Meetings yield leads for Luhnow to pursue
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — MLB’s annual GM meetings ended officially Thursday morning, with executives from all 30 teams going their separate ways until the winter meetings Dec. 5-8 in National Harbor, Md. Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow left optimistic about the foundation laid for the offseason.
Luhnow said he touched base with almost every team and that he, assistant GM Mike Elias and director of baseball operations Brandon Taubman met formally with probably 12. They also met with about 12 agents, according to the GM.
“I feel good,” Luhnow said. “We’ve got a long list — it’s two pages long — of leads, if you will, that we need to chase down, conversations we need to have.
“I think we’re going to start making some offers right away, both with teams as well as with agents and players. Whether or not it leads to anything next week, I don’t know. But I would like to have one or two things done before the winter meetings.”
Luhnow spoke all week of the more aggressive mindset with which the Astros entered this offseason. They expect next season to have the highest payroll of the GM’s tenure.
“We need to be more aggressive,” he said. “We need to try and get out in front of some things and secure some players to help us win.”
Altuve captures 3rd Silver Slugger
Jose Altuve won his third consecutive American League Silver Slugger Award at second base, the latest in a slew of awards for the Astros star.
Altuve led AL second basemen in hits (216), doubles (42), batting average (.338) and on-base percentage (.396) last season. He tied with Minnesota’s Brian Dozier
for the lead in triples (five) and ranked third in slugging percentage (.531).
The third Silver Slugger for Altuve puts him second in Astros history to Craig Biggio (five). Jeff Bagwell also won three. Altuve is the first in team history to win in three consecutive years.
Devenski, Feliz to start or relieve?
The Astros have not determined if righthanders Chris Devenski and Michael Feliz fit best in their long-term plans as starters or relievers.
“That’s a debate that we have almost every day,” general manager Jeff Luhnow said.
Devenski, who turns 26 on Sunday, was one of the most valuable relievers in the American League last season. The rookie had a 1.61 ERA in 832⁄3 innings of relief, often picking up the slack in the middle innings.
Feliz, 23, recorded a 4.43 ERA in 65 innings. He was dominant at times, recording 13.2 strikeouts per nine innings, but appeared to tire later in the season, his first full year in the majors.
Luhnow expects both pitchers to come to spring training prepared to start before either remaining in the role or transitioning back to relief.
“Devenski was such an important part of our bullpen that it’s hard to think about him not in that role,” Luhnow said. “But at the same time, starting pitching is hard to find, and I think he can do it. And the same thing for Feliz.”