I admit that trading Walker would be a large hurdle, but it was a thought exercise of how I'd approach acquiring Correa specifically. To me, if you're adding his large salary then you're going for it and should upgrade your roster as much as you reasonably can. Swapping Walker for O'Hearn would be a huge upgrade and sets up the roster/payroll the following season. My personal preference would be to go for under the radar upgrades who are having good years. Guys like Tauchman, Clemens, Moniak, Moncada, and Soroka. I'd definitely be adding at least two bats, one of which has to able to play third. It might look something like the Braves 2021 trade deadline where they just added multiple solid big league bats. You really can't keep running Short, Hummel, McComick, and Matthews out there. I'd include Whitcomb in that list, but everyone knows he doesn't play. Walker has been lucky not good over the last month. He's on a BABIP heater (.408) for July. His walk rate is a putrid 2.6% and his ground ball rate has shot up (exactly what you want from a power hitter). His rolling xwOBA for his last 100 PA certainly doesn't look like he has figured anything out. Final note about Walker and his RBI count is: who cares? Players who hit the in middle of the order tend to get more RBI over the course of a season. Chris Carter had 94 RBI in 2016 then had 200 more PA before his career was over. Jose Abreu had 90 in 2023 then another 120 PA and his career was finished. As for as a few of the later posts in the thread. 1) Trading Framber - This is insane. Astros currently have a top 2 seed in the AL. Not having to play in the Wild Card round is basically a 50% increase to your World Series odds since a three game series is usually a coin flip. 2) Trading Melton - Also insane, but I'm a big Melton fan. He's honestly the one prospect I'd be annoyed if they traded (exludes recent draftees since they can't be traded). Look at his prospect savant page, it's bonkers how consistently Melton hits the ball hard. Even in his limited (admittedly not great) big league time his hard hit rate is 59%.
You shouldn't be fine either way. We are up 4 or 5 games in our division. This is an unprecedented run we are on. This will end sometime. We will not always be 4 games up in our division post All Star Break. You go for it. We have been blessed for almost a decade. So I get that new fans expect to win. They should be offering him a contract is what should be happening.
Another problem with trading Walker. How's that going to look to other free agents? Sign a deal with Houston!! They will trade you in the 1st year of your deal.
Do you understand the trade deadline is in 5 days? We arent getting all those players back in 5 days. Maybe alter in the season but not in 5 days. So the decision has to be made soon. This dynasty of ALCS and division titles is still going. Why are yall in so much of a hurry to end it? We are 5 games UP in our division !!!! Not every prospect is Cam Smith. We got lucky.
Only if you suck. The real problem is Houston signed a 34 year old 1B/DH only player whose K rate increased 5% the previous season. He further increased his K rate another 3.5% this season while walking 4% less.
It doesn't matter. It won't look good to future free agents. Thats bad business to trade someone who you just signed. I know he hasn't been what we expected. Why do you think another team would want our mistake?
You think the Astros can outspend the Yankees, Mets, Dodgers, Red Sox, Cubs? Think again. President Reagan brought down communism (Russia) by outspending them. Astros would be Russia in that scenario. Until the rules change and a cap is set.....the Astros can't pay everybody top dollar.
Astros were suppose to keep either Tucker or Bregman this past offseason. Lost both. Are you telling me we (Astros) let Tucker and Bregman go so that they can sign Framber? Sure. Keep telling yourself that.
That's what I heard all Winter. That it looked like the Astros were leaning towards keeping King Tuck and letting Bregman go test free agency. Now the Astros are hoping Arrenghetti, Luiz Garcia, Christian Javier, J.P. France, McCullers come back strong so they don't have to pay Framber. Hunter Brown becomes the Ace followed by the others. Pick up a 3rd starter from a team at trade deadline for a playoff run. With or without Framber.
Houston doesn't get handcuffed by their talent. Springer. Carlos Correa, Bregman, Tucker, Verlander, Gerrit Cole........it's always next man up Astros had one of the worst ranked minor league depth and talent pre season. Now we are going to act like guys like Melton and Whitcomb are untouchable. Crazy. We will agree that we disagree
Tucker was going to get traded b/c Houston isn't going to pay 450+ mil that Tucky wants. Bregman would had came back at the right price for Houston but he wanted that $40 mil AAV. So yes, at the end of the 2024 season....both were likely to be gone
If I'm not mistaken Tucker and Astros were going to arbitration. Bregman was suppose to be one of the top free agents. As the Yanks and Boston added people.....then Bregman wanted to come back because money became more scare with those big spenders. Astros used that money on Christian Walker and Brendan Rodgers. Forgot about Ronel Blanco (injury) and (Pressly leaving in offseason)) Fact is the Astros like their pitching coaches. Proved with Garrett Cole and Kikuchi that they can maximize pitchers with spin rate and in the case of Kikuchi, pitch more of what works from each individual pitcher. Astros had Kikuchi throw more sliders and changeups than he did with ?was it Seattle?
