2023 Trade Targets

We have our weed smoker at Sugarland. What if he gets promoted

 

If their rotation is full I could see at least 2 of Arrighetti, Dubin, Whitley, Solis, Mushinski, Paredes, Gage, Taveras, and Tamarez as being very effective RP by next season. They wouldn’t want to rely too much on that group but I think 1 or 2 outside RP will be enough.

 

What does something like this look like now, and would it be something we'd want?

 

Stroman is gonna be expensive. He’s pitching like an ace and has another year of control. Bellinger has cooled off but comes with defensive versatility and offensive ceiling that will make him highly coveted. Here’s a guess:

Astros get:
SP Marcus Stroman
OF/1B Cody Bellinger

Cubs get:
OF Jake Meyers
OF Colin Barber
RHP Spencer Arrighetti
OF/2B Pedro Leon

 

Classing Houston’s tradeable assets:

Tier 1: Diaz, McCormick, Meyers, Gilbert

Tier 2: Barber, Lee, Clifford, France, Julks, Urquidy, Garcia, Arrighetti, Leon, Loperfido, Dezenzo, Corona, Melton, Baez, Gomez

Tier 3: Kessinger, Dubin, Blanco, Martinez, Bielak, Whitcomb, Perez, Whitley, Dirden, Gordon, Kouba, Daniels, Knorr, DeVos, Taylor, Dombroski, Fleury, Ullola, Santa, Espinosa, C Diaz, Valencia

 

Which way. Seems like a decent deal to me.

I didn't realize Happ signed an extension, I thought he was a rental that was up at the end of this year. Chas for two non all star (this year not talking about the past) guys in their walk year with Julks as a sweatener would be much more than fair value, imo. Is the contract that Happ signed fair value? Will he outperform? underperform? 3 year 60 million. Figure that you'd have Chas on 3 year 20M contract in all likelihood through arbitration. Chas averages 1 WAR for every 150 PA's Happ averages 1 WAR for every 200. They are both 1.6 WAR players this year, Chas doing it in fewer games/PA's. I don't know man, I think Chas is pretty significantly more desireable piece than Happ going forward. That 3/40M difference could by you a Montero! Think of how awesome that would be for the Cubs. I too think that Julks isn't great, but as a DH/LF guy that can maybe be league average in offense that's also not nothing. I don't see a huge market for Bellinger at the trade deadline, but maybe there is. He's been good/not great after being terrible for multiple years and kinda sucks/is a prick. I don't know, maybe I wouldn't do the deal.

 

That's pretty pricey....

It looks like he has a player option after this year, though. Would we do Meyers and Barber for a Stroman rental?

 

24 is a player option for only 21M. If he finishes the season healthy there is no way he picks up that player option. I think that's at least 2 propsects too much for both those guys in walk years. Meyers and 1 of the OFers should be enough. I wouldn't pay more than that. If he picked up his option, sure.

 

But that's exactly the issue. The Cubs will want to be paid like he is NOT a rental.

 

I hope so. I trust their ability to judge talent.

 

I think k we should throw the sink at the White Sox for Luis Robert's.

And if that fails settle for Verdugo.

This way ot makes McCormick or Meyers or Julks all avaliable and if we keep Gilbert he still has a chance to take CF moving Robert's to LF

 

There's very little chance that Robert would be here and Gilbert still in the Astros organization.

 

My feeling is we need a starter but there won't be one we can afford. So let's go the opposite. Let's mash in the playoffs...

Add some bullpen depth, defense, and one more bat at DH:

To Astros:
Kevin Kiermaier
Brandon Belt
Tim Mayza

To Blue Jays:
Shay Whitcomb
Quincy Hamilton
Jake Meyers
Spencer Arrighetti

Belt mashes righties. McCormick bashes lefties. Platoon them at DH. Kiermaier is still a solid CF with playoff experience... both expiring deals... Mayza is a consistently good lefty who has 1 year of arbitration left in 2024.

Start Diaz at catcher primarily...

Altuve
Bregman
Tucker
Alvarez
Abreu
Diaz
McCormick/Belt
Pena
Kiermaier

7-8 deep lineup...

Rotation
Valdez
Javier
Brown
Urquidy
France

Bullpen
Pressley
Abreu
Neris
Stanek
Mayza
Maton
France in long relief

Bench
Dubon
Maldonado
Julks
Belt/McCormick
Lee

Then one more guy... best player available... a fixed Montero?

 

The blue jays are 1.5 games out of a wild card spot. They aren't selling.

 

Lmao, good stuff.

BTW, I wouldn't make that trade

Appreciate you giving me more knowledge of the Stros farm system.

 

There are lots contenders that need pitching. Could be a bidding war.

 

Hear me out guys because this is going to sound crazy....
Lance Lynn.
Would be eminently affordable.
His ERA is 6.47 but his xfip is 3.87 which is tied with Gerrit Cole and slightly better than McLanahan, Cease and Charlie Morton.

 

I wonder if Gordon, Leon, Meyers Whitcomb,Tamarez would be enough to get Lynn and Graveman?

 

Now...

They are likely competing with Yankees for 3rd. I doubt 3 get in but it's possible.