I don't follow the stros as much as I used to. What is the story on McCullers? Arm soreness? I keep hearing talk radio talking about him holding up. Dude is YOUNG, Is there any history of arm issues? We REALLY need this cat to be healthy and firing. Him and Keuchel give you a good 1, 2 and Colin redeemed himself. But after that. Eesh. Fiers did OK last night but still took the loss. Fister is the mystery. I would love for him to duplicate his 2.41 showing in 2014. Also if you could do a AJ reed or tyler white for Sonny Gray would you? This is the year. It's time to make some noise.
I will admin. I just do not know enough about the game to know whats good and what is not. I don't have a problem with Fiers as a 5. But as a number 3? eesh.. Do we have enough pitching with Keuchel, McHugh, LMJ?? With the offense we have would adding another stud arm really make it tough for opponents facing the Stros? Hell I am just glad they are relevant again.
Last year McCullers saved the rotation by becoming a very good number 2, that way we move McHugh to 3. This year, with McCullers back the rotation gets strong: 1. K 2. McCullers 3. McHugh 4. Fiers 5. Feldman I don't trust Fister unless his fastball gets to 90. Last time he was pitching at 87. I would not mind another quality starter here, but i really like what i saw from Davenski, not impressed with Feliz. We have another very good option in the minors in Musgrove, and in 2 years Martes. That is why i would not trade a bat like Reed, who could be our 4th hitter in the lineup for many years. A lineup of Altuve, Springer, Correa and Reed is really strong. Now, we do have Bregman who we could trade with others to get a guy like Gray.
Yes, I would make that deal without a second pause. Gray is 26 years old and isn't a free agent for four seasons. He is basically Roy Oswalt.
McCullers is being managed extremely conservatively because he threw a career high in innings last season (by a lot) and over a full season and playoffs would blow past that number again. There's a strong correlation between large increases in workload year to year and arm injuries. I'd love for fister to be consistently sitting low 90's on his sinker and repeat his 2012-2014 numbers but it's likely not happening. If he's throwing 87 mph tops coming out of the gate, I don't have high hopes for him. I'd trade either of them in a heartbeat for sonny gray, but Oakland ain't making that deal one to one. Sonny gray was a cy young contender last year and at least a strong #2 if not decent #1 starter; he ain't being traded for an untested prospect.
Tyler White's apparent arrival, certainly makes Reed tradeable. Having said that, I would only trade him for a team controlled star. Sonny Gray easily meets both of those criteria. I imagine we would have to give up a few more top 10 prospects if said imaginary deal were to be on the table. I think Reed is gonna be a stud, Tyler White's success for some reason has caused people to think less of Reed. Just because one guy appears to be a beast, it doesn't mean Reed can't also be a beast for us. The DH gives us that luxury.
Reed is help is higher esteem within the Astros organization. There is a reason that neither were dealt. Reed is similar to White in that he has a very developed approach at the plate. He cannot hit every pitch, but he only swings at strikes and he has more power than White could ever dream of. Reed is also a very underrated athlete and first baseman. He (like White) has also worked very hard at his body and increasing strength. Still, the Astros are somewhat working on a deadline, and there is an opportunity to win a World Series. I would gladly deal Reed and even Fisher and Paulino for at least 4 years of Sonny Gray. K Gray McCullers McHugh Fiers That is a devastating rotation where the Astros would have the advantage in 75% of the games they play. Also getting Gray would allow the Astros to not "rent a pitcher" for prospects at the deadline.
Also what about the pen? I was a little surprised by Gregerson being named closer over Giles. Luke just makes me nervous when he takes the mound with a 1 run lead or something. I would think you want someone that can blow you away. Then again maybe I am spoiled by the Lidge Wagner Dotel year.
Getting Gray would be great, but I don't see Billy Bean giving up Gray for anything other than a king's ransom. He's a Cy Young candidate with three years of control left after this season. I bet any package would likely include at least 3 of McCullers, Martes, Bregman, Daz and White/Reed. In other words, it ain't happening.
Exactly. Would anyone here trade Keuchel for an awesome AAA player that has never played a game in the majors? There's no reason Gray would be any different.
As I said two weeks ago, if/when the Astros determine that Tyler White is the real deal, I can't imagine a scenario in which they'd keep Reed on the untouchable list if offered a blockbuster, game-changing ace. Sonny Gray certainly fits that bill; Fernandez, too, I would guess: young, cheap studs under club control. BTW, somewhat related: I was kicking some potential ace tires and looked up Felix Hernandez... his ERA+ so far this year is 586 (!), which I just thought was comically ridiculous.
No; but Oakland isn't expected to be a contender this year. Would they have traded him in 2014? Sure. And it's not like the A's don't have a history of inexplicably trading away club-controlled MVP-level stars. If they deal Gray, the haul is significantly higher now than it will be at any other time specifically *because* of the money.
I actually see the A's hanging on to Gray... much like they've hung on to nearly every elite club controlled pitcher till they reached free agency (or at worst, traded them before or during their final year).
I don't honestly think the A's care about that; certainly not above the potential haul - it's not like they traded Josh Donaldson out of the AL. If the Astros make the best offer, the A's will take it.
Unless I'm forgetting someone, they haven't traded an elite-level pitcher since 2008 (Harden); their other deals of young aces were in '07 (Haren) and '04 (Mulder and Hudson). More recently, they traded Donaldson with four years of club control. My guess is that Beane has (rightly) recognized that those club-controlled years add significant value to what is already an extremely valuable asset. If there's no long-term hope of Oakland extending Gray, his value will never be higher than it is right now.
Yes, you trade AJ Reed, Feliz, filler for Sonny Gray. This team has pop, but needs another ace to pair with Keuchel. Keuchel Gray McCullers McHugh Fiers/Feldman/Fister Is very potent.
Ha. Yeah, the Astros would do that deal so fast, they'd have to invent a new way to measure speed. The deal for Gray would probably look a little something like this: McCullers or Martes; Reed; Bregman and then perhaps some filler (Tucker, the elder, maybe). I don't even know if that'd get it done, honestly. If the A's trade Sonny Gray right now, the haul would be significantly jaw-dropping.
