How can anyone say it would be a huge mistake before knowing the cost? So you are saying that bringing Perez in at any cost is a big mistake?
Peres in all likelihood is a negative value asset. I’d rather cut off my own dick than send Hunter Brown out in a deal for him. I thought you were an Astros fan bro?
I don't know if the Astros are actually talking to the Royals, I just said it makes some sense because of new leadership in both teams. Vasquez did not want to be a backup. He wanted to be a starter.
Whitley is the opposite of AAAA. He’s a boom/bust guy. He either doesn’t make it or makes it as a **** up for a short time or he maximizes his talent and he’s awesome. AAAA is a guy who hits his talent level to its fullest but isn’t good enough to be in the MLB or is super fringey. Think Colin Moran. Or Tyler White.
I'm not suggesting the Astros trade Brown, or even make a deal. I'm simply saying IF the Astros seriously want Perez he is who the Royals will likely insist on getting in the deal. I would be shocked if Whitley, Perez, and Barber excite them. This isn't a "we must trade him so gotta settle for whatever we can get" situation. This is a " Well if we can get THIS then we may trade him otherwise thanks and have a nice day" situation.
I concede the point. However my bigger point is that Whitley has diminished to the point he is no longer someone a trade can be built around. Now he is the lottery pick that is thrown in at the back end of an offer to take it across the finish line.
Absolutely. He is an expensive declining player that will cost an opportunity for the Astros to bring up their likely future at the position. Additionally he will tie up payroll needed for flexibility this season and as long as his contract might last. Additional costs associated with making such a trade send it beyond a huge mistake and put it in the catastrophic sphere.
I tend to agree with you. I think my hypothetical trade for him was Meyers, Whitley, & Korey Lee. Perez is such a franchise icon, that I don't see them trading him for what amounts to mostly salary relief.
I understand that, my point is if the Astros make a trade for Perez he will be the starter, Maldy the backup. If the Astros are willing to make Maldy the backup, then they could've just retained Vasquez and make him the starter. I thought the whole thing was the Astros were committed to having Maldy be the starter this year.
That is a valid opinion. I think adding Perez would MOST LIKELY improve the catcher position for 2023 and possibly 2024 and 2025 beyond what any other catcher on the roster is likely to. A declining Perez is very likely better than Korey Lee ever becomes. That said, salary and roster/ playing time opportunities must be considered in addition to the actual cost of the trade in players. You may be right but I'm not willing to say it as a definite yet.
And if they were willing to make Perez the starter over Maldy why would they have not just signed Vazquez (and make him the starter)? If they would've signed him for what the Twins did (3/30) it would've been WAY cheaper then trading for Perez (financially as well as giving up prospects).
My understanding is that the Astros tried to sign Vazquez and made a very good offer. Vazquez did not want to return to the Astros. He went to the Twins and all but begged them to increase their offer specifically because he did not want to return and the Astros had made the best offer. I think Nook posted about it and has more information.
Or for that matter Vazquez? The more I looked at Vazquez's numbers, the more I realized he was a significant upgrade w the bat over Maldy and would've only cost $10m/yr. We already traded a prospect for him so to me that seemed like a very reasonable cost for a guy who's slashed .274/.399/.714 last year. Proven winner, existing culture fit, still solid defensively. Still miffed we let him walk if we weren't going to bring in someone like Contreras. But I digress.
That's really interesting. The Astros made the best offer even though they only saw him as a backup to Maldy? Was there another reason he didn't want to return to Houston?
The reason he didn't want to sign here is he wanted to be the starter and I don't blame him. The reason for my post is the talk about the possibility of now trading for Perez and making him the starter. Again why?? If this did happen (trading for Perez) and they made him the starter, back to my previous post, why not just sign Vazquez (3/30) compared to (3/63 for Perez) and you hold on to the players you had to trade away to get Perez. Does Vazquez have the same bat as Perez? No. But he's better defensively, way cheaper, and again they don't have to trade away any players to get him.
The Astros burned that bridge. The way the Astros treated his playing time vs Maldy's is all Vazquez needed. He was not going to sign here, even to be "the starter" as long as Maldy is here because he did not think he would get the playing time he wanted. And he is not even in the same stratosphere as Perez. I never understood the attraction of Vazquez. Nice catcher, cool. But people clamoring for him to DH? Perez is a 5 time gold glove and 4 time silver slugger catcher. His OPS+ was 110 in a down year in 2022. Vazquez has a career OPS+ of 85 and it was 68 for the Astros last year with 1 HR and 4 total extra base hits in 108 PA. The only time he has ever been over 103 is 189 PA in 2020 when he was 111. His career best.
