San Francisco (2010, 2012 and 2014). Washington won a franchise-record 664 games in eight seasons with Texas from 2007-14. He was on Atlanta's staff the past seven years, and part of the Braves' 2021 World Series title.
RELIEF HELPSeveral new relievers are in the AL West, including hard-throwing lefty Josh Hader with the Astros, veteran right-hander David Robertson and former All-Star closer Kirby Yates in Texas, Gregory Santos and Ryne Stanek in Seattle and Robert Stephenson with the Angels.
Hader's $95 million, five-year deal was the biggest after becoming a first-time free agent. The 29-year-old, once in the Astros' minor league system, turned down a $20,325,000 qualifying offer from San Diego.