In order of preference; 1) Garrett Cooper He plays 1B and corner OF which best matches up with needs. He is controllable for 2023 at a position of need. He has the highest OPS of this group. Click and the Astros have a trade history. The Marlins have pitching but need bats so a package of young position players like: Jose Siri, Yanier Diaz and J.J. Matijevic should get a deal done. 2) Trey Mancini. Plays 1B and corner OF. He has a mutual option that will likely be turned down which will reduce the price or can negotiate with him prior to trade. Mike Elias is familiar with most prospects so a match should be easy. Could be buy low guy due to his home ballpark suppressing offense. 3) Ian Happ Doesn't play 1B ( or hasn't) buy does everywhere else. Crushes lefties. Is controlled for 2023 so would be great replacement for Diaz. Cubs will look to contend next year so more interested in players closer to majors than younger but better prospects. Could use our AAA pitching in deal - Solomon, James, Bielak, Bermudez, Paredes, etc to help reduce the 40 man log jam. 4) Benintendi Only plays LF but rarely strikes out and gives solid speed and on base skills. Rental so will be cheap. Royals have a young nucleas so will want an MLB ready youngster or 2. More of a table setter than run producer. 5) Brian Anderson 3B and RF should be able to play 1B and LF. Is controllable for 2023. Marlins, so trade information from Cooper above applies. Is much better vs LH pitching but curiously hits weakly away from home. 6) Austin Hays All 3 OF. Yet to reach Arbitration so will be expensive. Does not play infield. Much better vs RH than LH pitching. Most likely not an upgrade or much of an upgrade from McCormick/ Meyers/Siri.
Like the cooper idea. I think of this list, maybe of any list, Mancini is most likely. He fits the need and the connection with Elias, and more importantly Elias connection to so many guys in our system, makes a deal lining up more likely
They won't be dealing Urias, I just wanted to play the game Have to admit that would be a nice little ballclub lol I will disagree on the haul though, I would give Urquidy, Brown, Barber and Santos for him 10 out of 10 times Urquidy will likely get better this year, but he is a mid rotation pitcher. The other three have potential, but none are guarantees. Not that it's possible, but if you could add a true ace to Verlander/Framber/Garcia for that package, you do it....Wheeler would be nice too, Urias just as good and doesn't cost 24 million per year
Legitimate list of guys we could target on offense 1. Mancini. Having a good year, plays a position we could likely use an upgrade in. Working relationship with their GM. I think this is a legit possibility 2. Jonathan Schoop. Playing mostly 2B but has plenty of experience at 1B also. If you look at his numbers you would say he is having a bad year... .556 OPS, but if you dig in you see he is probably very unlucky so far this year. He has the highest hard hit % of his career, second highest exit velocity of his career, his xWOBA is right in line with his other years and he has the lowest strikeout percentage of his career. Making 7.5 million and same number for next year. 3. Josh Bell, as mentioned by many. 1B/Corner OF, hitting well. Would be a good fit 4. G Cooper...love this idea. Versatile, having a good year, making very little money...we probably need Miami to go on a bit of a losing streak to become sellers for sure, but if they do I like this one. That's really it from the teams that will be likely sellers as of now. Even though it's just one more spot in each league, that extra spot is going to make quite a few more teams think they can make the playoffs and do what Atlanta did, so we are likely looking at fewer sellers as we move forward. I think the value of being able to produce MLB quality players from your own system is going to be more valuable than ever before. Not just finding the stars, but being able to produce solid everyday players is going to rise in value.
Our catchers are historically bad offensively. No hyperbole, but literally the worst statistically in baseball in over 100 years. Castro needs to be DFA and they need to find someone else to replace him because what they are getting now isn’t nearly good enough.
I agree with what you are saying OFFENSIVELY But not when you factor all the rest. I would agree that they are bad but when you factor in that the catching position is probably only 1/3 hitting and 2/3 defense and intangibles it's not historically bad. What we as fans CONSTANTLY disregard is that the Astros view the catching position as 1% hitting and 99% defense and intangibles. They feel they have the best catching in baseball and not only don't look to improve it but don't think it's possible to improve it. All we are doing is giving ourselves ulcers thinking and talking about it.
This. I use to get frustrated with Ausmus when he was batting .245. Now I would gladly take an Ausmus type offensively.
What about a Double Wammy.. MJ Melendez ad Andrew Benintendi from the Royals? Im sure Korey Lee and Hunter Brown would have to be apart of the Deal in some shape or form. What About Jose Urquidy and Chas McCormick With Korey Lee and Forrest Whitley along With International Cash? We keep Hunter Brown We add Melendez DFA Castro. Benintendi takes over at LF Brantley platoons with COF positions 1B and Dh. He could spell the end to Yuli and we could ship Yuli and Odorizzi maybe to the Jays for Biggio and prospect Tanner Morris..... Some some small moves to try and improve this team to push this team above and beyond
Stros have tested Brantley at 1B. Brantley has never played an MLB game at 1B. Make of that what you will.
I wouldn't go quite this far. The Astros over the last year plus have had several conversations with the Cubs about Wilson Contreras, so they clearly think they can upgrade the position. My reading between the lines is that they don't think the cost is worth it. Yes, Goldstein told me flat out that the Astros value the non hitting part of catching more than any team in the league... and they are fans of Maldy .... but.......
This seems hyperbolic. I certainly think the Astros care more about defense and intangibles at the catcher position than most teams. They don't have much sense of urgency given they have the largest division lead in baseball. I don't think Maldy is going anywhere, but I think the Astros would at least consider a more offensively minded catcher given how Castro's offense has cratered. I find it unlikely that Castro and Maldonado will maintain this level of offensive ineptitude-they're both about .100 lower than their career BABIP. I think whether they make a move depends on what kind of deals are available and what the team thinks about Castro, but I don't think they have the same level of commitment to Castro as Maldy. I'd be quite surprised if they traded for a young catcher though. FWIW, I actually quite like the defense catcher focus. It seems like it has helped tremendously transition young pitchers to the big leagues, and if you have a solid hitter on the bench (like Diaz has been most his career), you can pinch hit in critical spots lengthening the lineup, negating some of the offensive liabilities. I wonder if this might be a situation where Maldy is uniquely talented at working with pitchers and they might move towards a more balanced approach when his playing days are over.
Agreed And I would add that we have the 3rd best ERA in all of baseball. We have that with a staff of Verlander and home grown guys, NONE of who were a top prospect. Now, those guys might have turned out just as good with Evan Gattis as catcher, I don't know...but if you are the Astros organization, you believe in the defensive value of your catchers, and you are getting that kind of pitching performance and you are on pace to win over 100 games, you probably ain't making a trade for a guy like Mitch Garver
The Astros wouldn't trade for Julio Urias. He has a history of domestic violence and ownership did not like the negative press or association when they brought on the last abuser. It also would likely be a problem with Verlander and a couple others that really had an issue with trading for one a few years ago.
I just thought of a totally different idea. The Giants are trying to compete and according to baseball reference, their starting pitching is 20th in MLB with negative 0.3 WAR. 2 of their projected rotation - Alex Cobb and Anthony DeSciafani- are hurt. And only 1 of their starters has an ERA under 3.5 and are under 4. They have Jason Vosler who is a LH hitting corner infielder. He is a rookie at 28 and sitting in AAA eventhough Brandon Belt is hurt so they probably won't want the moon for him. He has an OPS of .931 and OPS+ OF 157 in 58 PA and 17 games. 15 Ks are a concern but 6 BB He has played mostly 3B but also 1B, 2B, and corner OF. As a rookie he won't be a FA until 2028. I think the Astros could get him and another prospect for Urquidy.
A young catcher from outside the organization taking over a young staff that is currently one of the best in all of baseball Reduce the playing time of probably the most respected veteran in your clubhouse (who is hitting well fwiw) and get rid of another What could possibly go wrong Also, if you changed Biggio's last name most on here wouldn't have any idea who he was. If we had him what would we do with him? Option him to AAA?
