Nobody would argue the 2 are held in the same regard, I imagine the Astros would trade everybody save for maybe Altuve and Keuchel before they would part with Correa. Having said that, Springers combo of team control, upside, and high floor make him de facto untouchable. They wouldn't trade him for somebody very close to free agency, nor would they trade him for a guy who has a huge unfriendly contract. The only guys they would consider trading him for would be young superstars team controlled or on good contracts, and there are scant few of those.
Given how much Correa means to Luhnow and his regime, I believe he's on his own list that contains a lot of cuss words surrounding, "untouchable." I bet quite a few fans would have said the same thing about Cosart 12 months ago. In fact, when I was with them in spring training, they brought Springer and Cosart to spend time with us, and they were absolutely considered an integral part of the nucelus. I think he's untouchable because the Astros can't afford to trade him at this point. Outside of Altuve, he's the team's most recognizeable face and the organization needs to establish some building blocks with a fan base they've spent four years driving away. That aside, in terms of just on-field considerations... I think they'd be more willing to listen than people realize. Not do it - but listen.
Jim Bowden has an Insider article which advocates for the Astros to trade for Hammels and call-up Correa. Anyone willing to post the full article?
What would you guys think about a Jake Marisnick for Wil Myers swap. I'm not sure if I'm overvaluing Marisnick's hot start and defense or Myers former prospect hype in thinking this could be a good trade for both sides?
I would take Marisnick, and it wouldn't even be a hard decision. Myers is probably a better hitter, but it's not clear at the moment. What is clear is that Marisnick brings plus speed, and elite defense. While Myers is a bad OF or DH, and we already have one of those.
Well, Jim Bowden has certainly tapped into the pulse of current events that have been talked about for a month.
Lol, someday, someone will just start trolling the message boards looking for inspiration for their hard-hitting, insightful articles. Shoot, it probably already happens!
*The Astros, examining a long list of potentially available starting pitchers, recently scouted White Sox right-hander Jeff Samardzija, among others, according to major-league sources. One rival executive says the Astros devalue their pitching prospects with the tandem system they use in the minors, but another suggests that the value of those pitchers actually is higher because they amass fewer innings. http://www.foxsports.com/mlb/story/...ulowitzki-trade-ken-rosenthal-notebook-051915
I'd take Myers. I'm not sold on Marisnick's offense yet. Myers isn't a terrible OF, he just has no business in CF. He's okay in RF and should be fine in LF.
The Houston Astros are off to an 18-10 start and have a five-game lead over the defending AL West champion Los Angeles Angels. Although I don't think they'll be able to continue to play at this pace, I do think they can contend for both the division title and a wild-card berth. That said, they have strong needs and issues that have not been exposed yet, but certainly will be in time. The Astros' rotation behind their first three starters -- Dallas Keuchel, Collin McHugh and Scott Feldman -- is probably not good enough for Houston to get to October. A trade for a top-of-the-rotation-type starter or the rapid development of pitching prospect Mark Appel would be a difference-maker for the team. The latter is unrealistic; it's unlikely Appel is able to develop that quickly. The timetable for him to reach his potential is probably sometime in 2016. Therefore, I think it would make more sense for the Astros to package Appel and trade him to the Phillies for Cole Hamels, then follow that up by calling up top prospect Carlos Correa. Hamels, still just 31 years old, is signed through 2018 with a team option for 2019 that will have to be vested at the time of a trade (he'll still be only 35 in '19). He would give the Astros a veteran leader and a pitcher who has had great postseason success. Even if Appel lives up to his potential, the best the Astros could hope for over the next five years likely won't reach what Hamels brings to the table now and over the same period. A trade of this magnitude would show Astros fans that owner Jim Crane is not afraid to spend money, and more importantly that the franchise is pushing to win a title sooner than later. As for Correa, GM Jeff Luhnow discussed his plans earlier this week to send the hot-hitting shortstop to Triple-A over the next 10-14 days. This is a mistake. Correa is major league-ready now and can be a difference-maker immediately. For a team that could end up in a tight battle for a playoff spot, time is of the essence. It'd be one thing if the Astros weren't in the race. In that scenario, they could take their time with Correa and avoid his "Super Two" arbitration status. But he is tearing up the Double-A Texas League. The game's best prospects simply don't need to play at Triple-A anymore; the game's most talented pitching prospects are almost always at Double-A, and a prospect can go straight to the big leagues from there and have success. At Triple-A, Correa likely would see more breaking balls and off-speed pitches, but also less velocity than most Double-A and major league pitchers. I understand the Astros wanting to avoid Super Two status, but a chance to go to the postseason this season should be more important -- especially when you're trying to rebuild a fan base after years of losing. Besides, when shortstop Jed Lowrie returns from the disabled list in July, if Correa isn't dominating, the team could always option him back down and get the service time back. If Correa is bidding for AL Rookie of the Year status as I expect him to, then Lowrie could be moved to third base and Luis Valbuena could be used in his best role as a utility player. This is the right move for a young impact player such as Correa, who has the maturity to handle it. The Astros weren't expected to be legitimate contenders until 2016, but it seems to have come together a year early. The best part is the rest of the division's teams have real issues. The Seattle Mariners' rotation is filled with question marks behind perennial Cy Young Award candidate Felix Hernandez, and they have lineup problems outside of Robinson Cano, Nelson Cruz and Kyle Seager, especially from the right side. The Angels are dealing with the rapid decline of starter Jered Weaver and have an offense that lacks depth following the deals of Howie Kendrick to the Dodgers and Josh Hamilton to the Rangers. The Oakland Athletics are having problems with consistency, while the Texas Rangers appear to be in complete disarray. The Astros have a legitimate chance to win 86-88 games this year, which might be good enough for them to play in October. A deal for Hamels and a promotion of Correa would give them a much better chance to put champagne on ice come the end of the regular season.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Astros?src=hash">#Astros</a> have scouted Jeff Samardzija, who may become available at the deadline: <a href="http://t.co/OdIG9I8FqW">http://t.co/OdIG9I8FqW</a> <a href="http://t.co/vuJJ2BrwKc">pic.twitter.com/vuJJ2BrwKc</a></p>— Chris Cotillo (@ChrisCotillo) <a href="https://twitter.com/ChrisCotillo/status/600758190418960385">May 19, 2015</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
so far the names the Astros might be targeting for pitching according to the rumors sites include: Hamels Cueto Samardzija Bud Norris Kyle Lohse I'd be excited about Hamels & Cueto; yes on Samardzija (maybe at a bargain since his numbers aren't great this year); a so-so welcome back to Norris (fine as a 5th starter) and a ? on Lohse...maybe also ok as a 5th starter.
Cueto is a FA this summer right? Would it be worth losing prospects to get him if we can just wait til the summer to get him?
Kazmir too. Depends on the prospects and how many teams are interested, rental situations tend to drive the price down.
