Smyly is a 2 win pitcher when healthy. He has been extremely effective so far this season. He has an extra season of affordable control. Hes lefthanded so can be used as either a lefty RP or a multi-inning pen saver in the playoffs. He’s exactly the type of value pitcher Houston should target given their situation. He would serve as a replacement for Bielak, not France. Houston is going to need another SP at some point this season and the guys currently in the upper minors don’t seem up to the task. It is very stupid to think adding Whitley to a prospect package would be a negative. He might not have much trade value but he can’t possibly be a negative. He has no guaranteed cost.
Smyly has only not pitched to 2 WAR since 2014. Him being on pace for over 2 WAR so far this year does not make him a "2 WAR pitcher". It makes him a pitcher off to a good start to the season. His decade of average to below average, injury riddled performance is a much better predictor of future success or failure than the past 2 months. I think Smyly is not an upgrade from any of the 13-15 pitchers currently on the roster or likely to be recalled from AAA if needed.
Rule of thumb never trade for a hype player. Always trade hyped players. Usually when someone's doing more then they normally do. Stay away. And if you have someone who is doing very well and it's odd. Guess what it's time to send them out.
Can we trade for all the players that are going to have a great second half? That's how this works, right?
What about Jose Ramirez? He would be a solid add. Very very solid add. Wonder if he could be had? Where would he play? 3B, 1B, DH were ever he would wanna play or we think he could play
He should be about as untraceable as they come. All star and borderline mvp caliber player at 5/125- an absurdly team friendly deal. Cleveland is super cheap so it’s all have to be guys under club control and they are in an easily winnable division. Maybe something like Tucker and Jake? Probably ask for Peña and Tucker? I think I might do Tucker and Jake for Ramirez. You could move Bregman to first and DFA Abreu, while calling you Gilbert. That’s interesting. Altuve/Peña/Alvarez/Ramirez/Bregman/Diaz/ Gilbert/Chas/Dubon might be your best 9? And you could let Bregman walk and repurpose that money to solve Lf or 1B after 2024. I think I’d do that deal if I’m the Astros. I think Cleveland might think about it because Tucker and Jake would be cheap. And Jake has some definite upside. That solves 2 problems for them. That repurposes our too many OF not enough IF issue.
IF Cleveland were to hypothetically put Jose Ramirez on the market, the Astros would be outbid by several teams. Ramirez has one of the best post arb/superstar contracts in the league. A package highlighted by Tucker wouldn’t work because- for one, Ramirez is locked in longer than Tucker and Tucker wants a deal that will blow Ramirez’s deal out the water. You’d probably be looking at Drew Gilbert, Yainer Diaz, Arighetti, and Ryan Clifford as a starting point. I love Ramirez as a player and would love him on the Astros… but it’s not happening unless you quite literally sell the entire farm. The Astros certainly are going to need another bat or two. It will be interesting to see how Dana Brown chooses to maneuver through his first trade deadline as a GM.
I’d love this. When the Verlander trade went down, it definitely made the guys feel like management was doing all they could to win a chip. All that said, this team hasn’t shown me they will have enough come playoff time. Yes injuries are a huge part of it. Several regulars are just not what they were last year; at least not yet. Long way to go, doesn’t take much to catch fire and get it going in the right direction. So far it just doesn’t have that feel that they are capable of winning it all this season. We’ve been very spoiled so I’m trying to be realistic here. Did Bieber show everyone enough that he could be a difference maker if traded for? I haven’t had a chance to watch that game yet.
This team needs a something. It is simply not at a championship level. In 2017 and 2019 the Verlander and Grienke deals blew all of MLB and fans ( even those of other teams) away. It was like a shot of nitrous to a car. Gasoline on a flame. We all remember that joy. That feeling that NOW this team was the best in baseball and going to win it all. This team is simply not at previous levels. Even if it's simply mental because of how the season has gone so far, a boost is needed. Unlike last year, simply adding a Mancini and Vasquez isn't enough. I don't know who can possibly be that player. After all, there are only so many players of that level, and fewer that are/will be available. But I have confidence that everyone in the organization knows it is needed just like I do. I just hope Brown can manage to find a deal and the team is still in position to win by the time it finally happens. If it happens.
Bieber showed, yesterday, at least as much as Verlander had with Detroit, prior to the trade. Question: how much of it was facing a AAAA lineup? Or was it his way of auditioning? Hoping to impress the Astros brass? Randy Johnson and Verlander each put it into a new gear when they joined Houston. Johnson 1998 W/ Seattle-4.33 ERA, 3.35 FIP, 1.288 WHIP W/ Astros- 1.28 ERA, 2.04 FIP, 0.974 WHIP Verlander 2017 W/ Tigers-3.82 ERA, 4.07 FIP, 1.276 WHIP W/ Astros-1.06 ERA, 2.69 FIP, 0.647 WHIP (Grienke was having a better season than they and simply kept pitching at a top notch #2, borderline #1 level) Bieber is definitely having more of a season like Unit and JV. The question is does he have their level of talent and can he ( and is he likely to) have a similar impact?
Bieber looked good. He was getting the Glavine treatment by the umps. It was probably the worst strike zone on the outside for right handers I’ve seen all year.
After researching Bieber and watching the game yesterday, I think Bieber CAN really help this team. Best case he becomes a co-ace w/ Framber and slides into the #2 spot. Javier moves to #3 and Brown or McCullers to #4. Even if he doesn't, he makes the rotation 4 deep (5 deep if Lance comes back healthy and effective) with playoff calibur starters. Unless he comes in and gets hurt, or just craps the bed, which is always possible, he adds much needed depth and improves this team to a new level. FTR I think Giolito and Stroman could potentially do the same thing, but Bieber just feels like he is closer to JV and Randy Johnson were prior to the trades.
