January 23, 2025 • 11 mins
With the conclusion of their season early in the Wild Card round with a loss to the Detroit Tigers, the Astros rolled into the offseason a bit earlier than most are use to. Falling short this season the Astros still have been the only team in the American League that has made a total of eight consecutive postseasons with a total of seven consecutive ALCS appearances. Looking to add more depth to the roster during this offseason, the Astros have shopped a bit but many say the Astros haven't added a Tier One or game changing player to make the roster a competitive one. Following the release of players that helped get to the postseason last year like Yusei Kikuchi and Kyle Tucker not returning this season and still looking to see what the veteran third baseman Alex Bregman does with trade talks regarding him dwindling down, lots of fans believe the Astros still need to add depth to this roster in order to make a shot at next years postseason. Judging from the conclusion of the season up to now, with pitchers and catchers meeting in exactly three weeks Sean and Brian ask listeners what grade would you give the Astros offseason moves this year?
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
More, Sean Salisbury, get in, strap in and rite in.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
Seven seven ninety is the number. It's a joint.
Speaker 1 (00:11):
We've been talking about the Astros in their off season.
Pitchers and catchers reporting in about three weeks baseball season
right around the corner scuts the phone lines.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
Talk to Andrew Andrew, what's happening?
Speaker 1 (00:23):
Uh? Just driving to work, trying to stay warm. How
you guys doing?
Speaker 2 (00:27):
We're good, man, We're good. What's on your mind with
these Astros? Oh? Thanks? At least for me? The off
season been hit or miss? I mean I feel it.
Speaker 1 (00:39):
Hey, tripley, can you let him know that connection's pouring
to give us a shout back?
Speaker 2 (00:44):
Excuse me? All right, Sean.
Speaker 1 (00:45):
We talked about grading the Astros off season so far.
UH made a couple of moves. You traded Kyle Tucker
uh to get east Soak Peretis Hayden Wesnsky and Camp Smith,
the highly uh Towder prospect. He's your now your number
one prospect. They also signed Christian Excuse me, Christian Walker?
(01:07):
How would you grade him? How would you.
Speaker 2 (01:10):
Grade this offseason? Well, considering you're gonna lose Bregman and Tucker,
let's start there, Okay, more than likely Bregman. You already
lost Tucker. They took a step back on the current roster.
Regardless of how you feel about you know, three years
from now, will Bregman be hitting the way that you
want him to validate the money Kyle Tucker coming off
(01:31):
the injury, although how he's going to do in the
postseason somewhere else. The bottom line is they weakened a roster.
But it was I hate to say it, with the
Kyle Tucker thing, if you weren't going to pay him,
then it was necessary. I actually thought you probably could
have got another player so for Kyle Tucker, for me,
but I think they did. You know, you got a
budding star as a as a minor leaguer, and you
(01:54):
have a an incredit what in Smith, and then you
have a couple guys that you needed corner infield help
and you went and got Walker wasn't part of that deal,
but you got You got part of that deal taken
care of. So do I think that they improved in
certain areas, Yes, they definitely did, especially getting Walk. You know,
(02:16):
when you get Arizona and get Christian Walking, you improved
your first base. So that's an upgrade, but what they
brought in for the current roster will not equal what
they let go or what's gone or what they traded. Right,
So there's that start. Now, if you're talking for three
years from now, it will work out. Maybe that part.
We can only speculate on young players and how they're
going to turn out as pros and how they're going
to develop. Well, the history here tells you they'll develop
(02:39):
quite fine, thank you. But do I think the roster
today is weaker than the roster that ended the season
if Kyle Tucker was healthy? The answer is yes, it's weaker.
You got some help on the mount, You got some help,
But then again, remember you lost a premium left hander.
So that's not forget about the sneaky Kikuchi loss that
(03:02):
we're really not talk much about. So upgrade in some areas,
it may turn out that we say, three years from now,
it was a great gig to move Kyle Tucker. They
had to because we're going to lose him for nothing
other than a supplemental pick or whatever it was last
year or next year, like you get for Bregman. Correct. So, no,
the roster is not better today. Now, do we still
(03:22):
have high hopes and plans and that because also now
the outfield moves right to date, to date is an
f as far as movement or should I let's even
give it a D fair enough because you got some
veterans on the team, but I haven't done anything and
in regardless of who it is, where they're spending it.
So I would actually say the off season move for
(03:45):
the now C C minus. The off season moved Christian
Walker up. Probably took it from a C minus to
a seed because you added popped first space and that
was a definite need there. Now whether Parades can take
care of his business at the other corner and Bregman,
but the bottom line, think about the production. If they're
both just average that you lost, and if Bregman and
(04:07):
Tucker are the good Bregman and Tucker which we haven't
seen enough from Bregman consistently over the next few the
last few years, but we know what's capable of. You
took a step back. Yeah, they're not better today than
they were. Verlander's not here even though he wasn't playing,
but you still got all these injuries. You're trying to
come back from the question and you lost a guy
when he came in here was your best pitcher for
(04:31):
the most part, consistent wise, from the time he came
to Toronto on the time he's left and he didn't
get a shot in the playoffs, he was really good.
So I would say that if you're asking me today now,
I don't know it's going to work out. When he
opened the season, the roster is not better today. Now
the future of it getting to you know, some prospect
and that kind of thing that you got from Chicago. Okay,
(04:53):
but if you're telling me they got they're more equipped
now to win a championship this year than they were
last year or the year before. The answers no, no,
And if you're telling me that, then it's only because
you want to clear the roster and move on anyway
where you're frustrated. There's no way in hell you can
look at me and say the roster is better today.
I'm talking about to open the season this year, so
I don't know if it's going to perform. Hell, what
(05:15):
if the third basement comes out and he hits three
thirty during the first two months to season, We'll say, Okay,
Lisa starts better. Right, So for me and you lost
leadership so far. If he doesn't come back, Bregmant and
you lost a five tool, top twenty five player in
baseball when he's on the field, yeah, there's no way.
And you lost a left hander Premium, there's no way
(05:35):
in hell they're better. Will the record be better? Maybe?
I don't know, but today, No, you can't lose Nicocollins
and I mean Will Anderson or c. J. Stroud and
Nico Collins and then tell me that your team's better. Yeah, no,
(05:57):
no way. You lost a guy who's been close to
winning the MVP and a guy who we expect to
win one. Yeah. So no, they're not better. It doesn't
mean the record is going to be worse. It's just
telling you right now going into spring training, I don't
think that right now. I don't think they're the favorite
in the West. In my mind, I think the Rangers
(06:19):
are there, and I think Seattle ain't going away, saying
Seattle's probably right there as well. Yeah, so this will
be the first time that to me, they're not, in
my mind pretty much the overwhelming favorite to go in.
That's not that they're right now. They're a team that
has a little bit to prove yea, even after all
(06:41):
the domination they've had. So it's a semi rebuild, even
though it's not a full rebuild, it's a semi it is. Yeah,
you lost to you you're you're about to lose the
second best player and you lost your best not named From.
But the late season as good a picture as they
had on the roster, and you know, Hunter, Brown and
From were pretty good down to stretch. But Kakuchi, for
what he had to face and where he came from,
(07:01):
he was pretty damn good. He was really really good.
Speaker 1 (07:03):
And the fact that you traded those three three players
to get him and he did even get to pitch
him in the postseason.
Speaker 2 (07:09):
So if you look at that, remember I talked about
the guys coming in like it's like Smith and the
and young players that budding stars and Melton who's been here,
guys that you know are going to be the do
you expect to be good players? Really good players. But
when you now, because it has to be part of it.
When you made the decision to get Kakuchie, you and
I agreed with it because you thought their World Series team.
He didn't even get to pitch in the World Series
(07:30):
or playoffs, but he played his ass off. So when
you take those three guys who people had big plans
for the future in this organization, you now have lost
three prospects a left handed pitcher that you So basically
now as you look at it, it's four for none. Yeah, exactly,
that's how too. But I would have made the deal
(07:52):
to I'm one hundred percent on Dana Brown's side. And
then you lose Bregman and Tucker. You can't. You can't
sell me for one second, even with Walker and Perae,
and you don't even upgrade your outfit. You can't sell
me for one second though that after all that, because
that trade does have to play into this because it
was a rental. Right, So really, you four of the
guys in the gig are all gone gone. No, on paper,
(08:16):
they are not a better roster. I think maybe the
season they will be. I think for me, it's like
a D plus or a C. I mean, yeah, I
give it. I was being kind on the sea because
of the Christian A little upgrade there, and you know,
hopefully you're getting healthy. You know, even though that had
nothing to do with the off season other than the
player getting right and getting healthy. I think I'm being
(08:36):
I'm being kind. But when I take a look and
think of losing Kokuchi and the three guys, and I
apply that to this offseason because you have to.
Speaker 1 (08:44):
Well, that's that's what four guys exactly, That's that's what
what uh.
Speaker 2 (08:49):
Because they diminished the farm system Again.
Speaker 1 (08:51):
What frustrates me is letting Kokuchi walk for what you
traded for him. Again, like you said, we were we
were good with the with the rental it again but
you but the fact is you traded three really good
prospects in your system, Will Wagner being one of them. Uh,
what's the kid's named? Joey Loperfido? And then Jake Bloss,
which yeah, okay.
Speaker 2 (09:10):
But but but what's his Steve Sparks, Yeah, I think
said of the three, he thinks Bloss he thinks he's
going to be a see, he thinks he got special
in it. Yeah, you remember he said it on the
show the three losing me, he goes he thinks that's
a huge loss.
Speaker 1 (09:24):
Yeah, So you had those three guys not in your
system anymore. Whether they turn out to be badasses or not,
they're still gone the right none of us know, right,
because that's why they're prospects. You don't upgrade your outfield
when there were options out there. You lose Kyle Tucker
and you bring back in Wesnsky. I think he's gonna
play probably a big role in the bullpen, maybe even
get some starts. Uh, the camp Smith kid, A lot
(09:44):
of people are high on. Maybe down the road, he's.
Speaker 2 (09:46):
Still not going to be He's not going to be
a major leaguer, right.
Speaker 1 (09:48):
Right, And then you have eat Soak Peretis hopefully he
u utilizes that Crawford boxes and then Bregman's not going
to be back here.
Speaker 2 (09:54):
So Christian walk from aid.
Speaker 1 (09:56):
And that's a good upgrade at first base. But still
you didn't address the outfield and you didn't even give it.
Seems like you didn't even give a shot to go
get Kakuchi.
Speaker 2 (10:03):
Back, and you're still relying on pictures to get healthy.
Yeah right, there's that part too. So if you're asking
me C minus might be kind just from the off seat,
doesn't mean they're gonna be SE minus players. No, that's
the situation. They're not the favorite in the West. No,
they're not. I'm not picking right. I can tell you
as it sits today. You say Sean, who would you
pick to win the division today? It would not be
(10:25):
the Astros.
Speaker 1 (10:26):
No, I think it's it's gonna probably be a hard
thing to swallow for a lot of Astros fans. The
Rangers made moves in the offseason to upgrade their roster.
They got guys coming back to Grom's supposed to be healthy.
The Mariners were a thorn all season long. There they
should be better. And then there's the Astros. If healthy,
if the pitching staff stays healthy, I think they can
win the West like.
Speaker 2 (10:45):
Well like, of course they can't still win it, but
but like defense, good pitching is gonna keep you in
every game, Well, good pitching is gonna keep you in
every game. How's Presley gonna be? What are we doing
with him? What's going? Is Hater going to recover? Be
the guy? It's the best closer, left handed closer in baseball? Again,
all those things, there's if sits around them and a
lot of them. Yeah, but today, I would not pick
(11:08):
the Astros to win the division. Now, can they go?
And I hope I'm wrong. I hope they go win
ninety five games? Yeah, But just on paper as we
sit here, today's hot Stove League, you know, simmering down
and trying to roll into spring training. I got news
for you, man. Uh on paper, there's better teams.
Speaker 1 (11:24):
Yeah, on paper, yeah, no doubt. Seven one, three, two five,
seven ninety. We will get out to the phone lines
and take your reaction to this Astros offseason.
Speaker 2 (11:32):
What grade do you give them? That's next
More, Sean Salisbury, get in, strap in and rite in.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
Seven seven ninety is the number. It's a joint.
Speaker 1 (00:11):
We've been talking about the Astros in their off season.
Pitchers and catchers reporting in about three weeks baseball season
right around the corner scuts the phone lines.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
Talk to Andrew Andrew, what's happening?
Speaker 1 (00:23):
Uh? Just driving to work, trying to stay warm. How
you guys doing?
Speaker 2 (00:27):
We're good, man, We're good. What's on your mind with
these Astros? Oh? Thanks? At least for me? The off
season been hit or miss? I mean I feel it.
Speaker 1 (00:39):
Hey, tripley, can you let him know that connection's pouring
to give us a shout back?
Speaker 2 (00:44):
Excuse me? All right, Sean.
Speaker 1 (00:45):
We talked about grading the Astros off season so far.
UH made a couple of moves. You traded Kyle Tucker
uh to get east Soak Peretis Hayden Wesnsky and Camp Smith,
the highly uh Towder prospect. He's your now your number
one prospect. They also signed Christian Excuse me, Christian Walker?
(01:07):
How would you grade him? How would you.
Speaker 2 (01:10):
Grade this offseason? Well, considering you're gonna lose Bregman and Tucker,
let's start there, Okay, more than likely Bregman. You already
lost Tucker. They took a step back on the current roster.
Regardless of how you feel about you know, three years
from now, will Bregman be hitting the way that you
want him to validate the money Kyle Tucker coming off
(01:31):
the injury, although how he's going to do in the
postseason somewhere else. The bottom line is they weakened a roster.
But it was I hate to say it, with the
Kyle Tucker thing, if you weren't going to pay him,
then it was necessary. I actually thought you probably could
have got another player so for Kyle Tucker, for me,
but I think they did. You know, you got a
budding star as a as a minor leaguer, and you
(01:54):
have a an incredit what in Smith, and then you
have a couple guys that you needed corner infield help
and you went and got Walker wasn't part of that deal,
but you got You got part of that deal taken
care of. So do I think that they improved in
certain areas, Yes, they definitely did, especially getting Walk. You know,
(02:16):
when you get Arizona and get Christian Walking, you improved
your first base. So that's an upgrade, but what they
brought in for the current roster will not equal what
they let go or what's gone or what they traded. Right,
So there's that start. Now, if you're talking for three
years from now, it will work out. Maybe that part.
We can only speculate on young players and how they're
going to turn out as pros and how they're going
to develop. Well, the history here tells you they'll develop
(02:39):
quite fine, thank you. But do I think the roster
today is weaker than the roster that ended the season
if Kyle Tucker was healthy? The answer is yes, it's weaker.
You got some help on the mount, You got some help,
But then again, remember you lost a premium left hander.
So that's not forget about the sneaky Kikuchi loss that
(03:02):
we're really not talk much about. So upgrade in some areas,
it may turn out that we say, three years from now,
it was a great gig to move Kyle Tucker. They
had to because we're going to lose him for nothing
other than a supplemental pick or whatever it was last
year or next year, like you get for Bregman. Correct. So, no,
the roster is not better today. Now, do we still
(03:22):
have high hopes and plans and that because also now
the outfield moves right to date, to date is an
f as far as movement or should I let's even
give it a D fair enough because you got some
veterans on the team, but I haven't done anything and
in regardless of who it is, where they're spending it.
So I would actually say the off season move for
(03:45):
the now C C minus. The off season moved Christian
Walker up. Probably took it from a C minus to
a seed because you added popped first space and that
was a definite need there. Now whether Parades can take
care of his business at the other corner and Bregman,
but the bottom line, think about the production. If they're
both just average that you lost, and if Bregman and
(04:07):
Tucker are the good Bregman and Tucker which we haven't
seen enough from Bregman consistently over the next few the
last few years, but we know what's capable of. You
took a step back. Yeah, they're not better today than
they were. Verlander's not here even though he wasn't playing,
but you still got all these injuries. You're trying to
come back from the question and you lost a guy
when he came in here was your best pitcher for
(04:31):
the most part, consistent wise, from the time he came
to Toronto on the time he's left and he didn't
get a shot in the playoffs, he was really good.
So I would say that if you're asking me today now,
I don't know it's going to work out. When he
opened the season, the roster is not better today. Now
the future of it getting to you know, some prospect
and that kind of thing that you got from Chicago. Okay,
(04:53):
but if you're telling me they got they're more equipped
now to win a championship this year than they were
last year or the year before. The answers no, no,
And if you're telling me that, then it's only because
you want to clear the roster and move on anyway
where you're frustrated. There's no way in hell you can
look at me and say the roster is better today.
I'm talking about to open the season this year, so
I don't know if it's going to perform. Hell, what
(05:15):
if the third basement comes out and he hits three
thirty during the first two months to season, We'll say, Okay,
Lisa starts better. Right, So for me and you lost
leadership so far. If he doesn't come back, Bregmant and
you lost a five tool, top twenty five player in
baseball when he's on the field, yeah, there's no way.
And you lost a left hander Premium, there's no way
(05:35):
in hell they're better. Will the record be better? Maybe?
I don't know, but today, No, you can't lose Nicocollins
and I mean Will Anderson or c. J. Stroud and
Nico Collins and then tell me that your team's better. Yeah, no,
(05:57):
no way. You lost a guy who's been close to
winning the MVP and a guy who we expect to
win one. Yeah. So no, they're not better. It doesn't
mean the record is going to be worse. It's just
telling you right now going into spring training, I don't
think that right now. I don't think they're the favorite
in the West. In my mind, I think the Rangers
(06:19):
are there, and I think Seattle ain't going away, saying
Seattle's probably right there as well. Yeah, so this will
be the first time that to me, they're not, in
my mind pretty much the overwhelming favorite to go in.
That's not that they're right now. They're a team that
has a little bit to prove yea, even after all
(06:41):
the domination they've had. So it's a semi rebuild, even
though it's not a full rebuild, it's a semi it is. Yeah,
you lost to you you're you're about to lose the
second best player and you lost your best not named From.
But the late season as good a picture as they
had on the roster, and you know, Hunter, Brown and
From were pretty good down to stretch. But Kakuchi, for
what he had to face and where he came from,
(07:01):
he was pretty damn good. He was really really good.
Speaker 1 (07:03):
And the fact that you traded those three three players
to get him and he did even get to pitch
him in the postseason.
Speaker 2 (07:09):
So if you look at that, remember I talked about
the guys coming in like it's like Smith and the
and young players that budding stars and Melton who's been here,
guys that you know are going to be the do
you expect to be good players? Really good players. But
when you now, because it has to be part of it.
When you made the decision to get Kakuchie, you and
I agreed with it because you thought their World Series team.
He didn't even get to pitch in the World Series
(07:30):
or playoffs, but he played his ass off. So when
you take those three guys who people had big plans
for the future in this organization, you now have lost
three prospects a left handed pitcher that you So basically
now as you look at it, it's four for none. Yeah, exactly,
that's how too. But I would have made the deal
(07:52):
to I'm one hundred percent on Dana Brown's side. And
then you lose Bregman and Tucker. You can't. You can't
sell me for one second, even with Walker and Perae,
and you don't even upgrade your outfit. You can't sell
me for one second though that after all that, because
that trade does have to play into this because it
was a rental. Right, So really, you four of the
guys in the gig are all gone gone. No, on paper,
(08:16):
they are not a better roster. I think maybe the
season they will be. I think for me, it's like
a D plus or a C. I mean, yeah, I
give it. I was being kind on the sea because
of the Christian A little upgrade there, and you know,
hopefully you're getting healthy. You know, even though that had
nothing to do with the off season other than the
player getting right and getting healthy. I think I'm being
(08:36):
I'm being kind. But when I take a look and
think of losing Kokuchi and the three guys, and I
apply that to this offseason because you have to.
Speaker 1 (08:44):
Well, that's that's what four guys exactly, That's that's what
what uh.
Speaker 2 (08:49):
Because they diminished the farm system Again.
Speaker 1 (08:51):
What frustrates me is letting Kokuchi walk for what you
traded for him. Again, like you said, we were we
were good with the with the rental it again but
you but the fact is you traded three really good
prospects in your system, Will Wagner being one of them. Uh,
what's the kid's named? Joey Loperfido? And then Jake Bloss,
which yeah, okay.
Speaker 2 (09:10):
But but but what's his Steve Sparks, Yeah, I think
said of the three, he thinks Bloss he thinks he's
going to be a see, he thinks he got special
in it. Yeah, you remember he said it on the
show the three losing me, he goes he thinks that's
a huge loss.
Speaker 1 (09:24):
Yeah, So you had those three guys not in your
system anymore. Whether they turn out to be badasses or not,
they're still gone the right none of us know, right,
because that's why they're prospects. You don't upgrade your outfield
when there were options out there. You lose Kyle Tucker
and you bring back in Wesnsky. I think he's gonna
play probably a big role in the bullpen, maybe even
get some starts. Uh, the camp Smith kid, A lot
(09:44):
of people are high on. Maybe down the road, he's.
Speaker 2 (09:46):
Still not going to be He's not going to be
a major leaguer, right.
Speaker 1 (09:48):
Right, And then you have eat Soak Peretis hopefully he
u utilizes that Crawford boxes and then Bregman's not going
to be back here.
Speaker 2 (09:54):
So Christian walk from aid.
Speaker 1 (09:56):
And that's a good upgrade at first base. But still
you didn't address the outfield and you didn't even give it.
Seems like you didn't even give a shot to go
get Kakuchi.
Speaker 2 (10:03):
Back, and you're still relying on pictures to get healthy.
Yeah right, there's that part too. So if you're asking
me C minus might be kind just from the off seat,
doesn't mean they're gonna be SE minus players. No, that's
the situation. They're not the favorite in the West. No,
they're not. I'm not picking right. I can tell you
as it sits today. You say Sean, who would you
pick to win the division today? It would not be
(10:25):
the Astros.
Speaker 1 (10:26):
No, I think it's it's gonna probably be a hard
thing to swallow for a lot of Astros fans. The
Rangers made moves in the offseason to upgrade their roster.
They got guys coming back to Grom's supposed to be healthy.
The Mariners were a thorn all season long. There they
should be better. And then there's the Astros. If healthy,
if the pitching staff stays healthy, I think they can
win the West like.
Speaker 2 (10:45):
Well like, of course they can't still win it, but
but like defense, good pitching is gonna keep you in
every game, Well, good pitching is gonna keep you in
every game. How's Presley gonna be? What are we doing
with him? What's going? Is Hater going to recover? Be
the guy? It's the best closer, left handed closer in baseball? Again,
all those things, there's if sits around them and a
lot of them. Yeah, but today, I would not pick
(11:08):
the Astros to win the division. Now, can they go?
And I hope I'm wrong. I hope they go win
ninety five games? Yeah, But just on paper as we
sit here, today's hot Stove League, you know, simmering down
and trying to roll into spring training. I got news
for you, man. Uh on paper, there's better teams.
Speaker 1 (11:24):
Yeah, on paper, yeah, no doubt. Seven one, three, two five,
seven ninety. We will get out to the phone lines
and take your reaction to this Astros offseason.
Speaker 2 (11:32):
What grade do you give them? That's next
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On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!