Author: /u/Gus_Frin_g

I just finished reading it and I wanted to hear thoughts from other people. It summarizes the cheating scandal pretty well I’d say, and it does point out other teams’ cheating too. A few new things I learned:

• Luhnow was cutthroat and did not give promotions easily. He was also the only person that liked the Osuna trade even a little, and pushed for it even after Pressly arrived.

• When White Sox pitcher Farquhar noticed the trash can bangs and switched his signs, a lot of players were scared. Cora asked Myles Straw to take the TV equipment down.

• On the aftermath of Harvey, Cora was incredibly unsympathetic. He played loud music during a car drive and started an argument with Blummer, calling him a c**t several times.

• Cora is also a raging drunk (not a surprise there lol).

• Hinch got ejected in the 1st inning of a game on Aug 31, 2017. He used that time to pull some strings and get Crane to sign JV in that legendary deal. Luhnow was on vacation and had little input.

• Verlander laughed when he learned about the sign stealing and said, “you fuckers.” He claims the ’17 Indians did something similar.

• The Astros believe the Dodgers were using cameras to cheat in their ’17 WS home games. Instead of a TV in the back with the video feed, the cameraman would relay the info to the dugout using an iPad.

• Cora and former bullpen coach Craig Bjornson bragged about stealing the ’17 championship. Strom’s sticky stuff originated with Bjornson.

Now that baseball is back, I was taking a closer look at the Astros 40-man roster and noticing some unfamiliar names. There were quite a few depth pieces added during the offseason, and I wanted to see who is most likely to break camp and stay with the team long-term. I took particular note of those who were NOT Astros prospects. Here are three players we traded for cash or claimed off waivers this offseason:

Rylan Bannon (3B/2B)

A natural third baseman with good range, Bannon was signed by the Dodgers but quickly found his way into the Baltimore system. He bounced between AA and AAA before finally breaking to the majors in 2022. However, it was not enough to impress management, and he was DFA’d in August.

In a bizarre scenario, the Dodgers pick him off waivers and then DFA him again four days later without ever adding him to the roster. Maybe they were trying to trade him? He ends up with the Braves, who don’t use him for any major league games because their other young talent was excelling.

Now at age 26, this is make it or break it time for Bannon. The bat is the tool that needs to be improved, and I know the Astros will look to unlock some power. At best, he is gunning for Hensley or Dubon’s spot. At worst, he is another Niko Goodrum.

Matt Gage (RP)

This guy has been around the block. Drafted by the Giants and then traded to the Mets, where he reached Triple-A level in 2018. He then elected free agency and signed with the Diablos Rojos of the Mexican league, playing there in 2019 and for an independent league club during the pandemic.

The Dbacks sign him to a minor league deal in 2021 and make him a pure reliever. He still posts a high ERA in the minors, but other metrics such as K/BB ratio improve. Blue Jays call him to the majors in 2022 and he has a stellar year. 1.38 ERA in 11 major league appearances.

In 2022, he was throwing two pitches: a “boring” 94mph fastball and a high 80s cutter. The cutter is his best pitch, and he locates it really well. From the limited sample of other pitches, it seems like one of his issues is slider command. The Astros are pretty good at fixing that.

Why did the Blue Jays drop him? They signed Chad Green and had no room on the roster. I think if Gage can improve his slider and add that to last year’s formula, he could be a huge steal for us. Or he could be a cheap dud.

Bligh Madris (OF/1B)

A Pirates prospect through and through, Madris has accelerated through the ranks despite missing time in 2020. He bats lefty and throws righty, with a cannon for an arm, so much so that he pitched in relief eight times in the minors. Pirates primarily played him in a corner outfield, but he also took reps at 1B after being promoted to the majors in 2022.

He was DFA’d by the Pirates after his options ran out, and at first was with the Rays. Tigers grab him off waivers, and the Astros jump on the chance to trade him for cash. I think this is the best pickup on the list, this guy has huge upside and our team was lacking depth at the areas he plays in.

He is rated as a slugger, but one of the complaints as he broke in the majors was his low OPS. It seems he will level out as a utility player with some pop, but maybe the Astros see him as purely the backup for Abreu. How many games he gets this year heavily depends on how JJ Matijevic and Jake Meyers perform, or if there is some crazy injury plague.

This is the fourth video of a 10-day series, highlighting the most dominant Astros wins in the last five years.

Game 4 – 8/27/19 vs. Rays – W,15-1

Uncle Charlie returns to Houston in a Rays uniform. He goes toe-to-toe with JV for a bit, until our lineup makes the adjustment the second time around and pulverizes him in the 4th inning. Guess the umps had to compensate for that, since they threw out JV for practically no reason in the 6th. I included parts of a Jomboy breakdown because it’s the only good footage I can find from the incident. Some poor defense from the Rays in the 6th, which is extra humiliating. Bregman earns himself a 3-hit day with two infield hits and a popup that falls in lmao.