I don't have a problem trading Urquidy for a young Clase type minor league reliever. If you're looking to upgrade the current roster then trading Urquidy for a OF, C, dominant reliever would be the way I would go. Example: I would do a Urquidy for Contreras deal and let Contreras catch 3 days a week and dh 3 days a week. What I wonder is a guy like Odorizzi who is a rental, what would he be worth to a team like the Cards?
The Astros are not getting Soto. The Astros are mildly concerned about the health of their minor league system post COVID, with the impact of a smaller scouting staff for awhile and the loss of their draft picks for a few seasons. They are not going to gut their minors or young players for a single player that will earn a lot in arbitration and then be a free agent, especially one that is a corner outfielder and is a poor fielder. I am not saying Soto isn't awesome, he is - he is basically a modern Frank Robinson. He just doesn't fit the Astros situation. The Astros have fairly narrow financial capabilities and trying to keep together a team that can win 95-100 games a year and they know they will have to fill holes in the outfield, 1st base, catcher and possibly at the top of the rotation. I haven't heard a lot specifically around the Astros and the trade deadline, other than they will be active but not overpay. This seems to be the standard line for Click's group. Most of what I have heard has centered around teams wanting starting pitching from the Astros. I don't have a strong opinion on this market at this point. The players and needs on the offensive side are obvious and the names I have heard are the same as being discussed on these boards. The Astros also seem to want to address/add the same type of players regardless of the on the field production. For example, the Astros are very interested in the Reds pitcher... and high end relievers.
Valdez has 45 home runs in his last 750 plate appearances. He absolutely stings the ball. I certainly wouldn't just toss him in as filler at this point. He's easily one of the top ten prospects in the organization now.
I guess he's off the radar for me because since he didn't make top 30 in organization on milb... i was aware he was hitting well in AA. He might very well be a good player but his production seems a little flukish to me.
Would make much more sense than the trade Urquidy for prospects idea I wouldn’t trade him for a rental though If it were for a controllable young potential backend of the pen type, I could buy into that
Lefty with playoff experience and familiarity with some of the staff and players? Not sure what the downside is...
Yeah, things would have to go awfully wrong for Keuchel to make it on the Astros rotation with 8 guys being ahead of him.
Look, I can take a dump in a box and mark it guaranteed, I've got the spare time, but that doesn't mean the guarantee fairy isn't going to come knock your daughter up, am I right? Look, if you want to say we can't make a move in August to trade present spare value for future value b/c we might have 3 separate and discreet things go wrong, which would all be necessary to go wrong before it effects our playoffs I guess I can't argue with you, but that's waaaaaaay more conservative than you need to be. Odo was insurance for us in April against a lot of things going wrong, we don't need that same level of insurance in August with a 10 game lead. We just don't. And, keep in mind there is a real danger in being too conservative, you won't see it now but you will 3 years down the road. Besides- we won't likely pull the trigger on that kind of deal until August 1. We will have seen LMJ 2 times in rehab starts and we will have played the Mariners some more and we will know if we are looking at more like a 7 game lead or more like a 13 game lead. And maybe nobody offers us anything worth a damn for Odo or Urquidy. I'm damn sure not saying trade them for nothing. But you should be ready to move them for future value.
