I'm gonna go way out on a limb and say that not a single trade proposed in this thread will come to fruition. This offseason is maybe, hopefully (if things look to get back to normal-ish) a different animal.
Ultimately, I think we see a few small trades involving lesser-names and non-prospects (like the BOS/PHI deal), but the blockbuster trades, unlikely. Despite reports of negotiations being busy, I ultimately think much of this is all smoke and mirrors. And as I said, in a normal season, an owner will care more about making the playoffs because hosting playoff games = ticket sales = a lot of money. No fans changes that. Here's a more realistic (non-Astros related) prediction: Trevor Rosenthal is retained and extended by KC. I've read that elsewhere, and it makes sense. While he's on paper the hottest closer on the market in the middle of a bounceback year, he's from KC, is very happy there, and reunited with his old STL manager Mike Matheny, who loves him. I think moves like that will be more common.
7 days to the deadline. I would put the over/under on trades by the Astros at 0.5, with the expectation that they might add a 3rd tier piece in a minor deal. I think most of the conversations that Click is having right now are geared toward setting up potential deals for this offseason, when he will have a much better idea of his status/needs/assets. Verlander’s health looms large. How much he thinks he can count on from all his young players next season (Tucker, Straw, Jones, Toro, Javier, Bielak, Valdez, Paredes, Taylor) will be important, and the rest of this season will go a good ways to answering that. Which players he will lose to free agency (Springer, Brantley, Gurriel). As it stands there really isn’t a place to add a big piece without subtracting. Who do you replace in a rotation of Verlander, Greinke, McCullers, Valdez, and Javier? In an outfield of Reddick, Tucker, Springer, and Brantley? In an infield of Gurriel, Bregman, Correa, Altuve? The biggest “hole” is in the back of the bullpen but I just don’t see that being a serious issue given the expected cost.
I understand I sound like a broken record but. I would move on from both. Try and find cheaper and younger guys that can help us along the way. The Idea would be to extend Correa. And hope he stays healthy. We need a Young OF a 1B but we could extend Brantley and move him there permanently and just aim for two young OFs. The a couple Pitchers?
Brantley and I have played the same number of innings at first base in the major leagues. Odd that you would extend Brantley and not Yuli.
Brantley has played 1B in the minors, and AJ (miss him soooo much) said he was open to trying him out there. So that's where the idea comes from. I would love to find a young, high ceiling 1B, preferably (but not necessarily) a lefty. I'd try and go after either Vaughn, Moutcastle, or Toglia if we can get them in return from a trade (not likely, but a dream). And/or cheaply get a Jake Bauers or Ryan O'Hearn in return for a "logjam" player and roll the dice and see if we can fix them. That, and another "Strom project" arm or two (bc why not?) are what I'd like to see us do, at the deadline or in the offseason.
Taylor Jones has put up some very impressive exit velocity in his limited time. I want to see what he can do for 200 PA before spending resources to acquire a 1B from outside the system. Plus they have Diaz and Toro as insurance.
I put McCullers in the back of the pen and put Urquidy in the rotation. I have more faith in Urquidy giving us 6 innings in a start than McCullers. See above.....
Its takes time though. Yulis age scares me and there are talks of extending Brantley already. Yuli seems like he is gonna get a big offer from someone and he will go there. This is his last chance to do so. No way he plays to far into his 40s. I wouldnt wanna get stuck in that kind of contract . Js.
Michael Brantley is 33 years old and has never played an infield position in MLB. He did play 1B for 50 games in A/AA ball, when he was 19/20, in 2007/8.
In one breath you say his age scares you and the next breath you are afraid he's going to get a huge offer.
Fantasy offseason trade Astros get: RHP Spencer Turnbull Tigers get: RHP Forrest Whitley RHP Rogelio Armenteros 3B Abraham Toro PTBNL Turnbull is a young power pitcher with good spin. Cole 2.0, Strom would love him. Would still have 4(?) years of control. Had a good year last year and is pitching well this year. Prospect (with red flags) for proven commodity.
No I'm saying he wants to stay. His age scares me and he will get a big offer from someone. IE Pujols esc returns on the age part and stuck paying him or Chris Davis
Whats wrong with a 1 or 2 year deal? If you are so confident that teams with a lot smarter front offices than you and I are willing to make him a big offer, why should his age scare you?
