This really surprises me. I know Crane loves his high end guys, but it feels like this team doesn't need a JV or Grienke kind of move. This team needs more of a 2017 Josh Reddick type of move. A complimentary veteran who fills a specific hole. Maybe putting Rasmussen in the Brandon Lowe deal allows the Astros to include Arrighetti and another young starter like Gusto or Gordon? That would be interesting.
This is a solid idea. Only thing I have been thinking about Lowe is that he is kind of a butcher on defense so he’s not really an upgrade over Altuve at 2B. Lowe also strikes out quite a bit.
I don't think there is a perfect option. The more I think about it, the more I think they may not do anything. This team can he improved, but with Yordan, Arrighetti, and possibly Javier, Garcia, Melton, Dezenzo, and/or Chas returning to a team that is b**** slapping the AL West, Brown and Crane may just stand pat. I am completely convinced that there is ZERO chance this team goes over the CBT. with so many young SP actually showing they can pitch, the need is not crucial as it was last year. There is enough young semi-proven talent that it would take a legitimate player to actually be an improvement, unlike scrap heap pickups like Ben Gamel and Jason Heyward last year. I just see either an impact add or no add, with extremely limited prospect value or payroll space. It would not surprise me at all if every player on this roster in September is already in the organization.
My read on the Astros having interest in top tier pitching tells me that either they don't think Valdez will be back and that they can replace Valdez with someone under contract beyond or that the Astros may not be able to get an impact bat because of cost and may find value at the top of the rotation. I am somewhat skeptical about the Astros getting "value" in trades for top of the rotation pitchers because there are going to be teams looking for playoff starting pitching. I know for example that the Cubs are expected to be very aggressive and the Dodgers may also be in the market. So - I suspect they want a starter to pair with Valdez and Brown in 2025 and then slide in for Valdez in 2026. Also - Rasmussen is interesting because he shouldn't cost a lot. Paddock surprised me because he is a pure rental.
This tells me that they don't have too much confidence in either Arrighetti or Javier becoming a legitimate TOR in 2026. Maybe I'm too optimistic or simply naive, but it feels like Brown, Javier, Arrighetti, McCullers, Garcia along with the various young SP who have debuted this season ( and Ullola) should be deep and formidable. We all know you can never have too much pitching, but targeting guys with TOR ceilings, at these prices does not make me optimistic about what is in the system now.
Yeah I definitely think there’s a scenario where the market sets against them and Houston sells the “we have everything we need” narrative and pivots to just adding a rental RH setup man just to say they did something, which wouldn’t be a terrible outcome if everybody they already have is healthy and productive.
Look, I see things differently is all. Here's my thought process on why I would absolutely entertain selling (I know it won't happen): It's really hard to win a world series. There is an assload of luck involved. The best Astros team any of us will ever see didn't get it done in 2019 and they lost to a middling bunch of ****heads. So, keeping Framber and Meyers doesn't guarantee anything. We could keep them and lose- which would suck. We could keep them and win- which would be awesome. We could trade them for magic beans and lost which would suck We could trade them for Cam Smith and Jeff Bagwell and Curt Schilling and win the World series which would be the most amazing thing ever. But, at the end of the day I believe trading Framber and Meyers would degrade our chance of winning the WS by 2 or 3% this year. If we nailed the trade (I trust Dana to know talent) it could make our odds of making the playoffs 35-70% higher in 2029,30 and 31. That's like 15% higher world series odds if it worked out that way vs 2% worse this year. Now- I wouldn't dream of trading them if it didn't look like a damn good package coming back. But, we are a mid market team which means A) we don't have to wait for a window to strike and hope it works out like your A's or Indians or Royals, and B) We won't contend every year by throwing money at it like the Yankees and Dodgers can. So, that means you need to marshal your resources and try to be good enough to make the playoffs every year b/c anyone with a chip and a chair can win it all. It's how my brain works. I know it would never happen here, but I also believe Luhnow would do it in his fantasy world where he didn't have an owner. And maybe it's good guys like that have owners.
No worries. I'm pretty sure Dezenzo won't be back in time to be tradeable. That's coming from someone who should know these kind of things...
And that's why I'd look to sell every one of my rentals if I was a mid market team, regarless of where I was at, at every deadline. Not do it necessarily, but see if I could get some crazy return.
Pass If they trade for O'Hearn I'll bet you they get a package of something like Blubaugh/Pecko and an Fayetteville pitcher of their choice, they're going to ask for pitching/pitching and more pitching IMHO.
Agreed and those pitchers will need to be able to contribute in 2026. Elias' job is on the line. A guy who helps in 2027 or 2028 doesn't help him.
Crane is always going to be interested in high end SP, and as Astros fans we should be happy about that Also, I have no idea what actual percentages are, but I know trading Framber greatly reduces our chances of advancing each round of the playoffs
If you were going to trade Framber, the offseason was the time to do it. It would be insane to trade him now with the way the season is shaping up.
Yep: Untradeable, too important to the 2025 playoff run: Altuve, Alvarez, Pena, Paredes, Diaz, Caratini, Meyers, Dubon, Framber, Brown, Hader, Abreu Only tradeable for an overpay: Walter, Dubin, Sousa, Okert, King Potential salary dumps: Walker, McCormick, Javier, Garcia No trade value: Alexander, Hernandez, Contreras, Hummel, Salazar, Guillorme, France, Trammell, Ort, Robertson, VanWey, McCullers Injured trade chips: Dezenzo, Arrighetti, Wesneski, Blanco, Leon, Melton Actual trade chips on 40 man roster: Whitcomb, Gusto, Gordon, Blubaugh, Corona
Okert might be an underrated trade chip. He's arguably the 4th best lefty in the pen while also being the oldest and under the least control. He does have another year after this one, so an acquiring team would get 2 playoff runs out of him, without having too much concern about age related decline. It might be hard to line up a swap since he would need to go to a contender, and the Astros are going to make trades to buy. Not even sure who would be a good fit.
They’re not helping an AL team. So I could see the Padres, Giants, and Cubs being interested since their bullpens look pretty weak. I could see a scenario where Okert was effectively included in a 3 way trade, where Okert essentially serves as a prospect.
With how RH the Astros are, maybe they should send lefty reliever to a team they might see in the postseason. I'm not sure I'd worry too much about it if they're able to upgrade their roster in the deal. That scenario does seem plausible.
