I agree with this but also think it’s always worth remembering that while the players you trade for might not move the needle all that much, usually the prospects you give away won’t either. Houston was able to trade away star level players like Hader and Musgrove without it closing the window. A front office just has to consistently avoid making the big blunder. Even if Houston were to go big this deadline and trade away their very best prospects, it probably doesn’t affect the long term outlook by more than 3-4 wins per season at most. Not something you can get away with year after year, but every ring a big trade brings makes all the lost trades worthwhile.
This team must bring in 2-4 players. You are already nearly 2/3 of the way through the season and on it. You have superstar level players on the roster. You can not waste their years on this team by giving up now
I think Marcus Stroman would be a great add. Just depends on cost . I would still look into Dylan Carlson to play CF for us even though he isn't doing very well at the moment. Might be a cheap add for a switch hitter. Verdugo is another and I think him as a #2hitter would be best case scenario
THIS 100% Even trading for Verlander didn't end up costing us anything Plus, it's been a LOOOOONG time since anyone won back to back Championships! The Astros are MUCH better than most fans give them credit for if they are healthy. Put Yordan and Altuve back in the lineup and we are top tier offense in all of baseball. I hope Brown goes and gets someone who could start one of our first 3 playoff games in a series, and 2 pen arms. Do that, and be healthy, and i'll take us over any team in the playoffs
Please stop wanting someone to play CF over Chas who isn't as good as Chas. We already get that way too often
If this is your criteria for making a trade, you wouldn’t trade Jake Meyers for Blake Snell then either. That’s ridiculous. Not going to make a bet that takes potentially a decade to determine but Robert looks like a perennial 5-7 WAR player if healthy. I guarantee every GM, including Dana Brown, right now would make the trade for four years of that on a team friendly deal in a heartbeat. Diaz and Gilbert will never come close to a top 5 talent in baseball. Dude is literally putting up Yordan numbers while playing an elite CF. Would you trade Yordan for a top #50ish prospect (Diaz) and a top 75 prospect? My guess is no.
I would say Chas has earned a starting position. Today is the 7th game in a row and 10 of the last 11 he has started. Wouldn't it be tragic if he finally accomplished that and then gets traded? The team has needs, He may be the most valuable piece they have, and the team seems to think he's only slightly better than Meyers.
Overall, while prospects are important to keeping windows open, and I'm not an "empty out the farm" guy, I do think some people overvalue prospects. We could have got pieces of value had we traded Forrest Whitley, AJ Reed, Francis Martes, Freudis Nova, Derek Fisher, etc. when their value was high. Now, only Whitley (whose value has tanked) remains employed by the Astros organization, and Fisher was the only one who we got anything of value out of. I'm thinking Shay Whitcomb, Quincy Hamilton, Jake Meyers, and Pedro Leon all fit the bill of people who (IMO) we should trade for something of value while we still can.
This would be an awesome deadline and the Stros would have as good of a chance as anybody to win another championship. I would trade Chaz and Meyers in seperate deals to get this done. As well as 3-4 top 10 prospects.
I don't think Boston trades Verdugo. They are clawing their way back into the WC race, and even if they don't make the playoffs this year, because he is under control for next year as well, the Red Sox probably see him as potentially a big part of next season. That's typically their MO. Also, if Meyers and McCormick are both traded away, and Verdugo is the OF coming over, who plays CF in that situation? Verdugo is not a good fielder, and I am not exactly a fan of Dubon's route-running in the outfield.
I agree there are several players who need to be traded now if they can. I agree with Whitcomb, and Hamilton. I think Pedro Leon is actually coming into his own. (26% K rate .829 ops since June 1st). He has immense talent and could end up being a very good player. However I do expect him to be traded because of the depth of OF in the system, need to fill holes, and his ceiling makes him attractive. Meyers is a very productive player. Even at current level he is a 3 WAR player over a full season and thats basically his floor. He still has 4 years of control. You trade him if he can bring back a piece to help, but you don't trade him because you want something before he craters- that's Corey Julks. I would add Justin Dirden, J.J. Matijevic and Kenedy Corona. (maybe just no opportunity) Some like Enoli Paredas, Blake Taylor, Jayden Murray, and Alex Solis have to rebuild value or just get released at this point. The window was missed.
Not sure about any of the pitchers in terms of value - those guys definitely have to rebuild their lost value. Paredes saw his value peak last year or the year before while he was still doing well in AAA. This year he has not been good (and maybe even on the IL?), and it's his last option year - he will have to be outrighted if not on the MLB roster next year. Matijevic was literally already DFA'd, and is kind of old and not exactly tearing it up (even though he hasn't been too terrible). You're right about Dirden, I would add him to the list as well. Corona I think so too, although I didn't include him because he hasn't reached AAA yet.
For now the Padres and Red Sox are not gonna sell. It is unlikely that Snell, Hader, Verdugo, or Paxton are traded unless those teams have a bad 2 weeks. Most realistic trade targets: SP: Giolito, Stroman, Verlander, Scherzer, Lynn, Rodriguez, Montgomery, Flaherty, Hendricks, Hill, Lorenzen RP: Bummer, Cisnero, Barlow, Moore, Sewald, Hicks, Stratton, Fullmer, Lopez, Middleton, Ottavino, Robertson, Raley, Gott, Harvey, Bard, Hand Bat: Bellinger, Vogelbach, Hernandez, Candelario, Grichuk, Renfroe, Pham, Cron Stros should be able to make something happen on the pitching side but the offense side is barren. Which on the bright side means McCormick/Meyers/Julks should have really high trade value. Somebody is gonna overpay for Bellinger, unless more teams sell or teams like the White Sox go deeper into a rebuild.
Diaz is going to be an all star and a 5 WAR player. If he learns to walk a little more it might be that he’s an mvp candidate. Gilbert might be a slightly like man’s Jim Edmonds. Not interested.
Sorry Chas isn't an everyday CF. Js He is a perfect high end 4th OFer. Don't be a Homer and realize this from the outside. His hitting has to step up atleast .030 points to be in that realm. He has to get on base and steal aloy more bases. So saying that he has time to grow into that. Yes. But still he is a 4th man. As for Julks. If he gets this year under his belt on this team he may be setting us up for much much better next year. The nerves bug starts your first year. The 2nd year is his breaker. The Reason I day Carlson. He is a Switch hitter and he still is a good player. He just may need a change of scenery. He could turn it all around. And the Cards just want some kind of pitching. Whitley and Gordon for him should be a no Brainerd. Let Carlson go to AAA and get his swing for alittle while and call him back up
