Would rather take a .280 20 hr Yuli Gurriel + the prospects than a .280 30hr Goldschmidt and being effed if someone gets hurt
Goldy while an upgrade for most teams....there are fewer teams that he's a bigger upgrade than Sale is over the fifth starter.
Yuri batted 0.262 last year. Goldschmidt has a 0.300+ BA over his career and hasn't been below 0.280 since his rookie year. And there's the 0.677 OPS vs 0.900+ OPS. Being effed if someone gets hurt is true for any star player, so unless you're just saying you don't want to trade for any big name, I'm not sure the issue with Goldschmidt there. Pitchers in general are more likely to get hurt (and be out for a longer time), and Goldschmidt doesn't have any kind of significant injury history. Risk-wise, Goldschmidt would come with far less than Sale.
Problem here is that leaves us even thinner on the pitching side. Unless they are getting legit SPs, there's no way the Astros can afford to give up Musgrove or McCullers - they need those guys to step up this year.
I think Luhnow is, in a way, trying to emulate what Toronto has done over the past few years. Build the offense first and add to the pitching as you go. I don't think Luhnow is done but I don't think we'll get a Sale or Archer before the season starts. I could see adding to the rotation in June or July. I believe they thing 2016 was more of a fluke for Keuchel than the norm.
If a possible Goldschmidt deal was on the table, I would be more willing to include Springer. While their WAR rate looks fairly similar over the last 2 years, Goldy is a much, much better hitter. Trading Springer for a pitcher would make me hesitate because the offense still has quite a few unknowns. Plus while I love George, he's a bit of a square peg in a lineup. Power wasted at the top of the order, but not really good enough to be a good 3/4 hitter. There is absolutely no trade, and I mean that literally, in which I would trade McCullers, Musgrove and Martes and not get an ace back. Even trading Musgrove and Martes without LMJ would make me pause. We need top end pitchers, and pulling the trigger on them would leave an avenue to getting one very difficult for the next year or 2. It would leave seemingly only Keuchel and McCullers with front end potential and a sub par farm to trade from. And I should add, whenever the topic of trading Springer comes up, I feel the human element kicking in. He seems like such a fun character, and genuinely great guy on and off the field, on top of being a great ballplayer. Trading him would hurt more than others.
it would be sheer lunacy to trade McCullers or Martes without getting an ace back. We simply don't have the rotation depth to make a trade like that.
Oh yes I do agree. I would NOT do that trade. Just saying that if we did not want to give up Bregman or Tucker for Goldschmidt then it would take a pitching package similar to the one I mentioned.
While I can see being against trading multiple MLB/near MLB pitching prospects, I don't see a problem with sending 1 out for a guy like Goldy.
Yeah I really don't want to trade any pitching. Replacing 1b is much easier to replace than good pitching. Was just saying that's what they would be asking for if Tucker and Bregman were unavailable in a trade.
The Astros do not have a complete lack of starting pitching that one of the 6-10 starters can't be traded.
As long as the haul is #3 or better, then i am on-board with that. But i dont want to thin out that crop for meager offensive help. A game changer? Sure! But my overall feeling about the club is that a way needs to be found to bolster the top of the pitching order. There are too many maybes and uncertainties with the guys we hope fill that role. To stand pat and hope three guys have near career years isnt a good strategy. Despite this, I like the offensive moves we have made and the way we made them. My thoughts concern whether this team has real playoff hopes. Not just getting there, but advancing. One more big bat in addition to whats already has been done might give the offense the boost it needed. There are some who wont consider this team as a threat until we add a starter or two. Lack of available players to fill this need may lead to it being unmet. We better be in the top 5 in the league in offense then if we are to have a prayer.
I'd much rather have EE and not have to sell off all the important parts it would take to acquire Goldy.
