Mets aren't trading him. T Maybe they can surrender this year and trade away rentals, but no way they give up on 2024 before this time next year by trading anyone with a contract for next year.
Rays get: RP Phil Maton RHP Forrest Whitley Astros get: 3B Cooper Kinney RHP JJ Goss OF Brock Jones Astros get: RP Scott Barlow IF Matt Duffy Royals get: OF/2B Pedro Leon OF/2B Joey Loperfido OF Corey Julks RHP Enoli Paredes Astros get: SP Michael Kopech C Yasmani Grandal RHP Jared Kelley White Sox get: RHP Jairo Solis LHP Julio Robaina RHP Rhett Kouba C Cesar Salazar IF Shay Whitcomb Playoff roster: 2B Altuve SS Pena LF Alvarez 3B Bregman RF Tucker 1B Abreu C Grandal DH Diaz CF McCormick Bench: Maldonado, Dubon, Meyers, Duffy Rotation: Framber, Brown, Javier, France Bullpen: Urquidy, Kopech, Blanco, Mushinski (or Montero if he somehow gets fixed), Stanek, Neris, Abreu, Barlow, Pressly
No one really knows who is really available . . . but someone like Tim Hill would slot in really well with this group. The pen sucks right now, but replace Montero with a completely different look - and I think the pen gets way better.
I think it's fantasy to think Montero is bring replaced. The best we can hope for is adding 2 high calibur leverage arms, Martinez and Dubin sent down and Montero becomes the 13th guy on the staff.
Sure . . . same difference. My point is that one really different looking pitcher that has some proven innings behind him would do wonders. Guy doesn't need to be lights out, just needs to provide a different look for hitters.
Cardinals Receive Montero Maldy Melton Astros Receive Willson Contreras Astros take on the Cardinals overpay which will likely hurt the Astros in 2026 and 2027. Cardinals lose some value this year, but they would probably prefer paying Montero than paying Contreras more going forward. Melton is there to sweeten deal some. Could also add in the bottom 2 propsects from any of Snake's proposals with at least 4 Astros players/prospects going out. Similar to deals I've proposed with Abreu.
Would love to have Grandal or Contreras but unless Crane and Brown force Dusty to sit Maldy it wouldn't matter because Dusty won't play them.
The White Sox are 11 games under .500 but they are only 6 games out of first in their division. That's only half a game more than the Astros are trailing the Rangers. Would not surprise me at all if the White Sox don't sell considering their expectations at the start of the season. The Central Division in both leagues having no elite teams is killing the trade market.
Contreras is having an Abreu type year. Why would we trade for him considering he's known to be poor behind the plate. Dusty would never play him and I'm not sure if I would want Dusty to play him. Diaz is our best option and the major transaction would be Dusty playing him on most days. In regards to a trade, we need 2 more reliable relievers and maybe a starter depending on Urquidy's health. Gravemen 2.0 would be good. France has been pretty good and probably better than anything we can trade for. If we are firmly in playoff contents at the deadline, I would like us trade for any available ace. I would go to war with Framber, Javier, Brown, and an acquired ace with France and Urquidy being our long relievers, and Gravemen, Maton, Abreu, Neris and Pressly.
You are just trying to get me to spontaneously combust. That would be my favorite deal the Astros have ever made. Immediately surpassing Randy Johnson and JV. The Bagwell and Alvarez trades were obviously best in franchise history, but we didn't know that was going to happen at all so it wasn't super exciting at the time. That money is a neutral deal this year 18M or so out, 18M or so in. We could still then use the extra roster spot that would create to add some major salary.
I was responding to a few posters who mentioned potential trades for these two catchers. Of course it's going to be extremely tough to acquire anything at the deadline (a bat, help in the pen, another starter) given the addition of the 3rd WC and how many teams will be in the playoff hunt. That said if we were to acquire Grandal or Contreras (as I mentioned) Dusty wouldn't play them that much. He'll continue to roll with Maldy.
This. The Astros are 5.5 games behind the Rangers who have cooled off some..... they are 6 games out of having the second best record in the AL. That includes enduring the worst two months of Jose Abreu's career, not having Jose Altuve for 50 games, not having Yordan Alvarez for 25 games... starting AAAA standout Corey Julks and Dubon playing basically regular starting at bats, when he is a middling bench player. The bullpen is 5 deep right now - and the Rotation doesn't have a #5. Most likely the Astros are going to add at least one solid relief pitcher and a #5 starter or another bat. The Astros still have a good chance to win their division. This idea that the Astros should be sellers right now is bizarre.... the Dodgers are third in their division, should they be sellers? Fans are getting spoiled with the chances the Astros are having to win a WS - you maximize those chances - and that includes this season.... prior to this run of dominance, the Astros had maybe 4 teams in 50 years as good as the 2023 Astros.
Honestly, the Astros should call the Mets about Sending Maldy and Montero for Nate Lavender. Js The call the Pirates about McCutchen maybe get him and plus him in over the short time being. This would be a very decent start for a run
The White Sox GM would love to convince ownership not to sell, so he can try to save his job - but he as already said that the White Sox will trade expiring contracts and discuss other contracts when they meet with the owner. Ownership of the Sox don't like keeping payroll high on a losing team, even if it only means saving 10-15 million dollars.
Sending Maldy to the Cardinals would be one of the conditions for taking Contreras. If the Astros trade for a catcher this season, I expect Maldy will be in the deal. You make DIaz playing catcher sound like a bad thing. Contreras is a better player than Maldy (Maldy's inability to frame pitches probably makes up for Contreras's reputation as a poor catcher). I'd rather have Contreras as the backup catcher.
You wouldn't get any argument from me, but whether we like or not the pitchers and some in management LOVE Maldonado and his Rasputin like abilities. Maldonado being removed from the team altogether is a pipe dream that isn't happening. I think the best we can hope for is than once Yordan comes back there is some give and Diaz starts taking some of his reps or that he gets hurt and becomes a locker room guy without us having to tolerate him actually being on the field.
