Wednesday Morning Hot Links

Folks, I have some bad news. The Astros dropped a game to the A's last night 4-3. And it was bad. Running on Laureano, watching pitches right down the middle when it matters most, walking players. So much bad. I'm not a huge fan of writing my own recap. There are a lot of writers better than I who know what they are doing. I am here to provide you some piping hot links! So on that note, if you would like a very detailed and well-written recap on what went wrong in the 9th, Chandler Rome has you covered. If you would like the full recap of the game, Tags has you covered on that front (with videos that you can click and watch too!)

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ESPN Senior Writer David Schoenfield talks about the Astros recent surge and why it's "bad news" for the rest of the AL.

Alex Bregman might have a new and home run celebration idea and I am here to tell you that I do not want it and I would like more dugout stares please. Stop trying to ruin such a great thing. My favorite part of the video in the link above is the dedication of Tyler White to still do the stare and not participate in this new lame celebration even though no one else joined him. He is a boss and a legend. Absolute unit. 

It is my extremely professional opinion that you probably should not expect Jeff Luhnow to make a waiver deadline deal.

The Verlander-McCann bromance is back!

People are digging up old J.D. Martinez posts now.

Here is an old yet very intriguing read about using advanced statistics to determine 2018 awards.

Sean Manaea might not pitch again this year.

Kyle Tucker will likely not be on the playoff roster, per Luhnow.

You might want to listen to the Executive Access Podcast this week.

Speaking of podcasts, Lima Time Time Episode 79 is up if you haven't listened to that yet.

Oh my word. Look at Scott Servais' hair. (and this is why)

I am here for the Untitled Goose Game!

viral squirrel video

On This Day in Baseball History

In 1948, Jackie Robinson hit for the Reverse-Cycle.

In 1966, The Beatles played their last gig at Candlestick Park citing poor lighting and acoustics.

In 1986, the Angels were down 12-4 against the Tigers in the 9th and won the game 13-12 thanks to a walk-off grand slam from Dick Schofield.

In 2006, Willy Taveras snapped his 30 game hitting streak for the Astros, a franchise record. 

In 2008, the Rays are guaranteed their first winning season in franchise history.

Christmas Morning Hot Links

Sometimes "Merry Christmas' is not the right thing to say - not because the person to whom you're speaking is a weak-minded political idiot, but rather because Christmas is extremely hard for a lot of people. There are those among us for whom Christmas is a time of loss, a reminder of friends and family who have passed away, or of relationships severed. Perhaps the commercials depicting the perfect Christmas morning are a reminder of a childhood they never had. Or returning to school was a reminder of a definitive class structure of which even the youngest children were painfully aware. I do hope everyone has a Merry Christmas no matter your circumstance. To those of you who woke up this morning with a sense of loss and dread, you're in my thoughts and prayers.

Astros players born on Christmas Day:

Willy Taveras (2004-2006)
In 311 games for the Astros Taveras hit .284/.329/.340 and finished 2nd in the NL Rookie of the Year voting in 2005, finishing behind Ryan Howard and ahead of Jeff Francoeur. Taveras put together a 30-game hit streak in 2006 and was traded to Colorado in a package for Jason Jennings that off-season.

Ty Gainey (1985-1987)
Gainey, the Astros' 2nd Round draft pick in 1979, played a sporadic outfield for 57 games over three seasons for the Astros, hitting .216/.293/.288 with 37 strikeouts in 124 plate appearances. The Greatest 21 Days has a really good profile of his career.

Julio Gonzalez (1977-1980)
Acquired in a trade with the Cardinals for outfielder Greg Gross (who had finished 2nd in NL ROY voting in 1974, and hit .293/.376/.351 for Houston), Julio Gonzalez hit .235/.270/.288 for the Astros from 1977-1980 playing 2B, SS, and 3B in his 296 games in Houston. Gonzalez was released prior to the start of the 1981 season.

Nellie Fox (1964-1965)
Fox played the last two seasons of his 19-year Hall of Fame career with the Colt .45s/Astros after a trade with the White Sox for Jim Golden, Danny Murphy, and cash. Fox was released after a 1964 season in which he hit .265/.320/.319 and led the NL with 20 sacrifice hits, striking out just 13 times in 502 plate appearances (Fox struck out 216 times in 10351 career plate appearances, just 2.1% of his PAs, 3rd all-time, and 1st among players with more than 650 games played). The newly-rebranded Astros re-signed Fox in May 1965 before getting released again on July 31, 1965, ending his playing career, but he remained as a coach with the team through the 1967 season. Joe Morgan credited Fox with maximizing his playing potential.

*The Astros' acquisition of Justin Verlander on August 31 is akin to getting to open one Christmas present on the day after Thanksgiving.

*Tradition plays a big role in Big Joe, Big Joe Musgrove's family.

*Why it feels good to hate the Yankees again.

Taveras working out in Houston

Yeah, because that's all we need. The Denver Post's Troy Renck is reporting that Willy Taveras is working out in Houston, and Yahoo Sports is saying that the Astros called him in for a workout.

Remember Taveras works out in Houston during the off-season, and while the Astros showed interest this winter, he still ended up signing with the Nationals. Taveras might be the one guy in baseball to make the Astros' offense worse. If Taveras is the answer, the question is all wrong.

Have some Pepto Bismol

I had all of the symptoms required for appropriate Pepto Bismol use regarding the Willy Taveras contract heartache. (For a recap, click here). But it's all for naught, as the Nationals screwed up and signed him to the same deal the Astros offered.

Maybe Willy got his feelings hurt over the linked post above. It was certainly the most-commented on post I can remember in quite some time. I guess he has a better chance at getting a major-league spot in Washington. Or maybe he just wanted to watch Stephen Strasburg pitch. Who knows? All I know is, now I'll be able to sleep a little better.

UPDATE: Bernardo Fallas isn't taking President's Day off, which, sadly, the Nationals should have done, and has this quote from Taveras' agent:
“This was a difficult decision for Willy given that Houston is his home and given his relationship with the ball club. However, the Nationals presented Willy with the best opportunity for playing time.”

Now I return to trying to catch up on Lost, with La Constabless.

God have mercy...

Bernardo Fallas is delivering the sad, sad news that the Astros have offered Willy Taveras a minor-league contract, after he cleared waivers.

So let's recap. The Reds thought he sucked, so they traded him to Oakland, where the A's thought Aaron Miles sucked enough to trade him over to the Reds. The A's were happy enough just to dump his contract, designating Taveras for assignment the same day they traded for him, where upon he was released. No other MLB team would claim him (with the size of his contract having a lot to do with it, I understand), meaning that of the 30 major league teams, nobody wanted him.

Except the Astros.

Now I get the possibility of his being a late-inning replacement, defensive specialist, etc. He'll have to outwork Yordany, Bogusevic, Sullivan, Michaels, etc. I get it. $400,000. I understand. I still hate it.

Are. You. Kidding. Me.

Holy Hannah. It's worse than we thought.

The Astros are actually considering bringing him back.

Ed Wade:
If Willy clears waivers, we would be interested in talking to him about a non-roster opportunity. He would have to come in and compete for one of the extra outfield spots. Because of our familiarity with Willy and the fact that he brings an element of speed, it would make sense to give him an opportunity to at least come in and compete. I wouldn't make any promises beyond giving him a chance to compete."

Look, I've been out of college for eight years now (pause for snivelling) and I know enough that, as a professional, you are to pattern yourself after someone who looks like they know what they're doing. And what did the Oakland A's do immediately upon receiving Willy Taveras? Designated him for assignment. That's not a coincidence.

Circling the Bases has this quote from Ed Wade (via Jerry Crasnick):
"Willy brings the speed element and he's a very popular guy in town and with our organization."

That's false. Patently, I might add.

CTB:
Come to think of it, the perennially disappointing Taveras should fit right in with the Astros' crop of aging, overpaid veterans. It's going to be a long season in oil country.

Chip Bailey has this: The five reasons to sign Willy Taveras. I'll give you the rundown, and you can click it and read the thought process behind each point.

1. $400,000 contract
2. He's fast.
3. He's a good late inning defensive replacement
4. Tradeability
5. Who else are you going to use? Yordany or Bogusevic?

While it may be in Houston's interest to re-sign Taveras, he will likely want to go to a team that will give him a chance to play. Barring a major injury, it's not likely he'll have that opportunity in Houston. Michaels and Darin Erstad managed only 302 at bats between them in 2009 and Willy's poor batting average isn't likely to get him first-hitter-off-the-bench nominations from Brad Mills.

Okay, I can't argue with with the cheap, fast part. But his OPS was .559. .559! Yordany Ramirez should be able to do that. Jeebus, if he can't, drop him like 3rd period French. And he's at least a new face. I thought the problem with the fan's perception of the Astros was that they brought in previously underwhelming retreads. Is there a better definition of that than Willy Taveras? No. I'd rather see Yordany Ramirez strike out 54 times in 49 ABs than see the Astros bring back Willy Taveras. I don't care how cheap and fast he is.

If Taveras comes to Spring Training looking for a job, let's all go down to Kissimmee and help Brian Bogusevic do speed drills. Please, Ed Wade, don't let this happen.

Please, no

Bernardo Fallas' new blog post poses the question, "Should the Astros sign Willy Taveras?"

And while the question is valid, because there's not much else to talk about, Fallas lays out the pros and cons.

Pros:
For one, he is a known commodity.
And he would bolster the outfield depth.
Also, if healthy, he can put up decent numbers - his career high for stolen bases is 68 in 2008. He is a career .276 batter with a .321 OBP.

Cons:
Taveras is due to make good money this year (about $4 million) under the contract he signed with the Reds...
...Also, the Astros don't have room on the 40-man roster and would have only a minor-league spot to offer him. With an invitation to spring training, of course.
And finally, the Astros already signed Cory Sullivan and Jason Michaels for outfield depth. Taveras does provide something the other two don't: speed.

You know who else would fill all of these needs: Yordany Ramirez. Young, cheap, fast. Just look:



I would think about using my Lucky Astros Shirt as a poo-scoop if the Astros entertained the idea of signing Willy Taveras.