Correction: he did have a good K rate in his half-season in the minors last year. His WHIP is the real problem - he walks tons of people and he gives up lots of hits. And he's shown no signs of getting better in either category.
Even though we failed to sign Aiken/Nix/Marshall this year, the Astros still got what amounts to 3 first round talents in 2012 (Correa/McCullers/Ruiz), 2 of the top 6 in 2013 (Appel and Moran and a compensation pick in Fisher), and now 2 of the top maybe 5 in 2015 to go along with another top 40 pick thanks to this Marlins trade. They've got a lot of pieces to play with, and I hope it results in success for the major league club sooner rather than later. They've effectively given themselves two avenues to improve the major league product: growth/development of these guys or setting up trades for the future where we give up prospects for established Major League talent. edit - found another breakdown of the trade (link). Marlins acquire RHP Jarred Cosart, CF Enrique Hernandez and OF Austin Wates from the Astros for 3B Colin Moran, OF Jake Marisnick, RHP Francis Martes and a compensation pick This is arguably the fourth-biggest trade of the day, as the Astros landed the Marlins' second- and third-best prospects coming into the season in Marisnick and Moran, respectively. Miami, which was reportedly looking for another starting pitcher earlier this week, made Cosart its primary target, but he is an underwhelming solution. As a prospect, Cosart headlined the deal that sent Hunter Pence to the Phillies at the 2011 non-waiver deadline, but he has failed to impress since then due largely to his poor peripherals. He hasn’t posted a strikeout-to-walk ratio above 2.00 since he was in A-ball, and despite his sparkling 1.95 ERA in 10 starts for the Astros as a rookie last year, he actually walked more men than he struck out without issuing a single intentional pass. This year, Cosart's ERA is up to 4.41, and he has struck out just 5.8 men per nine innings in 20 starts while walking 3.9 men per nine for a lousy 1.47 K/BB. In four July starts, he's posted an 8.02 ERA while walking 14 men against 13 strikeouts. Cosart has five team-controlled years left beyond this one, but at 24, he’s not that young, and he’s certainly not the pitcher that is going to bring Miami back from a 4 1/2 game deficit in the wild-card race. Enrique Hernandez, who goes by the unfortunately-spelled nickname Kiké (accent a must), may be the superior addition here for the Marlins. The former sixth-round pick out of Puerto Rico is not a prospect, but he’s just 22, can play everywhere but pitcher and catcher, and has done a surprising -- and uncharacteristic -- amount of hitting this year. Starting the year at Double A, Hernandez was promoted to Triple A in mid-April and hit .337/.380/.508 in 67 games there before getting called up to the majors, where he has since hit .284/.348/.420 in 89 plate appearances. The Triple A line owes at least a little to the hitting-friendly Pacific Coast League, but Hernandez is young enough that the jump in production could reflect something real. More likely the Astros have sold high on him, but Hernandez should get a chance to solve Miami's hole at second base and could run away with the position. The Astros, meanwhile, receive Moran, Marisnick and 18-year-old Dominican righty Francisco Mates. Moran, the sixth overall pick in the 2013 draft out of the University of North Carolina, is a bat-first third baseman who has hit .294/.342/.393 in High A this year. He’s not much of an athlete, but he is a legitimate hitter who should be able to stick at third base. At 6-foot-4, he certainly has the frame to hit for more power than he’s shown so far as a professional, with four home runs last year and five this year. Whether he ever figures that out is likely to be the big question about his development. Marisnick, a 23-year-old centerfielder, was originally acquired by the Marlins in the Jose Reyes/Mark Buehrle trade after the 2012 season. He has struggled in his major league opportunities, but that’s not shocking given that he has yet to play a full season at Triple A. Marisnick is a good fielder with a strong arm, speed and developing power, and there’s hope that he could be a very good everyday major league centerfielder. However, he has been jerked around a lot over the last year, being called up straight from Double A last July, bouncing between Triple A and the majors this year and now being traded. What he needs most is the consistency that will allow him to make adjustments to opposing pitchers, though he may not find it in Houston. For now, Marisnick will go directly to the Astros, where he will be the injury replacement for Dexter Fowler. Overall, Houston appears to have done exceptionally well in this trade. Moran and Marisnick aren’t slam-dunk prospects, but they have high upsides, and given that the team is still deep in its rebuilding phase, the compensation pick it received only adds to the value of the club's return here.
with a solid infield and being in the NL, that era will go down. will not be shocked if he wins 17 games next season. he is only 24.
He's been with this FO since December 2011; they've watched, evaluated and developed at least 68 professional starts, not to mention offseason workouts, winter ball, several spring training, etc. And I'd be willing to bet he was scouted in 2008 when Lunhow was still with the Cardinals, too. And I don't even think they soured on him, necessarily. I think they viewed him as an enticing piece that could land them a much greater need: namely a major league bat of some renown. Miami clearly made a plan B offer the Astros loved.
You can't knock the system. It's doing what everyone knew it would do and people have no choice to be patient. It's a great job to have since Luhnow can keep trading average Major league players for high upside minor league ones. Eventually it will land us stars since even a moron can get lucky. I don't think Lunhow and his guys are morons. Feel bad for the older fans though. Guys like MadMax and the like. I for one don't mind waiting 4 more years since I can't watch them on TV anyway.
It feels like we've been on a treadmill, but we really haven't been. Luhnow had his first draft in 2012, and we went extremely young. HS players take longer, usually at least 3 years, 2015 was always the earliest possible ETA, and it isn't 2015 yet. 2016 was always the expected year of contention. My expectation of that hasn't wavered since Luhnow took over.
The Astros are being run like a fantasy team. I am numb about winning records for this team. So much that trades and drafts are the most exciting aspect of the team. I liked the trade. It was high quality and the Astros did a good job with the haul. But when do the Astros say these are the horses we will be sticking with. But a great trade on paper. Cosart looks to be a potential # 2 if it all clicks for him. But Cosart isnt blowing anyone away with his talent so far. Could happen, but that is the story of basically all once top prospects.
Brace yourself ... Astros trade Jarred Cosart to Marlins in six-player deal Jake Marisnick, OF: Drafted by the Blue Jays in the third round from a California high school in 2009, Marisnick was traded to Miami in the huge Mark Buehrle, Jose Reyes trade in November 2012. He received a major league trial last year but hit just .183/.231/.248 in 109 at-bats, and hit just .167/.216/.162 in another 48 at-bats this year. He's spent most of the season with Triple-A New Orleans in the Pacific Coast League, hitting .277/.326/.434 with 10 homers, 17 walks, 64 strikeouts, and 24 stolen bases in 343 at-bats. Marisnick is a 6-4, 225 pound right-handed hitter and thrower born March 30, 1991. His bat is obviously an issue and he's been dogged by trouble with pitch recognition and swing mechanics. However, the Marlins did him no favors by jumping him from Double-A to the majors last summer with no intervening exposure against Triple-A breaking stuff; it is still possible he can improve. His outfield glove is considered outstanding in all respects, good enough for him to have a career as a defensive specialist even if the bat doesn't come around.
Looking at 2014 AAA OPS Robbie Grossman 175 ABs .914 OPS Enrique Hernandez 264 ABs .887 OPS L.J. Hoes 93 ABs .810 OPS Austin Wates 281 ABs .776 OPS Jake Marisnick 343 ABs .761 OPS
