https://blogs.fangraphs.com/2025-trade-value-introduction-and-honorable-mentions/ Paredes, Pena, and Smith made the Honorable Mention section of fangraphs Top 50 Trade Value list; this means by fangraphs metrics they are among the top ~110 players in baseball by surplus value. I suspect Alvarez and Brown will be on the top 50 list. Analyzing Houston’s other core players and why they didn’t make the list: Altuve is an aging player on a big contract. Diaz is having a down year. Walker is an aging player on a free agent contract having a down year. Matthews and Melton are not good enough prospects to warrant a spot. Framber is a rental. Walter and Gordon are not good enough despite being effective rookie SP. Hader is an aging player on a free agent contract. McCullers is terrible. Arrighetti and Javier are recovering from significant injury. Abreu only has 1 more year of control left and is a RP. It really sucks that Melton was part of the injury tidal wave, because with the injuries to Meyers, Pena, and Paredes, it is certain Melton would have been playing every day over the last few weeks and would’ve had a chance to get established. Another thing worth noting is that Kyle Tucker was also on the honorable mention list; Houston traded 1 honorable mention player for 2 honorable mention players. Good trade.
Thanks. Definitely see more of a full arm extension/wind-up/throw prior. Now looks less... and whether or not that's by design or that's just because how his arm is now, or who knows... remains to be seen. I do think its telling that normally after a rehab outing, we're getting info such as velocity, types of pitches used, etc.... not much happening after his start (but that could also be that they don't deploy a lot of reporters for A-ball rehab stints). (also to me, he looks "less fat"... I know his work ethic in regards to staying in shape has been criticized by many here, but was fully expecting to see Jabba the hut on the mound... he's always been big/fat).
When fully health is yainer Diaz in our best 9 ? Once yordan comes back at DH , I think you seriously need to consider at least a 50/50 split with caratini. Yainer is younger and probably better defensively , but man has he been awful at the plate this year . It's now 3 years in a row decline in ops for him Catcher needs to be a priority in the off-season unless we think caratini bridge to a top prospect is viable.
I have extending Caratini for three years as a top priority this offseason. He has been invaluable this season both behind the dish and as a bench player all over the field. Parades and Pena both should be offered similar extensions but both could be put off for another year.
4. Sandy Alcantara, SP, Miami Marlins Chance of trade: 50% Alcantara was arguably the best pitcher in baseball in 2022, winning the NL Cy Young unanimously. He was more solid than spectacular in 2023 and missed 2024 with Tommy John surgery. He has been tinkering this season to try to get his pitch mix and locations right in hopes of regaining his former glory. His 7.14 ERA is unsightly, and with the Marlins still valuing him as a top starter, they could hold on to him until the winter, when teams such as the Baltimore Orioles would be more inclined to acquire him and the final two years of his contract. Best fits: Chicago Cubs, Houston Astros, Boston, Toronto, Arizona, Los Angeles Dodgers, San Diego, Baltimore 5. Seth Lugo, SP, Kansas City Royals Chance of trade: 80% Lugo has posted mid-3.00s or lower ERAs for five seasons despite having below-average fastball velocity and good-not-great strikeout rates. His ability to strand runners and limit hard contact comes in part thanks to his nine different pitches. With a Nathan Eovaldi-type contract awaiting Lugo in free agency, Kansas City could opt to move him, especially if Cole Ragans' injured shoulder doesn't improve. Best fits: Chicago Cubs, Houston, Toronto, San Diego, Los Angeles Dodgers 8. Kris Bubic, SP, Kansas City Royals Chance of trade: 15% With Lugo set to hit free agency and Ragans still on the shelf, the Royals would need to be bowled over to consider moving their All-Star left-hander. At the same time, with the pitching market thin, they understand that the sort of haul Bubic could bring is at least worth engaging on. With a 2.48 ERA and another year of club control, his value is sky-high, and he's a legitimate solution for teams seeking a front-of-the-rotation starter. Best fits: Chicago Cubs, Boston, Toronto, Houston 11. Mitch Keller, SP, Pittsburgh Pirates Chance of trade: 50% Keller not only is in the midst of a career-best season with a 3.48 ERA but also is under contract for another three years at a very reasonable $55.7 million. The Pirates need bats, and moving Keller is the likeliest way to fill that void. Teams could be scared off slightly by the quality of contact against him -- his average exit velocity and hard-hit rate have spiked while his strikeouts are down -- but in an environment with little pitching, Keller is nevertheless desirable. Best fits: Chicago Cubs, Boston, Toronto, Houston 12. Zac Gallen, SP, Arizona Diamondbacks Chance of trade: 60% Gallen was excellent for the past three seasons but now, in a contract year, is posting career-worst numbers in almost every category. His stuff looks similar, but he's allowing much more damage when hitters make contact. That said, his strikeout-to-walk ratio is back to normal in his past five starts, at 29-to-5, despite a 6.04 ERA in that span. Diamondbacks general manager Mike Hazen said the team does not plan to deal away players at the deadline, but if Arizona doesn't make a run, it could reap a huge return with all its impending free agents. Best fits: Toronto, San Diego, Houston, Chicago Cubs 13. Merrill Kelly, SP, Arizona Diamondbacks Chance of trade: 70% Kelly doesn't have big raw stuff, having posted the second-lowest average fastball velocity (92.0) among pitchers with 115 innings pitched this season. His changeup is his best pitch by a wide margin, and he gets by with location and off-speed stuff. He was a stalwart in the Diamondbacks' run to the 2023 World Series, striking out 28 in 24 innings with a 2.25 ERA. Best fits: Toronto, Boston, Houston, Chicago Cubs 17. Taj Bradley, SP, Tampa Bay Rays Chance of trade: 25% For teams seeking controllable starting pitching, 24-year-old Bradley is a tremendous upside play. He's got good fastball velocity (96 mph), a tremendous cutter and a splitter that, when it's on, can be devastating. The Rays have room to move at least one starting pitcher, and teams have identified Bradley -- who doesn't reach free agency until after the 2029 season -- as the likeliest of those with team control to go. Best fits: Chicago Cubs, Boston, New York Mets, Toronto, Houston, Los Angeles Dodgers 18. Edward Cabrera, SP, Miami Marlins Chance of trade: 30% All the potential the Marlins have seen in the 27-year-old right-hander is finally coming into focus this season. While his 97 mph fastball gets hitters' attention, it's Cabrera's curveball and slider doing most of the work. And with a changeup that in years past has been his best pitch, Cabrera will be pricey because of the full arsenal and three more years of club control. Best fits: Chicago Cubs, Boston, New York Mets, Toronto, Houston, Los Angeles Dodgers 21. Cedric Mullins, OF, Baltimore Orioles Chance of trade: 70% Mullins is a 30-year-old center fielder in a contract year who contributes in a number of ways, but his power numbers are trending up this season and are at their best since 2021. Best fits: Philadelphia, Houston, New York Mets Houston Astros Record: 56-40 | Projected final record: 93-69 Division title odds: 81.2% | Playoff odds: 96.4% | Championship odds: 9.2% How they got to the top: Getting to the top is standard in Houston. The Astros should make it nine consecutive seasons qualifying for the playoffs, perhaps reaching the ALCS for the fifth time in that span. However, looking closer at this year's team in particular, this AL West run may be the most surprising, as Kyle Tucker is a Cub, second baseman Jose Altuve is a left fielder and Yordan Alvarez is sidelined. The DH has hit .210 in 29 games, succumbing to a hand injury since the first game of May. The confident Astros remain a top-five team because of their top-five ERA, led by right-hander Hunter Brown, left-hander Framber Valdez and arguably the league's best bullpen. New leadoff option Jeremy Pena posting a top-five WAR has been critical, too. What to expect from here: More winning. The Astros are used to this contending thing, even as some (many) of the names change. Twelve games remain versus the eager Mariners and hopeful Rangers, but it is hard to bet against the Astros winning the AL West for the fifth consecutive year. Reintegrating the excellent Alvarez, whose streak of earning MVP votes for three consecutive seasons figures to end this fall, is key to the lineup, which has lacked depth and pop with catcher Yainer Diaz and newcomer first baseman Christian Walker underachieving. The rotation needs stability after the stars, and perhaps right-handers Lance McCullers Jr., Spencer Arrighetti and Luis Garcia can provide it. Expect the Astros to play October baseball. -- Karabell
Not Nook, but: Does he want to stay here? What will another team offer him to be a backup/part-timer? Can he get a starting job elsewhere? What are the Astros willing to spend on him? etc....
Agree But with Caratini may be playing himself into an amount of money we won't pay for a backup catcher, even if they see it as more of a split time situation, which I doubt even with the poor offensive year from Yainer. If Caratini can keep his OPS in the high 700s he is going to get paid well by someone
Damn if Tampa would legitimately consider moving Taj that could be a huge one for us. I know their guys are really good with pitching too, but TAJ upside is out of the roof, would love to see our pitching guys have a shot to work with him
If I'm not mistaken, didn't Caratini say something recently about wanting to stay in Houston after this season (that he and his family love Htown)?
Sounds good to me. He's the best backup, and maybe a top 5-7 (bar is pretty low) catcher the Stros have ever had.
Caratini has earned the starting catcher spot, in my opinion. Diaz has a higher ceiling, but Victor has outplayed him. I trust Caratini in big situations more than Diaz at this point. This wasn’t the case last year, as Diaz was a great clutch hitter in ‘24. If Yainer can get hot and start producing, I will flip flop but for right now I feel like Caratini has won that job. I guess we will see when Yordan and others get back. Both catchers are needed in the lineup right now.
I haven't heard anything about him coming back, I know that they have been a fan of Salazar and have discussed him being the back up in the future. However, he has had a bad year in the minors and big leagues. I think they would like to have Caratini back but it will come down to money. The Astros are going to likely be tight on money again, and Salazar would cost them almost nothing. Caratini is very well liked in the organization so if they can get him at a deal similar to what he signed for before, there may be a chance. I don't think they will pay him what he is worth, but he has said he wants to stay in Houston.
The Astros need to seriously consider resigning Framber Valdez. I don't think that Framber will get the offers he deserves, but we will have to wait and see. He is always healthy - he is an absolute horse - has pitched in some huge games and he is very under-rated. He has been the Astros best pitcher this season ---- again. The consistency, health and ability to go deep in games are crucial for the Astros.
I think he has been more than a back up catcher for us. He is a versatile utility player with catcher being just one of the positions he can play.
