Official 2023 Houston Astros season thread

[SaltwaterSlick]

Come on Billy, get the '24 thread going before somebody else does it!! We gotta get your mojo back with them this year!
My hope for the Stros this season is better consistency. They played like crap for long stretches at the beginning, middle and end of the season and then they'd get hot on a streak and catch back up... Ain't gonna get to he big show past the Rangers this year playing like that! I think the Rangers are the real deal this year... Stros can still git-er-dun, but they can't mess around with it... Hopefully new managerial leadership will help them to step it up a notch over last season!

[Preacher Man]

Not sure if we got better or not, we lost Hector Neriz and he was one of the best relievers in baseball last year. Hader is good though

Neris was the benefactor of an insanely low BABIP of .219. That artificially deflated his ERA to 1.72. Neris xERA was 3.35. Hader had a typical BABIP of .269 and still managed an actual ERA of 1.28. And his xERA was 2.36.

Hader is the better pitcher. Neris is good, but he ain't what Hader is.

[Twist]

And dammit ZZ, start the 2024 thread!

[Snowflake Killa]

This is going to smart

[Twist]

Not sure if we got better or not, we lost Hector Neriz and he was one of the best relievers in baseball last year. Hader is good though

Neris was average at best in 2022. He had a strong showing in a contract year, so did Montero. Look how that turned out in 2023 after they extended him.

That said, I’m on the fence about this one. Pressly was the entrenched closer, how does he feel? Is he good with moving to a set up role? I seriously doubt the Astros are paying Hader to be anything but the actual closer.

As far as other extensions go, I have to admit, I didn’t think Crane would do something like this. They were already right up against the tax threshold and this just jumped them well past the first level.

I’m honestly interested to see how far he’s willing to go with it. Altuve really almost has to retire as an Astro. Bregman? Hmmmm. I’d love to see Tucker in for the long haul but it looks to me like he’s hell bent on testing the market, regardless of what they offer. Then there’s Framber.

Interesting to see where things go from here on.

[Calrob]

Not sure if we got better or not, we lost Hector Neriz and he was one of the best relievers in baseball last year. Hader is good though

I think Hader makes the team better, at least in the short term. We did lose a 2nd round pick by signing Hader. Altuve, Bregman and Tucker are waiting on extensions and paying Hader that much will make it harder to do.

[RMW]

Not sure if we got better or not, we lost Hector Neriz and he was one of the best relievers in baseball last year. Hader is good though

[K. Lane]

Josh Hader's Racist And Homophobic Tweets Surface During All-Star Game | HuffPost Sports

I really ain’t worrying about tweets a 16-17 yr old kid makes

a great signing for the Astros

[Snowflake Killa]

Right on

[Calrob]

Josh Hader's Racist And Homophobic Tweets Surface During All-Star Game | HuffPost Sports

Its not the first time the Astros signed him since those tweets have been around. I doubt anyone cares now.
As long as Abreu and Pressley bring it like they have in the past, the 7th, 8th and 9th innings are pretty well shut down with Hader in the pen. Lotta money for a one or two inning guy but Im excited to see it.

[MassMan]

Josh Hader's Racist And Homophobic Tweets Surface During All-Star Game | HuffPost Sports

[Bayouboy]

Josh Hader's Racist And Homophobic Tweets Surface During All-Star Game | HuffPost Sports

[Pineywoods]

Great signing

[Preacher Man]

Holy smokes! Our bullpen is now built for the playoffs.

Lidge/Dotel/Wagner? Or Abreu/Pressly/Hader......that is a heckuva question.

[Bayouboy]

Astros sign Josh Hader! 5 years/$95 million