Jermaine Every's Every-Thing Sports
Time for Texans fans to face reality
Sep 18, 2018, 7:22 am
Last week, I wrote about NFL fans freak outs after week one of the season. We’ve heard reactions of fans, as well as some in the media, that are upset about Texans’ coach Bill O’Brien and some of his awful decisions. But he was extended four years to mirror the five year deal new general manager Brian Gaine was signed to. They’re not going anywhere. Jadeveon Clowney is up for an extension soon, or he may be franchise tagged, or he could be dealt (highly unlikely, but a possibility nonetheless). Deshaun Watson is here to stay for the next four years whether he fulfills his potential under O’Brien or not. JJ Watt has done enough on and off the field to earn carte blanche status and will most likely retires a Texan.
I say all that to say this: it’s time to grip reality if you’re a Texans fan. This team most likely won’t be going to the playoffs this year as most have hoped. Teams starting their season 0-2 have about an 11% chance of making the playoffs. Since 2007, only 10 of the 91 teams with that record after two games have done so. This is a fact, not hate. They’ve shown very little in the games against the Patriots and Titans that have spoken to an easy turnaround this season. But, there’s always hope.
Watson has only eight starts so far in his career. Watt has had flashes of his former Defensive Player of the Year self. The run game has been a surprising plus considering the offensive line talent. Clowney has to show he can stay healthy and can be the player he thinks he is when he says he wants Aaron Donald/Khalil Mack money. Someone needs to put an APB out for Whitney Mercilus. I’m worried because they say he’s been playing, but I haven’t seen him. Will Fuller V showed what he can do against the Titans, but he too has issues with staying healthy and playing consistently just like Clowney.
The one thing that continues to put a damper on things is O’Brien’s coaching and play calling. He continues to make mistakes managing the game and calling plays as if he’s a first year coach with no prior experience. He needs someone to tear into his ass and light a fire under him. As arrogant as he can be, he’s equally stubborn. Failing to see one’s own faults can be blinding. Get an offensive coordinator and allow him to call plays, or get an assistant coach to be an ombudsman. Something has to give. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over, yet expecting a different result.
Bob McNair has shown in the past he’s willing to give head coaches and general managers a very long leash. Whether it’s being too cheap to make a change, too dumb/proud to admit a mistake, or too loyal to pull the trigger, he’s shown he won’t make any drastic changes. I attribute this to being reactionary instead of being proactive. Too often this organization waits until it’s too late to make these kinds of decisions. Other times, McNair has been too quick to make poor decisions (ex: not firing Kubiak after 2010; extending Matt Schaub, Brian Cushing, O’Brien, and others).
Bottom line: there’s too much this team needs to go right for them to succeed. I’m not saying it can’t happen, but it seems the opposing factors are mounting very quickly. I’m a natural born optimist, so I do believe they can turn it around. The more I see performances like Sunday, excuses from O’Brien, and the saltiness in post-game pressers, the more I believe this team is in a funk it can’t pull itself out of.
The Chicago Cubs acquired All-Star outfielder Kyle Tucker in a trade with the Houston Astros on Friday, paying a big price for one of baseball's best hitters.
The Cubs sent third baseman Isaac Paredes, right-hander Hayden Wesneski and Cam Smith, one of their top infield prospects, to the Astros for Tucker, who is eligible for free agency after the 2025 season.
Be sure to watch the video below as the crew from Stone Cold 'Stros reacts to the trade and lays out what the future holds for the new-look Astros.
Tucker was limited to 78 games this year because of a fractured right shin, but he hit .289 with 23 homers and 49 RBIs for the AL West champions. He batted .284 with 29 homers, an AL-best 112 RBIs and 30 steals for Houston in 2023.
Tucker, who turns 28 on Jan. 17, joins a crowded situation in Chicago's outfield, but the Cubs are reportedly looking to trade Cody Bellinger, who also can play first base. They also have talked to Seiya Suzuki's agent about the outfielder's no-trade clause.
The Cubs have finished second in the NL Central with an 83-79 record in each of the past two years, and there is increased pressure on president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer to get the team back into the playoffs for the first time since 2020.
The Cubs announced later in the day that they had agreed to an $11.5 million, two-year contract with catcher Carson Kelly, a Chicago native. He played for Detroit and Texas this year, batting .238 with nine homers and 37 RBIs in 91 games.
The New York Yankees also were in the mix for Tucker before the trade was completed.
“We certainly had many conversations with the Astros.” Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said. “At the end of the day I’m glad that Mr. Tucker is not in the American League East or the American League at all. But it’s a big get for the Chicago Cubs.”
Paredes is an option for Houston at third base if Alex Bregman departs in free agency. The 25-year-old Paredes hit .238 with 19 homers and 80 RBIs in 153 games this year. He made the AL All-Star team with Tampa Bay and then was traded to Chicago in July.
Paredes, who bats from the right side and is known for his pull power, chuckled as he talked about taking aim at the Crawford Boxes in left field at Minute Maid Park.
“I feel very happy. It's not only a beautiful stadium, but it's a stadium that benefits my hitting,” he said through a translator.
Even with the acquisition of Paredes, who also can play first, Astros general manager Dana Brown did not close the door on a reunion with Bregman.
“Pretty much Alex Bregman's status is still the way it is,” Brown said. “Nothing has changed since the last time I've talked to you guys.”
Wesneski, a Houston native who played college ball for Sam Houston State, will compete for a spot in the Astros’ rotation.
The right-hander, who turned 27 on Dec. 5, went 3-6 with a 3.86 ERA over 21 relief appearances and seven starts this year. He was on the injured list from July 20 to Sept. 20 with a right forearm strain.
“It’s just a dream-come-true kind of thing,” Wesneski said. “I am excited to be an Astro.”
Houston is hoping the addition of Paredes and Wesneski will help the team continue its impressive run as one of baseball's best teams. It has made the playoffs for eight straight years, winning the World Series in 2017 and 2022. It was swept by Detroit in the wild-card round this year.
“Look, make no mistake. We're still going to compete,” Brown said, “and this is probably one of those moves that I think in the future people will see and understand like, yeah, wow, I understand it now, I get it. ... I would say that this is more to strengthen our opportunities down the road without losing any footage in the current year.”
While Paredes and Wesneski could have an immediate impact, Smith also was a key component of the deal.
Smith, 21, was selected by Chicago with the No. 14 pick in this year's draft out of Florida State University. He hit .313 with seven homers and 24 RBIs in 32 games over three minor league stops, finishing the year with Double-A Knoxville.
“It's a really good first-round college bat with power, with a chance to hit, and he's pretty athletic as well,” Brown said. “So we're really excited about Cam Smith.”
Tucker was Houston's first-round pick in 2015, taken No. 5 overall. He made his big league debut with the Astros in 2018.
Tucker had a breakout performance three years after his debut, hitting a career-best .294 with 30 homers and 92 RBIs in 140 games in 2021. He won a Gold Glove the following year.
The Tampa, Florida, native is a .274 hitter with 125 homers, 417 RBIs and an .869 OPS in 633 career games — all with Houston. He also has appeared in 64 postseason games, batting .229 with eight homers and 28 RBIs.
Kelly gets $5 million in each of the next two seasons, and his deal with Chicago includes a $7.5 million mutual option for 2027 with a $1.5 million buyout. He can earn $500,000 in performance bonuses during each of the three seasons; $250,000 each for 81 and 91 games started.
The Cubs were in need of more depth behind the plate. They also have Miguel Amaya, who played in a career-high 117 games this year, and Matt Thaiss, who was acquired in a trade with the Angels on Nov. 20.