Waiver Trade Deadline (Potential help to solve the triage problem?)

let's be real - what are the chances that someone who could make an impact on this roster would pass through waivers? i'd venture to guess that answer is slim to none. it was easier for us last year when we weren't the world series champs. this year... that seems highly unlikely.

 

There are trades to be made but the issue is where to play them?

If you get Smoak you bench gattis?
Or Gurriel?
Or move everyone around?

 

Cutch .257 .354 .414 .768 109
Kemp .277 .365 .424 .789 122

I'd be tempted as I don't know if Kemp's performance is sustainable v what I think could be a jolt to Cutch's shot-term performance.

As for Smoak - I think I'd jump all over him. He immediately upgrades DH (or 1B, if you want to move Yuli to DH). I think Tyler White might be a viable full-time DH/1B option next year - but I don't know that I fully trust him to play everyday in a heated pennant race.........

 

Smoak (I’m surprised he passed thru unclaimed) would be a decent low cost bat to add to the lineup, but it would mean Gurriel to 3B and Bregman to LF, which isn’t an ideal defensive alignment. Granderson is the guy known to have passed thru waivers so far who makes the most sense to me. If McCutcheon makes it thru he’d be a good add. Other dark horse options:

Justin Upton
Jose Abreu
Wil Myers
Kole Calhoun
Jose Bautista
Kevin Kiermeier
CJ Cron
Joey Votto

 

Smoak would be a solid addition. He can DH and play first.

This year Smoak has hit right handers very well (880 OPS) and Gurriel has not (671 OPS) and Gattis has struggled against righties as well (.726 OPS).

That should give Smoak ample at bats. It would be nice if Bregman or Gurriel could shift to left field but I know Bregman was not entirely comfortable out there.

 

I wonder if Starling Castro can play LF?
Speed and arm is what he needs and it's not like it hasn't happened before Dee Gordan style...

He just cleared waivers

 

When Altuve comes back, Marwin is going to be the primary LFer. He's currently playing better than any of the people mentioned, so it would be silly to be bench him. So your only real place to upgrade is the Gurriel/Gattis/White trio at 1B/DH.

FWIW, White has been thrown into a heated pennant race and has been excelling. I'm not sure we want to pre-emptively bench the guy with the 1.000 OPS in this latest call up, especially given that he was pretty decent in last year's call up and AAA this year as well. Until he cools off, I would play White most days and rotate Gurriel/Gattis.

 

They aren't picking up a not-great $10MM player that they are stuck with again next year for $11MM, to play a position he doesn't even play. Especially when they have to find space for White and Tucker next year as-is.

 

White and Marwin are pretty hot right now. Reddick and Gurriel are the 2 guys I wouldn’t mind playing less, but both guys seem to be pretty clutch. I think the roster is fine the way it is provided the big 4 get right.

 

Reddick is the furthest thing from clutch

 

I bet you didn’t say that in Game 4 or the ALDS.
Anyway, I love Smoak, he’s the one to get. Switch hitter with good numbers, can play 1B and DH. Gurriel has been decent (not as good as the first half though), and Gattis is inconsistent and without the Colorado blowout game is in a 2-30 slump or something. Also, grabbing Smoak keeps him away from the Yankees, who also have interest. I totally support getting another bat, especially as everyone else is getting better. We have to accept it, many of our hitters (Bregman being an exception) has career years at the plate last year and are not as good/consistent this year. We’re in the middle of a tough pennant race, we should get him, I don’t mind benching Gattis, he’s just an all or nothing played and not too clutch.

 

Yeah, I facilate between hot & cold on a trade. Two things I struggle to shake: 1) I don’t trust Kemp or White; 2) the impact the Verlander deal seemed to have on the clubhouse. A guy like Cutch could bring the same energy: veteran wants to find his stroke to help a team chase a ring. That intrigues me a bit.

 

Lol come on. You cherry pick game 4 and the one clutch hit he had in the ALDS. I was referring to his entire time with the Astros and his career in general. The numbers support the argument that he is one of the least clutch baseball players of this era.

 

And you are losing Marwin next year
So theres is a spot and you have insurance on Carlos. Plus he has played OF before. Get ur facts straight.
Plus he has a buy out in 2020 for 1m.
And his bat is as close to 300 as it gonna get. He hits.

So what's the problem???
Your not getting nothing else... you wont get McCutchen. I E. If the Dodgers **** blocked everyone on Harper they will with Cutch.

 

Tony Kemp is the clear clubhouse leader for the role of, “Marwin Gonzalez.”

 

Well that one hit may very well have been the difference between winning Game 4 (we went on to win the WS) and losing it, who knows how a Game 5 would have gone, and if we win, then what? Morton, Peacock, or McCullers having to start Game 1 of the ALCS would not be good at all. Anyway

Don't want to pick up Castro and his large contract, nor do I see where he fits, but I'd say internally, Gurriel or even Davis are more likely. Kemp is limited to the OF (only mediocre defense there) and 2B, and I doubt Hinch even wants to use him there, since I'm sure we'd otherwise have seen him start at least a few games at 2B while Altuve was hurt.

 

I hope we keep Marwin, his versatility is a dying breed among players and he and Altuve suffered through the bad seasons together. He should retire Astro.

2019

McCann/Stassi/Maldonado
Yuli
Tuve
Correa
Bregman
Springer
Reddick
Tucker
White (DH & Reserve IF’er)

Bench
McCann/Stassi/Maldonado
Marwin
Kemp
Marisnick/Straw/etc (if carrying 13)

 

None of this weird **** is going to happen without injuries. If they add a bat it will play 1B/DH/LF/CF

 

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2018/08/top-20-trade-candidates-mlb-august.html

Choo, Duda, Reynolds, Dietrich, Grandy, Cutch