The Astros are looking for hitting and pitching and are very active. If they need a CF, I will be surprised if it is anyone except Cedric Mullins.
When I talk about trades I stop talking about “a left handed hitting OF” and have moved on to just typing Cedrick Mullins. it will be sort of insane with Jake seriously injured if they don’t trade for him. He plays CF for the rest of the year and hits 8th or 9th when everyone is healthy (except Jake) and if Jake gets back he plays LF against RHP and goes to plus defender there. it’s the biggest no brainer that exists.
He’s healthy. He even hit a HR down in the compound league. Espada just has to find a way to get Trammel out of the lineup. Tough stuff.
I DO understand your point. Chas was criminally under used in 2023. He was the best position player on the team not named Yordan Alvarez, Kyle Tucker, or Jose Altuve, with a 130 OPS+ He only started 108 games when he was healthy for over 140. Corey Julkes and his 79 OPS+ started 77. Jake Meyers and his 87 OPS+ started 87. he also was benched in 3 of 11 playoff games. He was cheated out of a 4, and possibly 5 WAR season. And he has had even fewer opportunities since. Some has been due to injuries, some just being passed over despite uninspiring alternatives However, there is no hiding the fact the he is simply not the same player. Why? Who knows. Can he get it back? Who knows. But it is fact. Expected wOBA is the single best measurement to determine how good of an offensive player you SHOULD be once luck is removed. 2023: .341 2024: .285 2025: .307 What is different? He doesn't hit the ball as hard anymore. Average exit velicity: 88.0%, to 86.2%, to 85.8%. Hard hit rate: 38.3% to 32.8% to 27.3% He is chasing more: 30.2% in 2023 and 32.6% in 2025 ( improvement from 33.6 in 2024) When he swings, he is whiffing more: 28.4% to 31.3% to 32.0% Also, his sprint speed has dropped from 28.2 ft/sec in 2023 down to a below average 26.2 in 2025. Interestingly, many people think a hamstring injury contributed to his poor season last year, but his sprint speed was actualky up to 28.7 So he is a marginally talented (compared to other MLBers) former overachiever with little room for error who has lost t a tiny bit of this then a tiny bit of that and is now below average. Maybe he can get 100-150 PAs in AAA and regain some of his hitting ability and return in September? But something needs to change. THIS Chas is not a positive for this team.
I agree that Chas is a big trade candidate. 1) he is one of the few guys making above MLB minimum who could offset salary and prevent the Astros from going over the CBT. 2) If I have ever seen a change of scenery candidate, its him. 3) Espada and the Astros simply don't believe he is as good as the other options do he isn't getting a chance. Actually, the Astros attitude reminds me of how they treated Loperfido and Leon. "OK. I've seen enough, sit down "
If they're not gonna play him I'd for sure trade him for a rando RH middle reliever with some talent.
Yeah at this point it’ll shock me if McCormick and Whitcomb are still in the Astros organization in 2 weeks. Other prime trade candidates based on how they’ve been handled: Blubaugh Pecko Sullivan Mayer Fleury Santa
Lots of smoke that the Guardians are positioned to sell, for me that moves Steven Kwan up the list of who Houston should target. can yall imagine: CF Steven Kwan 3B Paredes DH Alvarez LF Altuve SS Pena 2B Willi Castro RF Smith C Diaz 1B Walker Bench: Dubon, Caratini, Meyers, Hummel
Yes. I love Kwan. I actually overpaid for him last week according to you. I think I had it: Melton Chas Matthews Blubaugh Gordon or something like that. I think he’d be the one I’d actually do the Ullola in the trade for if I absolutely had to.
Well fellas, feels like we should shift directions to trading Framber and Caratini. Should be able to get 4 top 100 prospects for those two guys. Maybe 3 too 100’s and an interesting guy that slots in our org top 10 more likely.
