Reading we'll listen to offers on Christian walker feels like reading we'll listen to offers on McCullers... I suppose if a team could get Walker for 10 million per season that would make him a desirable player. Would we feel differently about walker if he was making 10 mil per?
Trading Walker doesn’t make sense unless Houston sheds at least 75% of his contract without attaching a significant prospect to him. He showed he can still play over the 2nd half last season so if no other team wants to pay him $15M+ per season then it makes more sense to hang on to him and hope he rebounds over a full year.
I can see that. If we were to keep him, would you want to keep or trade paredes? Trading a significant prospect piece seems tough as we're trying to build up the farm again.
I do not see any excess value in Walker, in fact I believe he is worth less than his contract. It would likely cost the team money or prospects to trade him away.
@Snake Diggit thanks for sharing that story and as a vet I appreciate when people call out morons disrespecting the National Anthem. Hopefully, in the last 15 years, Eric has learned from this incident, but if not I truly hope the Astros don't employ him again.
People shouldn’t judge too harshly based on a single incident 15 years ago. Obviously it had a big impact on my opinion of him but who knows how much of a true reflection of his character that incident was then, much less a reflection of how he is now. I’m sure he’s changed a lot in the last 15 years regardless. Anyway, I hope he has success with the Astros if they hire him.
I want the Astros to follow the market to maximize the value of all of their players. If I am Dana Brown I am telling other teams that Diaz, Walker, Paredes, Pena, Meyers, Dubon, Urias, and Sanchez are all available and see what offers they get. But I don’t think Houston is in a position where they have to trade any of their position players, because I think Paredes can handle 2B if it comes to it, and if not, it just means more Alvarez in LF (with Altuve at 2B and Paredes at DH). All other things being equal (they’re not), I want them to trade Walker more than any other player. And I think Paredes very likely has more value to Houston than any other contending team (park fit). That said, one scenario I thought of today is if Bregman leaves Boston, maybe a trade Paredes to Boston for Duran makes sense. A “good” offseason where Houston doesn’t trade any veteran position players might end with the roster looking something like this: SS Pena 2B Paredes DH Alvarez 3B Correa LF Altuve 1B Walker C Diaz RF Sanchez CF Meyers Bench: Dubon, Caratini ($14M/2yr), Urias, Smith SP: Brown, Rasmussen (trade w/Rays), Montgomery ($7M/1yr), Javier, Pearson, McCullers RP: Hader, Abreu, King, Sousa, Okert, Ort, De Los Santos
Interesting that we'd keep dubon and Urias. I'm open to keeping Sanchez, his poor end to the season tainted my view on him but as more time passes. Would blubaugh get traded?
The only reason to move him is save payroll to spend somewhere else. In the second half last year he hit .250 with a .799 ops and 15 homeruns. His last year in Arizona he his .251 with an .803 ops. Outside of the first half, he was the player we thought he was. It's likely a fluke bad half related to changing environments. I would move him, but I'm not giving him away. Just because they have an extra infielder doesn't make him expendable. Correa misses time. Parades and Pena both missed significant time last year. Depth is valuable. Rotating guys to keep them fresh has value.
I'd give him away. If it meant dumping his contract and re-allocating the money. Eating a large portion of the contract does not interest me unless getting something good in return. Main reason I'd dump him is that it makes it easy to know where to play Paredes (who is also somebody to consider trading if it brings back pitching or OF help) and allow us to re-allocate to a bigger need.
I will believe it when I see it. Giving him $170M+ and losing a draft pick is a huge bet that Miller is going to help Cease level up to Gerrit Cole status (and stay healthy).
Snake never wants to trade prospects. It's not in his DNA. I would trade Walker and attach a prospect if saving 15 mil allowed me to sign an innings eating SP 2-3. I might use the money to sign a LHB OF that can get on base is a high contact hitter and is pretty fast on the base paths.
That’s an ancillary benefit of potentially trading Walker (or Jake Meyers), it opens up a spot to sub in a lefty (who might also be an overall better hitter).
