C- Maldonado/Diaz 1st - Abreu 2nd- Altuve SS - Pena 3rd - Bregman RF - Tucker LF - Alvarez/Julks CF - McCormick/Meyers/Dubon DH - Diaz/Brantley Rotation Valdez/Javier/Brown/Urquidy/France Pen Pressly/Abreu/Neris/Maton/GRAVEMAN (Stanek/Montero/Martinez) *** This is the Astros with only trading for a single relief pitcher - Graveman..... and Urquidy coming back.... this team, if it stays healthy is good enough to catch the Rangers and potentially come out of the AL. A healthy Astros line up with Alvarez healthy and Abreu and Diaz hitting is actually pretty good. Altuve/Bregman/Alvarez/Abreu/Tucker/Diaz/McCormick/Pena/Maldonado The rotation isn't ideal, but probably good enough to compete for a WS - and Urquidy would probably go to the pen where he has had some success. The pen would be used a lot but Pressly/Abreu/GRAVEMAN/Neris/Urquidy/Maton is certainly deep enough to get the job potentially done. This is all assuming the Astros have a quiet trade deadline and just add a single reliever - from what I have been told, they intend to be aggressive wanting to add multiple players
I think at this point I'd like for us to use our trade ammunition (including Nads) on the bullpen and possibly even a top of rotation starter, so we can play Diaz as the everyday catcher (call up Lee for backup?).
The Astros team OPS the last month has gone from around .720 to .750 .... mostly on the increased playing of Diaz and the re-emergence of Jose Abreu, and return of Jose Altuve. The Astros are still without Yordan Alvarez - who could bring the Astros team OPS up to the .770 range. That is a large difference between where the Astros were 4-6 weeks ago. For comparison, on the year the ASTROS are 18th in the league at .720..... at .750 the Astros are 8th in the league...at around 770 the Astros are 5th in the league.
Currently 3 games out in their division... I believe them this time when they say they aren't selling unless they fall apart the next 3-4 weeks.
They are 9-2 in their last 11 - so it is certainly possible that they decide not to sell - I am simply saying that what the GM says means little, he and his predecessor both have made the claim they are not selling many times in the past when they have. They have the Phillies, Indians, Brewers and Yankees coming up. I think that how they perform over that span will go a long way to deciding if they or the Brewers sell.
With Yordan returning and Breggy hitting like he does this weekend in LA, our offense will heat up soon. Not sure we want to take on Contreras contract after Abreu signing. Once Yordan returns, our only hope to improve the catching position is to let Diaz catch 3 games to Maldy 2 (Framber and Javier). Wishful thinking on our end. Diaz can DH games that he doesn’t catch. Then next year, we can go get a catcher or give Lee a chance. But have to move on from Maldy after this year.
I think Lee should come up and catch if Maldy is shipped out. Also again Andrew MCCUTCHEN WOULDNT BE A BAD RENTAL ADD
Exactly. Assuming Alvarez and Brantley gets healthy. We need another playoff starter and a couple of relievers. Preferably a high leverage one like Gravemen.
I think our offense will come around assuming people get healthy and Abreu stays productive. We just can't dig ourselves a hole we can't climb out of before that happens. That is why I'm so angry at Dusty and his laissez faire attitude and ego.
I do not have mind reading capabilites. The Astros tried to trade for Contreras last year when Maldy was a neutral framer, but were overruled by Crane. This season, Maldy is on pace to lose 2 games worth of strikes. Assuming the front office hasn't thought that Maldy's black magic has increased substantially in power this season, his worth dropped by about $20M from last season. Logic would dictate a front office that tried to make him a backup last year has got to be considering going moneyball on him this year. Maybe Crane stops it again, but Maldy is not close to as good as he was last year. Do you want to pay a reliever with a 20.00 ERA (estimated without looking) ~$11M a year for 2.5 more seasons? I'm much more confident Contreras will be more than the league average batting catcher he's been this season going forward before he truly sucks in 2-3 years (i.e., instead of having a disappointing 1st half of a season).
As objectively as I can look at it, Montero and Maldonado for Contreras actually seems like a pretty fair trade. I would be shocked if either team accepted it, considering it would ship out Framber’s preferred catcher during a CY caliber season, but on paper it seems really even.
Apparently Rangers reached out regarding McCutchen but Pirates aren't interested in trading him for now.
I'll beat this horse into the ground. Verlander wants Maldy as his catcher. Max would probably like him Aswell. This would be the perfect spot to Ship Maldy .
The Mets will be SELLERS, unless they have a miraculous turn around in July. They are closer to the Rockies than they are the wild card now. I would imagine JV and/or Max may be up for sale.
No chance they trade anyone under contract for next year. They can not have THAT payroll and start the season without every possible bullet
I'm hoping that Brown adds a bat and a solid starter in addition to Graveman. I would give Leon/Whicomb, Lee and a young pitcher for Lynn or Giolito and Graveman. I'm really hoping Brown add a difference making bat at the deadline.
Definitely selling (4): A’s, Nats, Royals, Rockies Likely selling (4): White Sox, Tigers, Cardinals, Pirates TBD (5): Red Sox, Mariners, Mets, Cubs, Padres Likely buying (3): Guardians, Phillies, Brewers All in (14): Rays, Orioles, Yankees, Jays, Twins, Rangers, Astros, Angels, Braves, Marlins, Reds, Dodgers, Diamondbacks, Giants Unless at least 6 of those “Likely selling”/“TBD” teams embrace selling, it’s going to be the biggest sellers’ deadline in modern history by a wide margin.
