An Alternate Baseball History (OOTP 21)

[ayaghmour2]

Record: 53-52 (3rd, 3 GB)

Summary
If it wasn't for an awful July, the Astros would still be in first place. The Wild Card is in reach, with the Tigers (56-48) 3.5 games ahead of the Astros, but the division is actually closer. The Mariners (55-48) are in the lead with the Rangers (54-51) two games behind them. No team has hit more home runs then the Astros in the AL, but the pitching has been beyond awful. They're still in the hunt, but I'm not too confident they'll finish the year above .500.

Draft
The Astros picked 8th in the draft and they picked up a pretty decent outfielder in Angel Alvarez. He has the range for center and an absolute cannon for an arm. He's got elite contact and speed and will almost never strikeout. He's even got power too and should be a really good big leaguer who could be in the majors soon. They didn't have a third rounder, and with their second round pick they went back to the old reliable corner outfielder with power in Nate Grover. He's also got an elite eye, but no defensive skill and he'll strike out a ton. The rest of the players weren't very good, with 4th Rounder Dusty Cooper a generic slugging first basemen and 5th Rounder Adam Steward a mediocre starting pitching prospect.

Trades
The Astros made one move, adding LF Bob Valencia from the Yankees for a three player package of C Antonio Gomez, LF Pat DeHuff, and LF Jorge Perla. Valencia is actually a nice pickup, a 28-year-old who the Marlins took in the 6th Round back in 2031, didn't sign, and was then a 4th Round selection by the Mariners in 2034. He's an elite defender with a solid lefty bat. No hitting skill is less then a 51, but his gap power (68) is the only one over 50. He's got decent speed and has a lot of team control. For his career, he owns a .276/.341/.478 (113 OPS+) line with 56 homers, 26 steals, and 144 RBI's in 1,411 trips to the plate.

Gomez is the only big leaguer, but the 39-year-old is an impending free agent who was hitting .249/.315/.382 (81 OPS+) with 5 homers and 21 RBI's in 248 trips to the plate. DeHuff was a 2039 6th Rounder and Perla a scouting discovery last season, but neither is too talented.

Batters
The addition of Valencia makes the lineup stronger, especially once Jairo Sandoval (29 HR, 62 RBI, 100 OPS+) fell back down to earth. Jerry Solorio (34 HR, 80 RBI, 123 OPS+) has continued a strong season as has Chris McLean (18 HR, 44 RBI, 21 SB, 113 OPS+). Devin McClain (27 HR, 71 RBI, 119 OPS+) has been productive, and again, while healthy, David Rios (12 HR, 31 RBI, 12 SB, 131 OPS+) has been excellent. He's playing through a sore elbow right now so I expect him to go down again before the end of the year. Mike Gerbhart (9 HR, 25 RBI, 138 OPS+) has looked good when he's played and while offseason pickup Danny Vazquez (8 HR, 38 RBI, 23 SB, 89 OPS+) hasn't hit much, his speed and defense have been important.

Pitching
The main reason for the July struggles likely has to do with Hector Galan's (11-2, 172 K, 195 ERA+) oblique strain that should keep him out for 1-2 more weeks. Steve Warren got hurt on rehab, tearing his meniscus, and officially being a waste of $34 million. Tommy Leddy (0-1, 5 K, 47 ERA+) got just 8.2 innings split between four different injuries all this season. Pete Snyder (7-6, 93 K, 99 ERA+) really needs to turn things around and other then Rodolfo Fernandez (3-5, 60 K, 132 ERA+) who is more reliever then starter, Snyder is the best member of the rotation. Jose Landaverde (2-7, 75 K, 102 ERA+) struggled in the rotation and was moved to the pen and Joey Lashbaugh (3-7, 74 K, 73 ERA+) has not looked big league ready. Juan Carrasco (5-8, 58 K, 73 ERA+) still sucks, but help may be on the way in the form of #15 prospect Dylan Jewell (0-0, 4 K, 55 ERA+) who's made just one start. While it didn't go well, it can't be any worse then what they have now. Looking at the pen, it's bad as well. Kyu-min Kim (2-6, 26 SV, 68 K, 149 ERA+) has been solid as has Randy Robledo (4-2, 42 K, 154 ERA+), but Kevin Coon (4-2, 4 SV, 40 K, 69 ERA+) has been shelled. Sergio Amaro (2-2, 47 K, 70 ERA+) has been awful as has Toshiharu Arakaki (73 K, 92 ERA+), Chris Phillips (36 K, 78 ERA+), and Juan Aguero (4-3, 53 K, 74 ERA+). With even a little bit of a pitching, the Astros may actually have had a chance at being a serious threat.

[ayaghmour2]

Record: 72-90 (4th, 17 GB)

Summary
The Astros collapsed in the stretch run, dropping 18 games in both August and September as they finished the game way out of first place. The Rangers (89-73) won the division and the Mariners (85-78) were tied with the Rays (86-77) when the year ended, but Tampa won the play in tiebreaker game. Everything that could go wrong went wrong in the end, and the Stros missed out on the playoffs again and they're stuck in a rut.

Batters
Devin McClain (42 HR, 109 RBI, 120 OPS+) was an extremely valuable player as he put together his third 115+ OPS+ season in the past four years. Jerry Solorio (42 HR, 99 RBI, 123 OPS+) tied him in homers and fell one RBI short of 100 in a nice return to Houston. Chris McLean (24 HR, 66 RBI, 29 SB, 106 OPS+) cooled off at the end of the year, but still finished with a 20/20 season. It wasn't as bad as David Rios (15 HR, 43 RBI, 97 OPS+) who's production completely fell off after an excellent first four months. Bob Valencia (11 HR, 45 RBI, 118 OPS+) had solid post trade numbers while youngsters Billy Bullock (20 HR, 41 RBI, 132 OPS+) and Mike Gebhart (15 HR, 38 RBI, 131 OPS+) looked good in limited play time.

Pitchers
A huge injury hit Dylan Jewell (0-0, 8 K, 47 ERA+) in his second career start as shoulder inflammation ended his season in early August. Top 100 prospect Jose Guillen (3-1, 46 K, 87 ERA+) also debuted, making 8 starts before a strained bicep tendon ended his season a few weeks early. Hector Galan (15-4, 246 K, 183 ERA+) made just 25 starts, but still led the league in strikeouts and pitcher WAR. Pete Snyder (12-11, 144 K, 111 ERA+) was passable in his league leading 34 starts, but the rest of the rotation was scary. Joey Lashbaugh (4-16, 124 K, 67 ERA+) had an awful rookie season in which he walked over 7 batters per nine. Tommy Leddy (0-2, 12 K, 54 ERA+) and Ricky Mundo (0-6, 26 K, 68 ERA+) looked awful in six starts a piece while Juan Carrasco (7-13, 87 K, 75 ERA+) was eventually expelled to the pen. Speaking of the pen, just Kyu-min Kim (2-10, 38 SV, 96 K, 162 ERA+), who led the league in saves, and Randy Robledo (5-4, 56 K, 142 ERA+) were effective. Kevin Coon (4-3, 4 SV, 66 K, 93 ERA+) had a down year and Sergio Amaro (2-2, 60 K, 65 ERA+) was just downright awful. Former 5th Rounder Rodolfo Fernandez (3-7, 84 K, 118 ERA+) had his ups and downs, but put together a decent season. Same with Jose Landaverede (2-7, 110 K, 102 ERA+) with both making a few starts as well.

[ayaghmour2]

An AL West team will be representing the AL, as the Texas Rangers (89-73) will take on the Pittsburgh Pirates (83-79). The Rangers had the lowest win total of any division winner and the Pirates wouldn't have been all that close to a Wild Card position in the AL, but none the less, both teams made it to the Fall Classic.

This is only the second time since 2012 the Rangers have made the postseason and it's their first World Series appearance in this sim. They're always projected to do well, but they usually find a way to under perform in the regular season. The strength of this team is their offense, which scored the second most runs in the AL and ranked top 5 in average, OBP, OPS, WAR, wOBA, and base running. They have a breakout superstar, the late blooming 30-year-old Chris Knowles (67 HR, 165 RBI, 152 OPS+) who led the league in homers, RBI's, runs, and slugging percentage. The former Atlanta third rounder debuted with Washington in 2039, was traded midseason last year, and now looks like a favorite for MVP. Behind him is former 3rd Overall Pick Leo Avila (44 HR, 133 RBI, 119 OPS+) and 2031 1st Rounder Andy Duran (35 HR, 120 RBI, 110 OPS+) and they make up an impressive 3-4-5. They have another 3rd overall pick in Marvin Hill (22 HR, 71 RBI, 128 OPS+), a 6-time gold glover in left, but shockingly no other above average hitters in terms of OPS+. Jon Dolin (10 HR, 65 RBI, 99 OPS+) is close, but he more then makes up for it with his elite glove at short as does Pat Amodei (15 HR, 78 RBI, 11 SB, 93 OPS+) out in center.

Young closer Jared Exendine (5-5, 15 SV, 71 K, 160 ERA+) was hurt in the ALCS, which will weaken an average. Rookie Devon Reber (7-1, 3 SV, 64 K, 189 ERA+) will take over the ninth inning with 7th Rounder Billy Arena (7-6, 20 SV, 60 K, 113 ERA+) used in the late innings after being replaced as closer earlier in the year. Former 16th Overall Pick Chad Bryant (6-1, 125 K, 137 ERA+) is an effective long man who may start in the future, but there isn't too much else in the pen. The rotation isn't great, but they have a solid southpaw Josh Benson (9-17, 193 K, 117 ERA+), a former 1st Rounder who actually led the AL in losses. Former #1 overall pick Virgil Merriken (15-4, 116 K, 123 ERA+) had a decent year, but he's more back of the rotation then the future ace he was once projected to be. Both Moises Menendez (9-7, 151 K, 104 ERA+) and former 7th Rounder Derrick Scoiners (10-14, 106 K, 108 ERA+) are both average, if unspectacular arms.

The Pirates are a really weird team, with a really poor offense, but the #1 rotation and defense in the NL. Former 5th Overall Pick Skyler Jones (12-11, 236 K, 132 ERA+) is one of the best pitchers in baseball, leading the NL in strikeouts while starting in a league best 34 games, he third straight season of 34. Former 10th Rounder Bobby Williams (12-11, 175 K, 142 ERA+) also started 34 games and had a really good season as well. Former 4th Rounder Kevin Thompson (6-9, 156 K, 133 ERA+) was excellent while Alex Diaz (7-12, 121 K, 103 ERA+) should probably be in the pen. Instead, the NL ERA leader Josh Weiner (15-2, 137 K, 211 ERA+) will be used as a long man. He doesn't have ideal stamina, but there's no reason Diaz should be making playoff starts over him. They have a decent closer in former Tiger Josh Kutter (5-8, 37 SV, 70 K, 121 ERA+) with an excellent setup men in former Athletic Elias Zbikowski (2-4, 53 K , 197 ERA+) and a rather reliable one in offseason pickup Mike Carletti (4-4, 82 K, 138 ERA+). Multi inning guys like Juan Mejias (4-2, 57 K, 135 ERA+) and Caleb Greek (38 K, 137 ERA+) both had great years and could really make an impact in the middle innings.

The lineup isn't great, but they've got a really good slugger in first basemen Alexis Plaza (47 HR, 115 RBI, 122 OPS+) who's been an above average hitter with 30 or more home runs in each season since 2033, the first year he was a full time starter. Behind him there isn't much, but they do have a nice young corner outfielder in the 24-year-old Julio Gomez (18 HR, 56 RBI, 16 SB, 108 OPS+) and, if he can ever be healthy, a potential 30/30 player in Brazilian second basemen Renato Ino (19 HR, 44 RBI, 13 SB, 109 OPS+). They have a pretty good catcher Henry Valdez (8 HR, 47 RBI, 116 OPS+) and a passable third basemen Chris Halliday (13 HR, 56 RBI, 107 OPS+). This team hasn't been to a series since 1979, but I don't expect them to win it like they did then.

The Rangers didn't have much trouble, winning the first two before dropping the third game. It was the only game they lost, as they won the series in Pittsburgh with a 1-0 victory led by a 1-hit shutout from Josh Benson.

[ayaghmour2]

Option Decisions
SS Chris McLean did not opt out

Coaching Decisions
Signed Manager Scott Austin to a 4-year, $2,496,000 per year contract

Notable Free Agents
SP Tommy Leddy

Top Free Agents
SS Wilson Matos (28, 3,069 PA, 100 HR, 401 RBI, 90 SB, 102 OPS+)
SP Mike Bondy (32, 72-71, 1,231.1 IP, 959 K, 117 ERA+)
C Jose Zepeda (29, 2,933 PA, 94 HR, 380 RBI, 111 OPS+)
CF Mike Schill (30, 3,368 PA, 103 HR, 368 RBI, 124 SB, 125 OPS+)
LF Danny Estrada (32, 4,174 PA, 34 HR, 337 RBI, 109 OPS+)
RF Andy Duran (28, 4,559 PA, 222 HR, 731 RBI, 127 OPS+)
SP Chris Quinones (29, 40-40, 731.1 IP, 713 K, 114 ERA+)
SP Kory Guetzke (35, 110-121, 2,132.2 IP, 2,569 K, 111 ERA+)
RF Steve Dougher (31, 4,717 PA, 268 HR, 748 RBI, 123 SB, 133 OPS+)
LF Chris Conley (31, 2,826 PA, 229 HR, 516 RBI, 158 OPS+)

They lost literally no one to free agency, just the non-tender of Leddy and Steve Warren, who they gave way too much money too, who retired. The Astros have a bit over $80 million to spend on a rather weak free agent class. One of the big names is former Astro Bryan Pointer who is coming off a dominant season with the Mets where he recorded 51 saves and a minuscule 0.89 ERA (480 ERA+) in his only year in New York.

The biggest area of need is the pitching staff. They have a lot of really good young arms, but a veteran arm or two can stabilize the rotation at the beginning of the year. The pen has a lot of holes, and could use a few new arms, but worst case get the starters and move them to the pen once the youngsters are ready. They desperately need a catcher, and other then first, right, and short, they could use an upgrade at any other position. The Astros need a big offseason if they want to compete in Kevin Clarke's contract year.

[efcfan]

Interesting that the Astros haven't won a World Series since 2017. Curse of the Banging?

[ayaghmour2]

December
Traded LF Derek Parks to the Orioles for C Jon Stiles

That's all in a quiet December. Stills debuted last year for Baltimore, and the now 27-year-old hit an awful .167/.222/.259 (22 OPS+) with 2 homers and RBI's in just over 100 trips to the plate. He's got okay power, but he's best known for being excellent behind the plate. He's got a weak arm, but he calls a great came and is excellent at stealing strikes. He was a 2036 2nd Round selection for Baltimore. Parks is an excellent prospect the Astros should not have given up for a bench player. He was the 22nd Overall Pick in 2040 and he's got elite potential. He can't play defense, but he's an excellent hitter. This will be a mistake for Houston...

January
Signed RP Jose Landaverde to a 1-year, $1,596,000 extension
Signed RP Alex Solis to a 1-year, $5.3 million contract

Yeah, this is a rough offseason...

Landaverde has been a reliable pen arm, not worth Yordan Alvarez, but still not a terrible arm. This will keep him under contract for 2043, which will be his sixth season in Houston. Solis is a 36-year-old righty who's spent his career with the Pirates and Nationals. The Panamanian righty is 26-29 with 38 saves, a 5.18 ERA (85 ERA+), 1.50 WHIP, and 586 strikeouts in 464.1 innings pitched. He's never had an above average season in terms of ERA+, but his ratings really aren't that bad. It's weird how little success he's had, but also how much money they gave him.

February
Signed CF T.J. Holtz to a 5-year, $95 million contract

This looks like the only legit signing, and Holtz is a decent. He was terrible in his last season with the Mariners, hitting just .150/.290/.334 (64 OPS+) in just under 100 games, but he's a much better player then that. He hit .210/.323/.467 (109 OPS+) with 235 homers, 124 steals, and 562 RBI's across 997 big league games. Seattle took him 24th Overall in 2031, and the 29-year-old has turned into an excellent power/speed player. He can handle center, but would probably be an elite right fielder with his absolute cannon and plus range.

Will this be enough to save Kevin Clarke's job? Or get him an extension? My money is on no...

[ayaghmour2]

Preseason Predictions
It's been a while since the Astros were any good, and the writers don't expect much from them this year. Of course, they have arguably the best pitcher in baseball in Hector Galan, but they are still projected to finish at 73-89 which would put them in 4th. The defending champion Rangers (93-69) are projected to repeat as division winners. The Angels (91-71) will be right on their tail and are projected to be the second wild card.

Farm System
The Astros system ranks 24th as a lot of notable players graduated. Their new top prospect is a good one, 22-year-old center fielder Angel Alvarez who they took 8th Overall last year. He's got All-Star potential, projecting to be an elite contact hitter with elite speed, range, and arm as well. He won't strike out too much and will hit his share of home runs. He can definitely handle center, but he'll be a top tier right fielder if they decided to move him out. He ranks 53rd in the league. Not too far behind him at 61 is the 13th pick of the 2039 draft, lefty Jamie Ash. The 24-year-old will start the season in AA and he could be up this season. He's got top of the rotation potential, but more of a #2 then #1. He's a flamethrowing groundballer with excellent movement on his breaking pitches. Those are the only two top 100 prospects, but there are five in the 100-200 range. Speedy gloveman Julio Mendoza checks in right outside of the top 100 at 103 with the similarly profiled Sincere Zachary at 134. Dylan Jewell dropped from 42 to 135, as his injury last season really lowered his ceiling. Pitchers Jose Guillen (154) and Eli Fickel (172) are both solid rotation arms, with Guillen already debuting last season.

Batters
The offensive is improved, as 3B Billy Bullock joins Chris McLean and Devin McClain in a trio of really talented players. Jerry Solorio is an excellent slugger even if he can't play defense or make much contact and 26-year-old Mike Gebhart is an outstanding hitter that's limited to DH.The outfield is a little shaky, as while top free agent acquisition T.J. Holtz is a reliable starter, they could use an upgrade over Bob Valencia in left. Catcher is a mess as they definitely overpaid for Stiles and Steve Halloran doesn't inspire too much confidence while the fragile David Rios is just a shell of the former All-Star second basemen he once was.

Pitchers
Superstar Hector Galan will sit atop the rotation again until an inevitable injury takes him off the field. He'll lead an inexperienced rotation with Pete Snyder the only arm with more then 35 career major league starts other then him. Guillen, Jewell, and Lashbaugh all have a lot of upside, so the rotation can go from average to great, but Guillen is the only of the trio without a vast injury history. The pen isn't bad, but besides Kyu-min Kim, there's no other dominant arm. Randy Robledo and Alex Coon will pitch the late innings with Kevin Coon and Jose Landaverde functioning as important multi-inning guys. Minor league free agent Joey Hagerman made the team, and the former Oriole could give them some quality middle relief innings. The pen is better then it was last year, but it's still not really a strength.

[ayaghmour2]

Record: 21-31 (5th, 9.5 GB)

Summary
It's been a rough couple of months for the Astros. Already nearly ten out, the Astros sit 10 under .500 and are an after thought in the division. All the other four teams sit above .500 while only the Yankees (21-32) have a worst record in the AL. The Marines (31-22) sit atop the West with Texas (31-23) just a half game back. The Angels (29-25) and A's (28-25) are in reach of both the Wild Card and division.

Batters
The offense is really bad, ranked last or second to last in runs scored, average, OBP, slugging, OPS, WAR, hits, walks, and wOBA. Devin McClain (12 HR, 29 RBI, 76 OPS+) has really struggled and newcomer T.J. Holtz (9 HR, 22 RBI, 10 SB, 91 OPS+) hasn't produced much early on. There is only one above average hitter in the lineup and it's a huge shock. Jon Stiles (9 HR, 17 RBI, 143 OPS+) has absolutely raked in just under 100 plate appearances while the generally productive Chris McLean (6 HR, 17 RBI, 91 OPS+) and youngster Billy Bullock (7 HR, 16 RBI, 91 OPS+) have struggled. Jerry Solorio (8 HR, 18 RBI, 127 OPS+) has hit well, but he's moved to the bench as his ratings have tanked. David Rios (4 HR, 17 RBI, 4 SB, 66 OPS+) has been beyond awful and somehow Bob Valencia (5 HR, 18 RBI, 54 OPS+) has been even worse. There is a lot of work to be done here, but I can't see the offense turning around much.

Pitching
Hector Galan (4-3, 104 K, 161 ERA+) has stayed healthy and been excellent in his 11 starts. That hasn't been the theme, as Pete Snyder (2-5, 52 K, 98 ERA+) has had his issues and Joey Lashbaugh (0-7, 47 K, 80 ERA+) still hasn't been able to put it together. Dylan Jewell (3-2, 47 K, 130 ERA+) has looked good, but control issues have hurt him and his ratings have taken a slight dive as well. Jose Guillen (1-1, 36 K, 96 ERA+) was doing okay, but he hit the IL with an elbow strain and will likely miss two more months. Looking at the pen, Kyu-min Kim (3-2, 10 SV, 28 K, 129 ERA+) has been okay, but Randy Robledo (2-3, 15 K, 63 ERA+) and Alex Solis (2-2, 17 K, 78 ERA+) have done terrible. Longmen Kevin Coon (21 K, 122 ERA+) and Jose Landaverde (27 K, 177 ERA+) have had success, with Landaverde really putting together solid innings. Jody Hagerman (1-2, 26 K, 77 ERA+) has shown why he couldn't get a major league deal and Rodolfo Fernandez (1-3, 10 K, 50 ERA+) has more walks then strikeouts and more runs then innings.

[ayaghmour2]

Record: 44-60 (5th, 17.5 GB)

Recap
A rough season continues for the Astros as they are way out of first place. Almost 20 games back with two months to go, they might as well start looking forward to next year. Texas (62-43) and Oakland (60-45) are in a tight race at the top with Oakland at the top Wild Card spot. Seattle (55-48) is probably too far out for the division, but they are just a game back of the Rays (56-47) for the second Wild Card.

Draft
The Astros picked 5th overall and grabbed a future star center fielder in Kevin Hughes. The NC State Product has elite power with excellent speed in the field and on the bases. All his hit tools are plus or better and he has a really strong arm. It's rare to see the Astros pick this high, but I think they made the right choice here. Their second rounder is a prep pitcher Tim Speirs who should be a future middle of the rotation arm. He throws in the low 90s, but with a really nice fastball/splitter combo plus a nice curveball. He also has a change up, but it is more or less useless. Eventually they did grab their go to player, with 3rd Rounder Danny Ford a slugging corner outfielder. The lefty is about as good as some of the first round picks they've made, so I'm okay with this selection. In the 4th Round they grabbed an interesting southpaw named Budiman Soedjatmoko from Jacksonville, Illinois. He's got a live arm with a really good fastball and sinker, but what will determine his role is the development of his changeup. I think he's best suited for the pen, but he projects as a back of the rotation arm.

Batters
Still not much offense has came out of the Astros lineup other then Jerry Solorio (17 HR, 36 RBI, 143 OPS+) who has made just 46 starts on the year. Jon Stiles (16 HR, 37 RBI, 106 OPS+) has cooled significantly and is hitting just .188, but half his hits this year are homers. Chris McLean (12 HR, 36 RBI, 13 SB, 103 OPS+) has gotten back on track and has looked productive at the plate. Devin McClain (20 HR, 57 RBI, 71 OPS+) has still struggled and Billy Bullock (11 HR, 27 RBI, 79 OPS+) is in the midst of a major sophomore slump. T.J. Holtz (21 HR, 45 RBI, 15 SB, 104 OPS+) is now on pace for a 20/20 season which would be the 4th of his career. David Rios (13 HR, 43 RBI, 9 SB, 89 OPS+) has been much improved, but still putting together poor overall numbers for the year.

Pitchers
Hector Galan (5-7, 184 K, 147 ERA+) has managed to stay healthy, but by his standards, is having a down year. This would be his lowest ERA+ since his second season as a starter in 2029 where he put up a matching 147 mark. Dylan Jewell (7-5, 108 K, 129 ERA+) has really started to put things together while Pete Snyder (4-7, 104 K, 98 ERA+) has continued his mediocrity. Unfortunately, Joey Lashbaugh (4-10, 94 K, 82 ERA+) continues to struggle with his control and his stock continues to fade and they haven't been able to find a 5th starter to replace Jose Guillen who's about a week from returning. Currently, Jody Hagerman (6-4, 47 K, 89 ERA+) has moved from the pen to the rotation,but he hasn't looked all that good in his two starts. The pen has had a ton of issues, as even Kyu-min Kim (4-6, 22 SV, 55 K, 101 ERA+) has had his share of struggles. Randy Robledo (3-4, 28 K, 70 ERA+), Alex Solis (37 K, 81 ERA+), Kevin Coon (38 K, 75 ERA+), and Rodolfo Fernandez (3-4, 24 K, 66 ERA+) have been awful and Sergio Amaro (39 K, 97 ERA+) passable at best. Chris Phillips (22 K, 241 ERA+) has looked really good and Jose Landaverde (57 K, 125 ERA+) has continued to be effective, but there is a lot wrong with this pen.

[ayaghmour2]

Record: 73-89 (5th, 21 GB)

Summary
Well, at least the season is over. The Astros finished in dead last, seven games behind the Angels (80-82). The Rangers (94-68) won the West again while the A's (90-72) emerged from the cellar and finished the season as the second Wild Card. Seattle (84-78) had a respectable record, but weren't all that close to the second wild card.

Batters
The offense did finish 4th in homers, but besides that, they were pretty inept. Devin McClain (41 HR, 104 RBI, 96 OPS+) almost rebounded to an average season, but he showcased the power in another 40+ homer season, but paired it with 203 strikeouts.Chris McLean (20 HR, 62 RBI, 17 SB, 104 OPS+) fell just short of a 20/20 season while T.J. Holtz (43 HR, 89 RBI, 25 SB, 116 OPS+) really finished the season strong and reached triple digit walks for the first time in his career. Billy Bullock (22 HR, 55 RBI, 91 OPS+) had a tough second season and David Rios (13 HR, 50 RBI, 9 SB, 83 OPS+) had a rough campaign. There was a bright spot in September, with rookie Reginald Frew (4 HR, 9 RBI, 126 OPS+), a scouting discovery from Austraillia back in 2033, putting together a really good month in Bob Valencia's (16 HR, 44 RBI, 12 SB 75 OPS+) former role as starting left fielder. Jerry Solorio (24 HR, 54 RBI, 143 OPS+) didn't even get into 90 games, but was by far the best hitter for them this season.

Pitchers
I jinxed Hector Galan (5-7, 201 K, 137 ERA+) who suffered shoulder inflammation in mid-August and didn't pitch the rest of the year. In his absence, rookie Dylan Jewell (11-6, 178 K, 122 ERA+) put together a really good season and Pete Snyder (6-10, 146 K, 109 ERA+) finished off strong. Jose Guillen (3-6, 94 K, 103 ERA+) did okay after returning from the IL, but Joey Lashbaugh (6-17, 146 K, 84 ERA+) led the AL in losses and walked 102 batters (5.6 BB/9) in what was a better rate then last season. They struggled to find a fifth starter all year, with Jose Landaverde (3-5, 89 K, 110 ERA+) finishing the season in the rotation. Kyu-min Kim (7-9, 34 SV, 108 K, 133 ERA+) turned things around, but the pen was a huge weakness this year. Chris Phillips (38 K, 161 ERA+) was really the only other dependable arm.

[ayaghmour2]

The AL Central champion Cleveland Indians (89-73) didn't have a great regular season, but swept the Rangers and took four out of five from the A's on their way to the World Series. Cleveland has been on a nice run as of late, with this being their 8th consecutive playoff appearance and 11th in 12 seasons. They've won a pair of titles in 2036 and 2038 and are looking for their 5th all time.

Nothing really stands out about the team, but they do have one of the more successful pitchers in recent history in Joe Nicholson (17-10, 210 K, 118 ERA+). He hasn't been his elite self the past few years, but he's one of the most consistent arms out there, and the lefty put together his 7th straight season with 33 or more starts. Josh Schull (8-13, 147 K, 105 ERA+) and Chris Sesto (10-11, 129 K, 105 ERA+) are passable arms and when healthy, Chris Roy (5-2, 53 K, 138 ERA+) has been really effective. They moved 23-year-old righty Hector Quiroga (10-7, 146 K, 100 ERA+) and 37-year-old Ben Rogo (12-6, 5 SV, 93 K, 121 ERA+) to the pen, but both made 20+ starts in the regular season. Former 5th Round pick Jon Lieb (3-8, 32 SV, 89 K, 114 ERA+) led the AL in appearances and was a more or less reliable 9th inning arm. Former 28th Overall pick Doug Hand (7-5, 7 SV, 89 K, 115 ERA+) once projected as a top of the rotation arm, but he hasn't quite been able to develop his slider and has instead turned into one of their quality late inning arms. The rest of the pen isn't too great, but middle reliever Marc Richards (3-2, 92 K, 120 ERA+) put up really good numbers while averaging about 2 innings an appearance.

The lineup isn't great, but superstar Alex Velez (42 HR, 98 RBI, 122 OPS+) didn't miss too much time and still put up great, albeit not elite, numbers. Phil Caldewll (22 HR, 89 RBI, 123 OPS+) put together a decent year as well, but both 33-year-olds have done much better in the past. Catcher Jon Anderson (18 HR, 51 RBI, 101 OPS+) saw a drop off in his offensive numbers, but the former 2nd Rounder is a top notch defender behind the plate. Former Rule-5 Pick Bob Bullock (26 HR, 61 RBI, 122 OPS+) put up strong numbers again and 4-time Gold Glover at short Andy Chandler (3 HR, 31 RBI, 94 OPS+) had one of his best offensive years despite missing about a third of the season. They have some intriguing youngsters, including 25-year-old Sergio Ramirez (9 HR, 30 RBI, 165 OPS+) who missed time with six different injuries during the year and deadline acquisition from the Giants Jose Jurado (4 HR, 26 RBI, 19 SB, 110 OPS+) who fractured his wrist late in September and missed all of the postseason.

They'll get their National League counterpart, the Central champion Brewers (93-69) who cruised to a second straight central crown. The Brewers are still looking for their elusive first title. They've made the postseason consistently as of late, six consecutive appearances and nine in the past decade. The lost the 2040 World Series to the Angels, and are back after a quick year off. They have an interesting combination, with the most steals, strikeouts (pitching), least errors, and second best zone rating and efficiency.

The pitching staff is led by 26-year-old Tony Montoya (9-14, 188 K, 107 ERA+) who didn't look as sharp as most pundits expected. They got a lot of production from David Silva (9-6, 207 K, 118 ERA+) who has struck out 200 or more batters in each of his 4 seasons as a full time starter. Offseason free agent signing Rikiya Tsutsui (12-10, 207 K, 109 ERA+) had a decent first season in Milwaukee and Tim Tech (11-10, 142 K, 102 ERA+) had an okay season. The bullpen is really strong, however, led by former Astro Bryan Pointer (4-2, 55 SV, 153 K, 167 ERA+) who led the NL in saves in his second stint with the Crew. They have three other dominant arms in the back of the pen, including southpaw Jose Gonzales (11-7, 122 K, 163 ERA+) who led the NL in games pitched, another offseason pickup Alexis Benitez (11-5, 181 K, 157 ERA+) who filled in the rotation when injuries arose, and Luis Villegas (40 K, 184 ERA+), a lefty they picked up from the A's in the offseason. They'll be without lefty Nate Blaylock (43 K, 130 ERA+) who ruptured his UCL in June, but have another reliable middle inning arm in former Astro Josh Langan (46 K, 114 ERA+).

The offense isn't great, but they have an All-Star and fan favorite in right field Edgar Rocha (27 HR, 96 RBI, 9 SB, 127 OPS+) who's been an above average hitter in each of his six seasons with the Brewers. 23-year-old and former 2nd Round pick Jim Sebag (4 HR, 46 RBI, 43 SB, 108 OPS+) is an excellent leadoff hitter and elite defender out in left and another offseason pickup, former Mariner catcher Jose Zepeda (15 HR, 78 RBI, 107 OPS+) helps the team both at bat and behind the plate. Those three are the only above average hitters on the team, and they watched offseason pickup Jamie Wright (25 HR, 54 RBI, 69 OPS+) struggled all season long, hitting just .175 while putting up a -1.2 WAR. It was the first season in his career he didn't hit 40 or more homers (excluding a 6 game cup of coffee in 2035).

This should be a fairly competitive series, and home field should help the Brewers. They're actually a better team on the road, but Cleveland is barely over .500 away from home. Things changed in the playoffs I guess, as the Indians took both games on the road. The Brewers got the first two in Cleveland, but the Indians won game five and just needed to win won more in Milwaukee. The Indians offense completely over matched Tim Tech and Joe Nicholson pitched a great game for the Indians, as they took game 6 4-2 to keep the Brewers series drought going.

[ayaghmour2]

Coaching Contracts
Manager Scott Austin retired
Signed Hitting Coach Troy Snitker to a 1-year, $362,000 extension
Pitching Coach Parker Bugg's contract was not extended
Signed Bench Coach Andre Del Bosque to a 2-year, $456,000 per year extension
Signed General Manager Kevin Clarke to a 4-year, $2,040,000 per year extension
Signed Pitching Coach Bubby Rossman to a 1-year, $78,000 contract

Can't believe they brought back Clarke...

In other news, Rossman is a former minor league and independent league pitcher who played from 2014-2019. He's a rookie coach. They still haven't signed a manager yet.

Notable Free Agents
RP Sergio Amaro
C Steve Halloran
3B Mario Lagares
CL Kyu-min Kim
RP Chris Phillips
RP Alex Solis
LF Bob Valencia

Top Free Agents
RF Ben Menhert (34, 4,373 PA, 94 HR, 409 RBI, 125 SB, 123 OPS+)
SP Eddie Castillo (37, 113-87, 214 SV, 1,610 IP, 1,843 K, 143 ERA+)
C Arturo Herrera (38, 7,112 PA, 353 HR, 1,105 RBI, 131 OPS+)
LF Marvin Hill (31, 6,216 PA, 277 HR, 901 RBI, 108 SB, 129 OPS+)
C Emanuel Fernandez (29, 3,546 PA, 149 HR, 438 RBI, 100 OPS+)
SP Kevin Haase (32, 57-64, 40 SV, 1,026 IP, 1,046 K, 120 ERA+)
1B Alexis Plaza (33, 6,455 PA, 435 HR, 1,090 RBI, 127 OPS+)
SP Clint Harper (37, 173-123, 2,685.2 IP, 2,450 K, 120 ERA+)
1B Ramon Gomez (35, 7,275 PA, 404 HR, 1,204 RBI, 129 OPS+)

The Astros don't have much money to work with, just about $45 million to spend and they have a lot of positions that need upgrades. I'm not expecting anything exciting and the Astros will likely be a bad team yet again.

[ayaghmour2]

December
Signed Manager Jake McCarter to a 1-year, $316,000 contract
Signed RP Cristopher Cruz to a 2-year, $11.4 million contract
Signed RP Jose Landaverde to a 1-year, $1,682,000 extension
Signed RP Jonathan Mallas to a 2-year, $3.36 million contract
Lost C Danny Campos to the Tigers in the Rule-5 Draft

McCarter is a 58-year-old rookie manager who pitched for two seasons in the minor leagues. I have to imagine there were better options for a manager, but not too sure the Astros have their sights on winning.

I actually really like the Cruz signing, even if he is 40-years-old. He's been a reliable relief pitcher with 50 or more innings from 2025 to 2041. For his career, he has 353 saves, a 3.87 ERA (123 ERA+), 1.28 WHIP, and 1,420 strikeouts across 1,126.2 innings pitched. Even though he didn't reach 50 innings this year, he was 2-0 with a 3.14 ERA (123 ERA+), 1.30 WHIP, and 47 strikeouts in 43 innings with the Mariners. He's pitched with the Pirates, Cardinals, Yankees, Braves, Orioles, Mariners, and now Astros. Cruz is actually a real person, signed July 2nd, 2019 out of the Dominican Republic. When this game started, he was a 17-year-old on the Pirates DSL team and has made a solid career for himself. The real life Cruz has yet to throw a professional pitch.

The other addition, Jonathan Mallas, is a 29-year-old with not too many innings under his belt. In just 46.2 frames with Oakland from 2038-2041 he has a 6.75 ERA (79 ERA+), 1.71 WHIP, and 42 strikeouts. He's not all that interesting, but was a 4th Round pick by the Mets in 2035.

Campos isn't a real loss. They signed him on the 13th to a minor league deal and lost him just 12 days later. They also extended Landaverde again, so he'll be under control for another year.

January
Signed RF Ben Mehnert to a 4-year, $68.6 million contract

I have mixed feelings on this one. The former Met is a decent player, with a career .287/.352/.436 (124 OPS+) hitter with 94 homers, 125 steals, and 409 RBI's. A 6th Round selection by New York back in 2030, he's had two dominant seasons and four average seasons. The 34-year-old was dominant last year, hitting .326/.404/.515 (160 OPS+) with 14 homers, 18 steals, and 58 RBI's. The only downside is he fell shy of 500 plate appearances due to a spring training injury that cost him the first month of the season. He's much better then what they have, but I'm afraid he could age quickly and be a burden towards the end of his contract. Especially since this was there only real signing, it's a little disappointing. They didn't have much money to work with, but it's going to be another long season in Houston.

[ayaghmour2]

Preseason Predictions
The Astros are projected to finish in the cellar yet again, this time with a pitiful 67-95 record. The Rangers (93-69) are supposed to be the class of the West again. The Athletics (92-70) are right behind them and the Angels (85-77) and Mariners (79-83) will at least be respectable even if they won't make noise late in the year. Hector Galan has dropped out of the Top 10 as injuries have caught up to him. Of course, no other Astros are remotely considered to be top players.

Farm System
The Astros system is back in the bottom tier, ranked 19th out of 30th. Last year's 5th overall pick Kevin Hughes ranks 25th in the league and he profiles as an All-Star outfielder with excellent power and speed. Behind him are LHP Jamie Ash and CF Angel Alvarez who rank 65th and 66th. The 25-year-old Ash was taken 13th Overall in 2039 and he's on track to make his big league debut this year. He's got the potential to be a #2 with a top notch upper 90s fastball. He's a groundballer with excellent movement on his forkball and slider and he's a durable arm who can pitch deep into games. Alvarez was 8th overall in 2041 who's got a ton of upside even if not as high as Hughes. He's got elite contact, speed, and arm who will very rarely strikeout. He's a really good centerfielder, but he may be one of the best defensive right fielders in the game if the Astros decide to move him off center. Their pair of top shortstop prospects Julio Mendoza (111th) and Sincere Zachery (178th) are both set to make debuts this season and both of them have seen the bats try to catch up with the glove. No one else in the top 200 besides them, but they have five in the 200-250 range.

Batters
Billy Bullock has developed into an elite hitter, but he's going to have to improve on a rough 2042 season. Chris McLean and Devin McClain are both well above average players and McClain, T.J. Holtz, and Ben Menhert should be a formidable outfield. It's a little shaky behind that, with no established starters or high upside youngsters. 2036 3rd Rounder Gene Allison looks to make his mark on the big league roster after spending parts of the past two seasons in the majors. He could be a decent hitter and defender at third, but I'm not sure how much time he's going to get. David Rios looks like a $45.5 million waste of a roster spot at 35 and Jerry Solorio is barley a single A player now as he's taken a full nose dive off a cliff.

Pitchers
Hector Galan has really had injuries and age take a toll on him, as the dominant righty from 2028-2042 may be on his last leg. It's the last year on his 5 year, $310 million contract so he may be in his last year with Houston. The control is still there, but the stuff and velocity is way down. He's still a top of the rotation arm, but this is going to be a tough season for the Astros. Pete Snyder needs to finally have a strong full season instead of slumping for the first two months, but Jose Guillen has is shaping up to be a dependable #3. Dylan Jewell and Joey Lashbaugh don't have the upside they once have and the control is almost non-existent for both of them. The pen is much weaker as they are without closer Kyu-min Kim who departed in free agency. Cristopher Cruz is still a reasonable closer and Randy Robledo should be a solid enough setup men, but the rest of the pen is really weak. None of the arms are all that exciting, let alone average, and there's a lot of weakness on this staff.

[ayaghmour2]

Record: 27-25 (2nd, 4.5 GB)

Summary
Umm...

Not sure what's going on here.

Shockingly, the Astros are two games above .500 and just 3 games out of the Wild Card. Only the Rangers (32-21) have a better record in the West while the Angels (28-26) and A's (27-27) are right behind them. The Mariners (27-25) are sitting where I thought the Astros would be. Reasons for the likely non-sustainable success? Definitely not the pitching, ranking 10th or lower in most pitching categories (7th in runs against though), but they're top five in a handful of offense categories including OBP, OPS, WAR, and wOBA.

Batters
If you told me 35-year-old David Rios (11 HR, 39 RBI, 5 SB, 157 OPS+) would be hitting over .300 with double digit home runs after the first two months of the season, I'd say you were crazy. In the past three years his best average was .242 and most homers was 15. No one else is really overperforming like him, but Devin McClain (17 HR, 35 RBI, 127 OPS+) has looked good as has T.J. Holtz (16 HR, 36 RBI, 8 SB, 121 OPS+). Ben Mehnert (2 HR, 11 RBI, 116 OPS+) was doing fine before hitting the IL, but former 2nd Rounder Jose Avila (4 HR, 7 RBI, 122 OPS+) has filled in well. Billy Bullock (8 HR, 17 RBI, 97 OPS+) and Chris McLean (5 HR, 15 RBI, 4 SB, 92 OPS+) haven't had the seasons they were expecting, but it hasn't mattered too much. They brought up #4 prospect Julio Mendoza (0 HR, 7 RBI, 2 SB, 36 OPS+) to play short, but he hasn't hit at all. He has been excellent in the field, already with a +3.8 ZR and 1.161 efficiency in just 213 innings (24 games). Gene Allison (5 HR, 25 RBI, 105 OPS+) has looked good in his 181 trips to the plate, but he's currently sitting on the bench.

Pitchers
Hector Galan (6-5, 40 K, 109 ERA+) hasn't looked like himself, and he actually ranks behind Pete Snyder (3-4, 56 K, 110 ERA+) in the rotation as Snyder hasn't had his usual early season slump. Joey Lashabugh (0-0, 15 K, 87 ERA+) was demoted after three starts and Dylan Jewell (1-4, 38 K, 86 ERA+) was moved to the pen. Jose Guillen (4-2, 52 K, 114 ERA+) has been the most effective starter so far, but the current back two of Jared Kranis (1-1, 20 K, 73 ERA+) who was signed in May and Ricky Mundo (1-1, 29 K, 84 ERA+) leaves a lot to be desired. Looking to the pen, the 40-year-old Christopher Cruz (2-1, 18 SV, 24 K, 124 ERA+) has done well, but he's no Kyu-min Kim. Randy Robledo (25 K, 104 ERA+) has been average at best, but there isn't much else in the pen. They did claim long time Indian Ben Rogo (5-2, 28 K, 105 ERA+) off waivers from the Rangers before ever throwing a pitch with him. He's been good as a longman, and after pitching for Cleveland from 2029-2042, this is his first time away from the team that took him 19th Overall in 2027. Craig Alyward (23 K, 119 ERA+) has looked fine too.

[ayaghmour2]

Record: 50-54 (4th, 12.5 GB)

Recap
They won't fight for a playoff spot, but the Astros have been respectable this year, sitting just four games below .500. The Angels (63-42) shot up the standings and now sit two games ahead of the Rangers (60-43). The Rangers are four ahead of the Athletics (56-47) who hold the second wild card spot. As a whole, the Astros don't do much well, but it's still impressive that they've done this well.

Draft
Picking 12th Overall, the Astros selected centerfielder Julio Garay. He looks like a future big league starter with the range for center and the arm of a right fielder. He's got decent speed and a ton of power, but he will swing and miss a lot. The second round pick is first basemen Devin McKines who likely won't amount to much. High contact and power with a very low eye. He won't strike out much, but he doesn't really look all that special. They didn't have a third round pick, but fourth rounder Esteban Fernandez is an intriguing arm. He's a young groundballer with solid control and three decent pitches. 6th Rounder Chris Pluth is currently a starter, but I think he's gonna be an excellent reliever.

Batters
David Rios (17 HR, 61 RBI, 147 OPS+) is somehow still raking and is maybe the best hitter on the team right now. Devin McClain (27 HR, 58 RBI, 101 OPS+) and Chris McLean (13 HR, 36 RBI, 10 SB, 97 OPS+) are both underperforming and T.J. Holtz (27 HR, 62 RBI, 10 SB, 92 OPS+) has seen his production crater. Billy Bullock (20 HR, 39 RBI, 113 OPS+) has started to hit much better and rookie Gene Allison (14 HR, 46 RBI, 103 OPS+), a natural third basemen, has started at short and hit fine. Fellow rookie Reginald Frew (9 HR, 27 RBI, 105 OPS+) has taken the starting left field job from Ben Mehnert (5 HR, 27 RBI, 95 OPS+) who's already looking like a waste of money.

Pitchers
Pete Snyder (5-11, 108 K, 107 ERA+) has been unlucky, but he's pitched well enough. Hector Galan (9-8, 67 K, 99 ERA+) is in the midst of an unprecedent season, as his 5.6 K/9 is less then half of his 12.6 last year and almost a third of his 14.0 career mark. Jose Guillen (7-7, 103 K, 97 ERA+) has hit a rough patch and the veteran Jared Kranis (4-4, 64 K, 72 ERA+) has not done much in his 14 starts. Ricky Mundo (6-4, 78 K, 103 ERA+) has been a surprising relative success, but the rotation is really weak as a unit. The pen isn't much better, and closer Christopher Cruz (3-4, 28 SV, 40 K, 102 ERA+) hasn't been all that great. It's not all bad, as both Craig Alyward (50 K, 134 ERA+) and Randy Robledo (4-4, 51 K, 121 ERA+) are both putting together solid seasons. Beyond that, just Kevin Coon (37 K, 101 ERA+) and Ben Rogo (5-3, 58 K, 97 ERA+) are the only other guys who haven't been completely awful.

[ayaghmour2]

Putting this dynasty on hold. Eventually I'm going to come back to it and possibly play as the Astros and try to break their drought. Will probably sim a few more seasons first to see if they can get one before, but I'm a bit busy right now.