Jesus Sanchez OF/DH Tanner Scott RP for Korey Lee Corey Julks Grae Kessinger Marlins are still in it (about 32% playoff chances per baseball reference) so will be looking to buy/sell. If they are to trade MLB players, they will need MLB ready players back. They are 26th in runs, so are looking for hitting upgrades. If the Astros want Jesus Sanchez who is one of their few above average hitters, they will want 2 back. Korey Lee is likely an upgrade over catchers Fortes (52 wRC+) and Stallings (59) but unproven. Corey Julks and Grae Kessinger are the best fits off of the MLB roster. Julks is currently at 88 wRC+ after a cold 10 days, but is young and improving. He was 125 wRC+ across 2 months 5/15-7/15 so they could pencil him into the starting LF spot and move De LA Cruz to RF replacing Sanchez. The everyday position will likely help him continue to develop. Kessinger has hit all year (109 wRC+ in AAA and 112 since being called up). He would replace either Segura at 3B (53 wRC+) or Wendle at SS (82). between the 3 positions, and the low production they are replacing the Marlins should be better offensively overall. They are very deep in pitching and can absorb this bullpen loss to improve the offense and potentially have 3 positional starters for the next 5+ years. Especially now that they have Robertson. Sanchez has 4 years of control left and Scott has 1. Lee has 6 and Julks and Kessinger each have 5.
As long as you add a couple of stud relievers to adding Lorenzen, then I'm on board. I like Lorenzen, but the key to how far this team goes will be when the Stros have a 2 run lead in the 6th inning the game is essentially over because the bullpen is 5-6 deep.
I can’t fathom snell and Hader getting a player of yanier Diaz caliber let alone having that be someone the astros have to add to. They are both in walk years and Diaz is a stud with 5.5 years of control left at the absolute hardest position to find a bat. That’s lunacy for the Astros to even consider that. I’d do the first deal and it seems completely fair. doesn’t kessinger have 6 left after this year. He came up way late- he shouldn’t be anywhere close to having a year of service time- same as France, right?
You are right about Kessinger. I'm not sure about France. I just wanted to error on the side of caution since I wasn't sure.
If the Mets are looking for high ceiling young international prispects, are we willing to trade: Luis Baez Carlos Cauro Cristopfer Gonzalez Jose Fleury for Verlander $4M in 2023 $12M in 2024 $5M in 2025.
I feel like the Rangers are going to make a big deal or two this weekend. I think they step forward and establish themselves as legitimate (say Soto, Bellinger*, Scherzer*, or Verlander, etc.). They have a good team, a really good team. I don't think they gut the farm, but I could see them trying to stand up to win it, to us and others. We are still chasing a bit and could be until next year, if, the arms come back stronger. I'm impressed by them. Now, I would punch Semien right in the mouth at church but that's more to establish our dialect of prison rules. Let's go Stros'. Make the best decision here.
Hader and Scherzer would be my bet. Going to be tough to catch them because we need a #1-2 SP and a couple of pen arms, but don’t think we have enough to get all of them. I think getting a bat is last on the list.
I'd be shocked if Verlander approves a trade to the Rangers because all he did for the Astros will be unraveled. Whatever the case, so far not too happy that other teams have fatten themselves us like the Angels and we are standing pat. I hope our GM isn't afraid to take risks because in a week, it could be the Stros making noise, or go bass less.
Interesting. So what happens if Verlander takes the mound against the Astros for the Mets or any other team? By your logic, you'd be shocked if Verlander tried to throw strikes? What, pray tell, would be unraveled if he went to Dallas? Boy, I sure do hope it's the seam on one of Kate's sweaters...
Over the years I have seen (and even in my weakest moments proposed them myself) people say we should trade prospects like Bregman, Tucker, Yordan, etc. And if they had traded Valdez, Javier, B Abreu, Pena, McCormick, France, or Brown before they reached the majors nobody would have thrown a fit at the time. Of course I want Houston to improve the team. I want them to add star players and field a super team and win another WS. But I also don’t want those attempts to be desperate and cause Houston to end up where they were in 2009–2011. The prices we’ve seen so far are exhorbitant. If Houston can’t find deals better than what the Angels paid for Giolito or the Marlins paid for Robertson, I’m ok with them sitting this deadline out.
But didn't you suggest they sell/give up on this season as soon as Yordan went out with his injury? That's the other end of the extreme... Championship windows are rare. Most take them for granted now since its been going on the better part of a decade, but its going to end at some point. What led to 2009-2011 was desperate chasing for a team that wasn't in a championship window, along with zero commitment to the draft/farm... its actually pretty hard to do in this day/age, but they did it. Fear of that era happening again should be pretty minimal as long as they continue to sign draft picks. Good GM's have the ability to add key pieces to optimize chances to win year to year where a championship is possible... and still not have the entire system/team crater in 2-3 years. The Astros haven't been frivolous in FA spending (both in terms of long-term commitments and dollars/year). They have at least 2 more years of guaranteed core/star players being on the team. They have a bunch of young/club controlled plus starting pitching, albeit some are hurt at the moment. And they have revenue coming in yearly that should allow for increased spending here/there when needed. There are going to be more sellers as this week goes on... some teams aren't just going to flat-out announce it as their fan base doesn't want to hear it verbatim, but I actually think the Angels' overspending is more an indictment of their desperate front office mindset vs. the true market.
The Rangers are most definitely going to trade big. That simply has to factor into Houston’s trade deadline decisions if they want to keep pace in this division. If they’re content settling for the WC, not so much
Besides Ohtani (who's off the market, but its only Friday...), there really isn't that major earth-shattering difference maker that tips scales significantly (including JV). The Rangers do need pitching desperately. As do the Astros, however somehow they've ended up in a slightly better SP situation with Urquidy slated to come back, France continuing to hold his own, and Javier having a mini-bounce back with more rest.
Tigers Get Clifford Melton Gordon Astros Get Jake Rogers Reason for trade is to free up Diaz to play DH, and locks up two catchers for a while. Also if the Astros want to trade an OF, this creates a surplus with Alvarez playing LF. Not 100% sure on the prospects, but expect Astros could make something work without Gilbert and without an MLB player. Mariners Get Gilbert Astros Get Brash Sewald Trading a top prospect is dumb. Not sure I could pull the trigger on this trade. In the postseason, this would basically turn games into Brown and Javier starts into 4 inning outings. Brash has 5 years of control which would give Astros very good odds of having a strong back of the pen for a while. Dipoto has a good record for assembling bullpens out of thin air so I think he would move Brash and Sewald for the right package. Not sure what else could get the Mariners to move Brash besides Gilbert, and this depends on the Mariners liking Gilbert a lot. Whether it is Brash, Sewald or other Mariner reliever, the Mariners look like a great trading partner for Houston.
I do not like the idea of Arlington getting JV. I do not like this idea at all. Only saving grace of this, is watching them wager their future. I think it is inevitable that they will get him.
Swap Clifford for Korey Lee (hopefully Tigers would be into that since they’d probably need a C) and I think that’s a good trade for both sides. But Rogers has been worth 3 fwar over his last 107 games so the Tigers may put a lot higher price on him. I would not trade Gilbert for a couple of RP.
